Dima participates in a drill during the first day of Development Camp.

Photos by Chris Gordon

When Metallurg Novokuznetsk’s season ended in early February without a playoff berth, Dmitry Orlov had two options. He could finish the year in Russia again with Metallurg’s MHL affiliate, the Novokuznetsk Bears, or begin his professional career in North America. After dominating the KHL’s junior circuit and winning the Davydov trophy as the MHL Playoff MVP in 2009-10, Dima needed a new challenge. So he negotiated an agreement with his KHL club and flew over to America to sign a contract with the Washington Capitals.

On February 27th, Orlov impressed fans and media alike in his AHL debut against the Albany Devils. Not only did he register a point in his first game as a Hershey Bear, he inspired The Patriot-News’s Tim Leone to exclaim,”That’s the best first 20 minutes from a 19-year-old D I’ve ever seen in this league.” Orlov went on to score his first AHL goal — ten days later — on March 9th against the Worchester Sharks and finished the year with nine points in 19 games.

After taking a brief vacation in Turkey, the defensive prospect is back in America, and participating in his third Development Camp. So far, the reports are positive.

“He’s in a lot better shape and he’s lighter and in better condition than he was in the other camps,” Bruce Boudreau told reporters Monday. “I think he wants to make a real good impression. He was always going back to Russia, but now he knows he’s here. He wants to make the team.”

One problem remains, however. Orlov still has a limited grasp of English, which can make instruction difficult, at times, for the coaches. While in Hershey, Orlov lived with fellow Russian-born winger Dmitry Kugryshev, who offered help with translating. In Development Camp, Stanislav Galiev has filled a similar role.

“You know, the thing [we're looking for] is a better understanding of the game because of the language barrier,” Boudreau explained. “And to see if he understands [English] a little bit better than last year or the year before. If he understands it, we know he can play and he can shoot and he can stand up and hit. And he’s got great hockey sense. It’s just the communication part that I’m a little worried about sometimes.”

RMNB’s own Igor Kleyner caught up with Orlov after his first day of Development Camp to discuss his training regiment, thoughts on the AHL and what words in English he does understand. Below, we offer the translation of his conversation.

Igor Kleyner: You cut your summer vacation a bit short this year, didn’t you? Why?
Dmitry Orlov: I wanted to start training a bit earlier this time. I have been here since the 28th of June, training with the strength coach Mark Nemish. We have been getting ready for the [developmnent] camp, both skating and in the gym. Today was the first day, it was a bit easier… It is going to be a difficult season for me, I want to make the main team in Washington, that’s why I started so early, I hope it is going to help me.

Dmitry Orlov skates backwards during a drill on Day 1 of Caps Development camp.

IK: Coach Boudreau was talking to the press about you, and he pointed out that this time around your conditioning improved significantly.
DO: I agree, this year, after the season ended, within a week I started working out again. I always worked on my conditioning during the summer, but this year I changed a few things, and I feel better. In any case, I am 20-years old now, a bit older, so my physical conditioning should have improved.

IK: If it is not a secret, what were those changes in your conditioning program this summer?
DO: Well, I used to not skate during summer time, I tried to rest more, and did some swimming. This summer, I skated four times a week, so now it’s easier for me to return to the ice. I feel very good during practice, because I am in good physical condition.

IK: Lets go back to the last season for a second… the last time we talked to you was after your first game for Hershey. Having now played for a couple of months in North America, and even getting to try yourself in playoffs, how do you compare the game here with hockey in Russia, how different is it?
DO: Well, the KHL is definitely stronger than AHL, but the AHL is also quite a special league, a lot of guys are doing everything they possibly can to make it to the NHL, and work very hard in a gym, so they are very strong physically. There is a lot of physical play everywhere on the ice, in the corners, every meter of the ice surface is contested, so it is very hard… And in the playoffs it was particularly hard for me, you can say it was the first ever real playoff series for me. I realized that the regular season and the playoffs are two completely different games. In the playoffs, it’s all about the team. And there is even more physical play than during the regular season, and the defense is even more important. The whole game is built from defense. Very few risky plays where you can get caught out of position, everybody works very hard. It is a very interesting game. You have to work hard and give it all, but if you win – the emotions… you feel good.

Bruce Boudreau teaches; Group B listens.

