Good to great lacrosse camp. Lacrosse Prospect Days & Camps: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Players

What are lacrosse prospect days and camps. How do they differ from showcases. Are lacrosse prospect camps worth the investment. What should players know before attending. How can players make the most of these opportunities.

Understanding Lacrosse Prospect Days and Camps

Lacrosse prospect days and camps are essential events for aspiring players looking to showcase their skills and potentially secure a spot on a college team. These events offer a unique opportunity for athletes to be seen by specific college coaches, unlike larger showcases where attention may be divided among hundreds of players.

What exactly is a lacrosse prospect day? It’s a recruiting event organized by individual colleges, allowing players to demonstrate their abilities directly to the coaching staff of their target schools. These events typically include drills, scrimmages, and often provide campus tours and informational sessions about the college’s lacrosse program.

Key Features of Lacrosse Prospect Days:

• Focused attention from specific college coaches
• Intimate setting with fewer participants
• Opportunity to experience the campus and facilities
• Chance to interact with current team members
• Insight into the college’s recruiting process

Lacrosse Prospect Days vs. Showcases: What’s the Difference?

While both prospect days and showcases serve as recruiting opportunities, they differ in several key aspects. How do these events compare? Let’s break it down:

Lacrosse Prospect Days:

• Organized by individual colleges
• Focus on a single school’s program
• Smaller number of participants
• Often include campus tours and program information
• Typically involve both drills and scrimmages

Lacrosse Showcases:

• Organized by third-party organizations
• Attract coaches from multiple schools
• Large number of participants
• Primarily game-focused
• Less personalized attention from coaches

Which option is best for aspiring players? The answer depends on your goals and stage in the recruiting process. Prospect days are ideal for players with a shortlist of target schools, while showcases can be beneficial for gaining broader exposure.

The Value of Lacrosse Prospect Camps: Is It Worth the Investment?

Lacrosse prospect camps require an investment of both time and money. Are they worth it? The answer largely depends on how well-prepared and focused the player is. When approached strategically, these camps can provide invaluable opportunities for skill development, exposure to college coaches, and insight into specific lacrosse programs.

Benefits of Attending Lacrosse Prospect Camps:

1. Direct exposure to college coaches
2. Opportunity to experience college-level training
3. Insight into a school’s lacrosse program and culture
4. Chance to assess personal fit with a college
5. Networking opportunities with other aspiring players

How can players maximize the value of these camps? The key lies in preparation, attitude, and follow-through. Treating the camp as a professional opportunity and being ready to showcase your best skills can make a lasting impression on coaches.

Preparing for Lacrosse Prospect Camps: Essential Steps

Success at lacrosse prospect camps begins long before the event itself. How can players best prepare? Here are some crucial steps:

1. Research and Target Schools

Before registering for any camps, identify schools that align with your academic and athletic goals. Consider factors such as:

• Academic programs and requirements
• Location and campus environment
• Lacrosse program level and playing style
• Potential for playing time and development

2. Reach Out to Coaches

Once you’ve identified target schools, reach out to their coaching staff. Inform them of your interest and intention to attend their prospect camp. This proactive approach can help gauge mutual interest and potentially set you apart from other attendees.

3. Physical Preparation

Ensure you’re in top physical condition for the camp. This includes:

• Maintaining a consistent training regimen
• Focusing on both strength and endurance
• Practicing specific skills relevant to your position
• Getting adequate rest and nutrition leading up to the camp

4. Mental Preparation

The mental aspect of preparation is equally important. This involves:

• Visualizing successful performance at the camp
• Developing a positive, confident mindset
• Preparing questions for coaches and current players
• Reviewing the camp schedule and expectations

Making the Most of Your Lacrosse Prospect Camp Experience

Once you’ve arrived at the camp, how can you ensure you make the most of this opportunity? Here are some key strategies:

1. Demonstrate Professionalism

Treat the camp as you would a job interview. This means:

• Arriving early and being prepared
• Showing respect to coaches, staff, and fellow players
• Maintaining a positive attitude, even in challenging situations
• Demonstrating good sportsmanship and team play

2. Showcase Your Skills

While it’s important to perform well in drills and scrimmages, remember that coaches are evaluating more than just your technical skills. They’re also looking at:

• Your ability to follow instructions and adapt
• How you communicate with teammates
• Your hustle and work ethic
• Your response to feedback and coaching

3. Engage and Ask Questions

Take advantage of opportunities to interact with coaches and current players. Ask thoughtful questions about the program, the school, and what they look for in recruits. This shows your genuine interest and helps you gather valuable information.