IK: Everybody wants to know how well you understand the coach. Did you watch the Winter Classic last year?
DO: Yes, we were at WJC when it took place on January 1st, so we all watched it. It was very interesting.

IK: Did you get a chance to see the HBO documentary 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: The Road to the Winter Classic?
DO: Yes, I did see some of it, not everything, but it was interesting, too.

IK: So, as the fans found out from the show, the coach Boudreau really likes to use quite “colorful” language when explaining the task to his players – you know, the words that get replaced with bleeps during the daytime broadcast… How well do you think you can understand that kind of English?
DO: Just fine. Those are even easier to understand than regular words! [laughing]

IK: Last question. Your 20th birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. What would be your birthday wish for yourself?
DO: Well, to stay healthy, avoid injuries, and to make the main team.

IK: Thank you very much, and good luck to you.
DO: Thanks.

Additional reporting by Ian Oland.

Orlov took in his first ever AHL game tonight at Giant Center. (Photo by SHOE’s Kyle M.)

Since being drafted in the second round of the 2009 draft by the Capitals Dmitri Orlov has emerged as one of the top defensive prospects in Washington’s system, spurred by his solid play across the pond. Last year after Kontinental Hockey League’s Metallurg Novokuznetsk failed to qualify for the playoffs, the club decided to send him down to the Novokuznetsk Bears of the MHL, the KHL’s developmental league. After totaling only four goals and three assists in 43 KHL games, Orlov quickly found his game in the junior circuit, leading the Bears to the MHL Finals.

Orlov’s nine goals and 10 assists in the playoffs ranked him third among all skaters. He was awarded several top honors including the Davydov trophy as the MHL Playoff MVP and was also named the best defenseman of the MHL Finals and Semifinals.

Dima — as some fans know him — followed up his successful 2009-10 with two goals and 10 assists for Metallurg in 2010-11. Orlov also won a gold medal at the 2011 World Junior Championships with the U20 Russian National Team, playing on the top defensive pairing. He was named first-team all WJC along with fellow Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Since Metallurg once again failed to make the playoffs this year and finished with the KHL’s worst record, Orlov and the club reached an agreement allowing him to start his professional career in the Capitals organization earlier than expected. On Saturday, he flew to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania before taking in Sunday’s Hershey Bears game against the Charlotte Checkers at Giant Center. Orlov is expected to officially sign with the Bears of the American Hockey League on Monday.

This is not Orlov’s first stint in America. He attended the Capitals 2009 and 2010 Development Camps, winning over Caps fans with his love of cupcakes in the process.

RMNB’s resident translator Igor Kleyner translated the 19 year-old Novokuznetsk native’s final interview with Metallurg before departing for the United States. Check it out below the jump.

Dmitri Orlov poses with the 2011 World Junior Championship Trophy

Dmitri Orlov, Metallurg’s defenseman and a winner of 2011 World Junior Championship, is departing for the farm team of the Washington Capitals on Saturday. That’s where he will spend the rest of the season.

According to Metallurg’s sporting director Leonid Veisfeld, the interests of the young players must always be considered. If Dmitri Orlov wants to play overseas, he should be given a chance and the team’s management will not stand in his way of achieving his dream. The team and the player are parting ways amicably: Dmitri knows that if things do not work out for him on the other side of the ocean he is always welcome in his hometown. Especially since Metallurg will retain the rights for the player in Russia. Dmitri will attempt to make the Capitals’ roster for the next season but it is quite possible that it will take a few months and the road to the spot with the main team will go through the farm club. If he succeeds, everybody at Metallurg will be happy for him. If not, he can come back any time. Time will tell if Dmitri’s decision to attempt the move to the NHL, especially one of its stronger teams, was the right one.

Before his departure for the North America, Dmitri Orlov answered a few questions.

Question – Dmitri, Metallurg finished the last in the regular season, it is of course a disappointing result. But how do you see your season personally?

Dmitri Orlov – In principle, I am satisfied, especially since it’s not over for me yet. One of the main tasks was to play as well as possible at the World Junior Championship, try to win the gold — and it was accomplished. Yes, sometimes it was pretty difficult. We were losing a lot at Metallurg, it wasn’t easy psychologically. But I tried to come out for every game and play my game.

Now I am going to America, I’ll be playing for the Washington Capitals farm team — Hershey. I am going to spend three months there, then we can make conclusions about my season. Let’s see how I do there.