4. Take Notes and Reflect

After each day of the camp, take some time to jot down your impressions, things you learned, and areas for improvement. This reflection can help you make the most of the experience and inform your decision-making process.

Following Up After Lacrosse Prospect Camps

The work doesn’t end when the camp is over. How you follow up can be just as important as your performance at the camp. Here are some key steps to take:

1. Send Thank You Notes

Within a day or two of the camp, send personalized thank you notes to the coaches. Express your appreciation for the opportunity and reiterate your interest in their program.

2. Reflect on Your Experience

Take time to thoroughly evaluate your camp experience. Consider:

• How did you perform relative to your expectations?
• What did you learn about your strengths and areas for improvement?
• How did you feel about the school, the program, and the coaching style?
• Can you see yourself as part of this team and school community?

3. Update Your Recruiting Profile

If you have an online recruiting profile, update it with information about the camp you attended and any feedback you received. This keeps your profile current for other coaches who might be interested.

4. Plan Next Steps

Based on your camp experience and any feedback received, plan your next steps in the recruiting process. This might include:

• Scheduling additional camps or visits
• Focusing on specific areas of skill development
• Reaching out to other schools on your list
• Beginning to narrow down your college choices

Navigating the Challenges of Lacrosse Prospect Camps

While lacrosse prospect camps offer numerous benefits, they can also present challenges. How can players effectively navigate these obstacles? Let’s explore some common issues and strategies to overcome them:

1. Performance Anxiety

It’s natural to feel nervous when performing in front of college coaches. To manage this anxiety:

• Practice visualization techniques
• Focus on controllable factors (effort, attitude) rather than outcomes
• Remind yourself of past successes and your preparation
• Use deep breathing exercises to stay calm

2. Comparing Yourself to Others

In a competitive environment, it’s easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to other players. Instead:

• Focus on your own performance and improvement
• Remember that coaches are looking for various skills and attributes
• Use others’ strengths as motivation to improve, not as a source of discouragement

3. Fatigue and Burnout

Prospect camps can be physically and mentally demanding. To avoid burnout:

• Properly condition yourself before the camp
• Get adequate rest and nutrition during the camp
• Pace yourself and know your limits
• Use downtime to recover and recharge

4. Disappointment

Not every camp will result in a recruitment offer. If you face disappointment:

• View it as a learning experience
• Seek constructive feedback from coaches
• Use it as motivation to improve
• Remember that finding the right fit is a process

The Role of Parents in Lacrosse Prospect Camps

Parents play a crucial supporting role in the lacrosse recruiting process. How can parents best support their child during prospect camps without overstepping? Here are some guidelines:

1. Provide Emotional Support

Offer encouragement and a listening ear. Help your child manage stress and maintain perspective throughout the process.

2. Assist with Logistics

Help with research, registration, travel arrangements, and other practical aspects of attending camps.

3. Respect Boundaries

Allow your child to take the lead in interactions with coaches. Your role is to support, not to advocate directly to coaches or overshadow your child’s efforts.

4. Maintain Perspective

Help your child understand that these camps are part of a larger process and that not every camp will result in a recruitment offer.

5. Encourage Reflection

After the camp, engage in thoughtful discussion about the experience, helping your child process what they’ve learned and decide on next steps.

By following these guidelines, parents can provide valuable support while allowing their child to take ownership of their recruiting journey.

Leveraging Technology in Lacrosse Prospect Camps

In today’s digital age, technology plays an increasingly important role in the recruiting process. How can players use technology to enhance their prospect camp experience?

1. Video Analysis

Many camps now offer video recording of drills and scrimmages. Take advantage of this by:

• Reviewing your performance to identify strengths and areas for improvement
• Sharing highlights with coaches after the camp
• Using footage to create or update your recruiting video

2. Online Profiles

Maintain an up-to-date online recruiting profile that includes:

• Academic information
• Athletic achievements
• Video highlights
• Contact information

3. Social Media

Use social media responsibly to:

• Follow and engage with college lacrosse programs
• Share your lacrosse journey and achievements
• Connect with other players and learn about their experiences

4. Digital Communication

Utilize email and other digital platforms to:

• Correspond professionally with coaches
• Send thank you notes after camps
• Stay updated on program news and upcoming events

By effectively leveraging these technological tools, players can extend the impact of their prospect camp experiences and enhance their overall recruiting efforts.