Question – Do you have any concerns before your departure for Hershey?

Dmitri Orlov – Of course, I am worried. I am sure it’s not going to be easy. I don’t even know where I am going to live. I have to make the line-up, prove everything all over again. Hershey is a leader in the AHL, with grownups playing. It won’t be easy.

Up until now I have played my whole life in Novokuznetsk. I was born and grew up here. It was good to join the first team at such early age, you can say I got lucky. I broke my collarbone during the season before joining the first team, didn’t play for a long time, really struggled to recover, gained some extra weight, and as a result, had a lot of problems in training. After a week of practicing with the second team, they said that Maxim Kitsin and I are being transferred to Metallurg; I was of course very happy, but at the same time worried a lot. I remember my first practice with the first team, it was a cross country 10 kilometers run, I finished last — I was always a bad runner — so I wasn’t particularly upset about it. Then, I show up for the second practice, and the doctor tells me: “Eagle, pack your bags, the coach is not happy with you, you are going back to the second team.” The second practice was a game, I think we were playing team handball… but in the end, they just let it go, I was always finishing the cross country runs the last. So they eventually kept me in the first team, thanks to [Metallurg head coach] Sergey Alekseevich Nikolaev at the time. You can say he opened the door into the big hockey for me.

Of course I am very thankful to my parents, brother, grandparents — they always have been and will be very supportive. They help me with advice in both hockey and life. When I was a little kid, my father recorded all my games on video, then we watched and analyzed together. Now we don’t have to record anything ourselves, but we still watch my games with my father, he always points out my mistakes. He never played the game himself, but he understands the game well and always gives me advice.

I am also grateful to my first coach — Vladimir Georgievich Efimov — he worked with me, of course not everything was always perfect between us — but that’s normal. And my next coach, Valery Nikolaevich Kalashnikov, he worked with me for a year. He always took good care of me, helped and supported me, saw my potential.

Question – What would you like to wish for Metallurg and its supporters?

Dmitri Orlov – For the team, to make playoffs, to keep the fans happy, to fill the arena. You must have proper finances for that. There always have been and should be hockey in Novokuznetsk. It’s a hockey town. I hope for the best.

Additional reporting by Ian Oland; editing by Chris Gordon.

On September 16th, Dmitri Orlov was awarded the Vitaly Davydov Trophy for being the MVP of last year’s MHL Playoffs. As we detailed last spring, Dima had 19 points in 17 games (10G, 9A) and lead all MHL defenseman in scoring. He even won the award despite the Novokuznetsk Bears losing in the Kharlamov Cup Finals. In a special ceremony before the Bears Home opener against the Auto Ekaterinburg, Orlov was presented the trophy in front of the team’s fans.

We here at RMNB would get all analytical and compare Orlov to the previous award-winners to find the relevance in all of this, but last year was the MHL’s first year of existence. So there goes that. But how about the trophy? Well The Davydov is unique because unlike other cups, it’s made using a special style of ceramics called Gzhel. Gzhel is a traditional style of pottery and is very popular with tourists in Moscow.

Anyways, the MHL’s official web site posted an interview with the future Cap after the trophy presentation and RMNB has it translated for you below.

Dmitri Orlov: Honestly, I didn’t think I’d win this award. But it’s a very pleasant surprise for sure. I got to know that I became the playoffs MVP accidentally – my parents read about it in the Web and told me. I was either at [Caps Development] camp or on vacation, I don’t remember.

Mikhail Frunze: Did the award somehow smooth over the loss in the Kharlamov Cup Finals?
DO: No, you can’t compare the two, because the team’s result is always the most important.

MF: How often do you think about the playoffs and what were your feelings?
DO: I did replay the finals in my mind for a long time. Probably, more than a week. I felt uncomfortable. I got back to myself only during vacation. And now it’s a new season, new goals.

MF: About the goals: What are yours for this season?
DO: The most important one is to play for Team Russia on the World Junior Championships and fight for the medals there. We played bad last year. And, for sure, I should make the KHL playoffs with Metallurg, we have a good team, I think we can.

MF: How do you grade the start of the season for you personally?
DO: You always want to play better. We’re ready, we feel good. We help each other, cheer up. But we lost the first two games. In the third we won over CSKA in the shootout, earned two points and that was a very important win.

MF: During the camp in Switzerland three more Novokuznetsk Bears — Konstantin Turukin, Ilya Musin and Igor Glazkov, joined the KHL team. How did that go?
DO: Very good, we had great talks and there was no “violence against younger conscripts” [Ed. Note: In Russia the whole sentence is described by one word].

MF: Do you think this season will be easier or harder for the Bears?
DO: It’s a new one, and it’s difficult to say. Guys are getting ready for the season, they’re revving up. When the playoffs come, it’ll be different games. And the first MHL season showed it.

Dmitri Orlov poses with the Stanley Cup (Courtesy of the Russian Internets)

Washington Capitals Defensive prospect Dmitri Orlov was named today the Russian Junior Hockey League’s best defenseman in April, while Maxim Kitsyn (who is eligible for the ’10 draft) was named the best forward. Per the translated MHL release by Fedor Fedin:

The Novokuznetsk Bears surprised both analysts and fans alike when they made it the MHL Finals. In the “Golden” series, Sergei Krasilnikov’s team was defeated by the Steel Foxes of Magnotogorsk – 1:3. However, the games of the final round got the biggest hullabaloo in Novokuznetsk for a very long time: spectators filled the Sports Hall completely.

18-year-old defensemam Dmitri Orlov, was one of the main heroes of the first Kharlamov Cup. He was named the best defenseman of the MHL semifinals and Finals. Orlov played securely on defense and was a force on offense during the playoffs: he scored 9 goals and earned 10 assists. In the points race he finished second. He lost by only one point to his teammate, forward Maxim Kitsyn.

The acting mayor of Novokuznetsk ,Valery Smolego, congratulated the Junior team. He said that “hockey should continue to develop in our town.” Players and coaches got credentials and bonuses. And now the team is on break. The Bears will start preparations for the new season on the 1st of July.

H/T to Dmitry Chesnokov for first alerting us via Twitter.

RMNB’s Fedor Fedin has followed Dmitri Orlov everywhere this year (including Siberia and even a Moscow Bathroom). Now that the Novokuznetsk Bears’ season has finally come to an end, Fedor’s here to provide a final review of the season-that-was for Orlov which includes some interesting quotes, statistics, photos and videos. Take it away, comrade!

First of all, we wanted to point you to the summary of Orlov’s KHL Regular season by Championat.ru:

The 18-year-old defenseman is one of the brightest players on Metallurg’s roster. A swiftly progressing player, he was chosen in the 2nd round of NHL Entry Draft last summer, but, unlike a lot of his peers, did not move to America immediately and played season for his native team. He became an alternative captain during the season. Dmitri is a talented attacking defenseman who can make a play and fake out half of his opponents on the ice while then making a pass right in front of the open net. His goal against Torpedo is one of the best goals of the regular season for sure. His future in Metallurg is unclear since his chances of making the Capitals roster are very strong. Attacking defensemen are valued highly in the NHL and it’s clear that he won’t be lost in North America.

Rating: 7.5/10 [Ed. Note — T-1 skater on the team]

His final stats in the KHL 2009/10 regular season:
GP: 41 [15 on the team]; G: 4 [T-11]; P: 7 [16].

Two of four Orlov’s goals in the KHL this season came in a game against Barys Astana [11/24/09].

But unfortunately since Metallurg didn’t make the KHL playoffs, Dmitri was sent down to their MHL affiliate Novokuznetsk Bears so that he could continue to develop.

Round 1 of the MHL Playoffs: Novokuznetsk Bears vs. Krylya Sovetov

I had to use this photo because it’s rare: Orlov’s playing defense.

Stats: 4 GP, 2 G, 2 A, +2.
In the first round against one of the greatest Russian hockey clubs, almost all the games were dramatic but the Bears managed to win 3 of 4 to advance to the second round.

Since we should care a lot about the Caps PK, here’s video of the Bears killing off a 5 on 3 [Orlov is #9]:

Second round of the MHL Playoffs: Novokuznetsk Bears vs Reaktor

Orlov’s Stats: 4 GP; 2 G; 3 A; +4.

Our hero was not very good in first three games. But his fourth game was truly epic as he notched 2 goals, 3 assists, and a +5. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any videos from that game (I blame Putin).

After this series was concluded, the coach of the Bears Sergey Krasilnikov was interviewed by the Novokuznetsk sports portal.

Q: Some fans think that Dmitri Orlov fopps a lot in games for the Bears. He tries to overplay opponents “on one skate”. What can you say about it?

A: All of the players on our team (including Orlov) never fall to the ice in an attempt to try and make it look like they’re playing “on one skate”. We say that he’s a player of the Junior National Team. Yes, he is and even a leader. But look at the pressure he’s facing this season and how old is he? He’s 18! He’s a boy! Yes he plays good, he’s very mature. But he’s a youngster. And it’s impossible to go through a season that’s been this long and difficult without being tired. And now he plays with what’s left of his strength. He never fops! I don’t know what it looks like from the seats, but believe me – the fans aren’t right here.

MHL Semifinals: Novokuznets Bears vs Tolpar

Stats: 5 GP; 2 G; 2 A; +4.

And again – Orlov failed to start off the series well, but he was a King in the most important game where he managed to score twice! Here’s the video of both. His goals are at the 0:37 and 1:04 marks. The Bears won 6-2.

Also, here’s one of his dazzling assists:

After this series was over he was interviewed and discussed his future in DC:

Q: We’ve heard a lot of talk about you going to America this summer. Can you say anything about it now?
A: I still don’t know. I have two more years on the contract here. I don’t know, we’ll see.

MHL Finals: Novokuznetsk Bears vs Steel Foxes:

Stats: 4 GP; 3 G; 1 A; -2.

This was the only lost series for the Bears. They were losing 0-2 in Best of 5 series, then won the first do-or-die game, and then almost came back in the second. But, sadly they came up short. Dmitri said that they had “too little of force” in the final game.

Dmitri. Medal. Fans

Anyways, these playoffs were great for Dmitri. First, he got a ton of experience. Second, he made his native town very happy (they had their first sell-out for the looong time). And finally, he finished third in points (9+10) in the playoffs (with the top scorer being 2010 eligible Maxim Kitsyn with 20 points in 17 games). Trust me, there’s lots to look forward to with Dima in the future!

Will Philly's signing of Sergey Bobrovsky eventually light a fire back into the Caps/Flyers Rivalry?

For the three of you who follow Minor League Russian Hockey, you’re already aware that Caps Defensive Prospect Dmitri Orlov has led the Novokuznetsk Bears – the minor league affiliate of the KHL’s Metallurg Novokuznetsk – to this year’s MHL Finals. But what some of you may not know, is that the starting goaltender of the team, Sergey Bobrovsky, is Semyon Varlamov’s biggest rival in Russia. And sources in Novokuznetsk tell RMNB that Bobrovsky – now free of his Russian Contract – will sign a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Flyers and will play there next year.

Though it has largely flown under the radar in America, the impact of this deal could be huge. We consider it a coup for the Flyers and it could impact the Capitals/Flyers rivalry in the Eastern Conference for many years to come. Bobrovsky, at 21, has been Metallurg Novokuznetsk’s number one goalie for the past three years, and has managed to put up extremely strong numbers this season despite the fact he has been keeping for the KHL’s worst team.

His stats for the season so far are thus:

KHL: 35 GP (1964 Min), 1 SO, 2,72 GAA, .919 SVG%.
MHL (Playoffs): 12 Gp, 1 SO, 2,13 GAA, .929 SVG%.

In Russia, Bobrovsky is well-known as Varlamov’s main opponent for his age. For example, in 2008, former Russian WJC team coach Sergey Nemchinov neglected to call Varly and ask him to play on his World Junior Championship team. Nemchinov instead preferred Bobrovsky. Why? Here’s what he was quoted as saying at the time:

“I didn’t have any conflicts with Semyon Varlamov. I just call guys I trust.”

We here at RMNB thought that this was a pretty weird excuse. Here’s what Semyon Varlamov’s agent had to say on the issue:

“I don’t think that official version is right. [...] I guess that maybe the bosses of “Lokomotiv” [Ed. Note - Varlamov's Former club] asked Nemchinov not to call Semyon because they were having goalie issues.”

Anyways, most fans in Russia didn’t agree with that decision, and now see a huge rivalry between Varly and Bobry. When they played together for the Russian National Junior teams, Varly was almost always the number one goaltender.

But the real reason why this imminent signing is so interesting is because the Flyers used 5 different goalies this year including Brian Boucher, Ray Emery, Michael Leighton, Johan Backlund & Jeremy Duchesne – none of which to great success. With that said, we believe that Bobrovsky has a chance to become the #1 goaltender in Philadelphia sooner rather than later. Consider this fact: Not one of Flyers goalies had a better SVG% this regular season than Bobrovsky did in the KHL.

So, will the Caps/Flyers rivalry soon run hot again? With this upcoming signing, we certainly think so.

Much like in the NHL, the KHL has farm teams. And since Metallurg Novokuznetsk failed to make the KHL Playoffs, the team decided to option their finest young defensive prospect, Caps 2009 2nd Round Draft Pick Dmitri Orlov, down to the MHL’s Novokuznetsk Bears. (Bears? Are you SERIOUS?!) And for those who are confused, the MHL is Russian for Molodyozhnaya Hockeynaya Liga or the Junior Hockey League. It’s exactly like the AHL, the only difference being that the MHL is for younger players only.

Anyways, lucky for us, Fedor translated an exclusive interview between Andrey Osadchenko and Dmitri Orlov. Below the jump, Dmitri talks about being the highest scoring MHL Defenseman for the month of February, what it was like to miss the playoffs, and why he picked the number 9.

Andrey Osadchenko – Dmitri, we extend our congratulations for you being the highest scoring defenseman in the MHL for the month of February.
Dmitri Orlov – I didn’t know it (smiling). I like it, sure.

AO – You’ve continued your torrid pace in March: Now you have 13 points (7+6) in 9 games. Why have you been so successful?
DO – I always like to go to attack. I even played forward some time ago. Also, I played the entire year in the KHL, and that’s pretty good hockey. So I’m much more confident in the MHL. And that looks to be the reason why I’ve created so many opportunities.

AO – Fans still remember your fantastic bull-s eye goal against Severstal [Ed. Note - against Avtomobilist, Dmitri didn't score against Severstal] after your big run from your zone (see video here). Do the defensemen in the MHL give you a chance to do something like this?
DO – I was lucky there. I did what the situation asked me to do, go and score. I think that here, there is a pretty good level of teams. It’s definitely better than in First League (League of non-junior farms and low-level pro teams). And it’s more interesting. I think the MHL will continue to grow. People already visit our games, and it’s always a joy to play for a big public.

AO – From your perspective, what’s the biggest difference between the KHL and MHL.
DO – There aren’t many. Just the opposing players in the KHL are older, more experienced and skilled.

AO – Which of the goals that you’ve scored in the MHL do you remember the most?
DO - Against Reactor. I had lots of opportunities in that game but I couldn’t find the net. And then in 3rd period I finally scored. I was very happy.

AO – You scored only 7 points (4+3) playing for Metallurg this season in 41 games. Did you change something in your game when you were sent down to the Bears?
DO – No, I just am more sure about myself. I can go forward without fear sometimes. The KHL [season] started off good for me, I scored a lot at the start of it. But my power started to leave me later. That’s why I was not very good at the WJC.

AO – You played two games against either Omsk Hawks, Bars, White Bears and Reactor. Which team impressed you more than the others?
DO – The Chelyabinsk White Bears. Both times we played against them our rosters included a lot of youngsters from the 1st team and the games were interesting and close. We won one and they won one, difference was one goal each.

AO – It’s very rare to see a defenseman wear #9. But you chose it for the National Team, Metallurg and the Bears. Why do you like this number so much?
DO – Earlier I didn’t use it on the national team… I played for two years as a forward because I was pretty small for a defenseman. I was pretty good, but I came back to the defense, because I was more confident there.

AO – Everyone wanted to be like someone in their childhood. Who were your idols?
DO – I always liked offensive defensemen like Slava Fetisov, Bobby Orr, Kirill Koltsov because I like strikes too.

AO – Will the success of the Novokuznetsk Bears cancel out Metallurg’s fail this year?
DO – I think so. It’s a pity that Metallurg couldn’t make the playoffs. We had chances but we weren’t lucky enough. But it’s alright in the MHL so far. We helped the Bears make the playoffs. We’ll play against “Krylya Sovetov”, and we’ll try not to lose face out there and go to the second round.

AO – A year ago you became a Champion of Russia playing for the junior team of Metallurg (1991-92 year of birth). Can the Bears repeat this success in the MHL?
DO – I can only say that we’ll try to make history.