List of Lacrosse Prospect Days & Camps – Beginner Lacrosse

This is a list of upcoming men’s lacrosse prospect days & camps. It is designed to help players find lacrosse recruiting events. Lacrosse prospect days & camps allow players to be seen by specific college coaches (i.e. your favorite D1 or D3 school) versus random coaches at a showcase. Players also have the full attention of the college’s coaching staff because these are more intimate recruiting events (when compared to huge lacrosse showcases that have hundreds of players competing on multiple fields).

Lacrosse Masters – This organization runs numerous prospecting camps throughout the year with D1 and D3 coaches. They primarily focus on Ivy League, NESCAC and other high academic colleges.

Boys Camps – ConnectLax – Calendar of Upcoming Boys Lacrosse Prospect Camps

Girls Camps – ConnectLax – Calendar of Upcoming Girls Lacrosse Prospect Camps

Lacrosse Prospect Questions

What is a lacrosse prospect day?

A lacrosse prospect day is a recruiting event put on by individual colleges. It allows players to be seen by specific college coaches (i.e. coaches from their dream D1 or D3 school) versus a multitude of random coaches at a lacrosse showcase. Players also have the full attention of the college’s coaching staff because these are more intimate recruiting events when compared to large showcases. Lacrosse prospect days usually involve drills in the beginning and end with games. They also often provide participants with campus tours and recruiting speeches from the college coaching staff and/or current college players.

What is a lacrosse showcase?

A lacrosse showcases is a recruiting event where individual players compete in front of a large number of college lacrosse coaches. Showcases can be great recruiting events in order to standout versus your peers and to make an impression on multiple college coaches. However, it can be harder to target specific colleges at showcases because coaches often need to watch potentially hundreds of players competing on multiple fields. Unlike prospect days, lacrosse showcases usually only focus on providing participants with games (and generally do not offer events such as campus tours).

Example of a Lacrosse Prospect Day

Are Lacrosse Prospect Camps Worth It?

? Come join the Rutgers Men’s Lacrosse staff for R 2021 Summer Prospect Camps! ?

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— Rutgers Men’s LAX (@RUmlax) June 23, 2021

Take It Seriously

It can be a daunting reality to understand, especially at the age of a college recruit, but this is an investment in your future, so view it that way.

The moment you step foot onto any campus, you will be immediately evaluated. It is very important to make sure that as a potential student-athlete, you understand what is expected of you. Treat the situation professionally and with respect.

Know Your Schools

Identify a list of schools that interest you. Look at their academic profiles, majors, locations, student life, fit, and lacrosse programs. With that list of schools in mind, you can then do your homework and look at potential dates for lacrosse prospect camps.

Again, you want to avoid using valuable resources – time and money – on prospect camps that won’t help you achieve your goals. Put in the work ahead of time to know what will best help you get where you want to be.

Reach Out Beforehand

Before the prospect camp, reach out to the coaching staff. It’s always great to let them know you’re attending. A lot of times, they may have already seen you play.

This is also helpful to gauge if the interest is mutual. If there isn’t mutual interest, then maybe that’s a prospect camp you should avoid. Again, time and money aren’t limitless. Better to know this ahead of time than after going through the process of attending.

Live and Learn

Yes, time and money should be valued when considering lacrosse prospect camps, but it’s also important to be okay with not liking what you saw. Maybe by attending a prospect camp, you learn that a school isn’t for you for any number of reasons. That’s okay – these camps aren’t just for coaches to get to know you, they’re also an opportunity for you to get to know the coaches, the program, the school, and everything that that goes along with playing college lacrosse.

LAX: Registration is now open for three high school girls’ lacrosse prospect camps hosted by Slippery Rock University this summer. More info: https://t.co/IlsIH0oK9o

— Rock Athletics (@Rock_Athletics) April 30, 2021

This is your decision. You decide what the best fit you for and your future is. If what you gain from a prospect camp is a better of understanding of what you don’t want, then there’s nothing wrong with that – you’re now one step closer to finding what you do what.

Testimonials – Harvest Lacrosse

“I wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for all your hard work at the Rochester camp this week. Your attention to detail has been superb. My son Alex and his friends thoroughly enjoyed spending the week with you and your coaching staff. That’s all they’ve been talking about and they keep repeating the drills your staff went over with them at camp this week in the yard at home, so I know they were paying attention. I also want to commend you on your enthusiasm while running the camp. It is a great feeling to be able to get up every morning and do what you love for a living, but even more so when you can make a difference in the life of another human being like you have been doing with these campers. Don’t ever stop what you’re doing, it’s nothing short of awesome.”

Maurice
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“The way you relate to the kids is something that is very hard to find. Ryan truly loves your camp and the Harvest gold program. He has learned so much from you in the past year that it has made him a much better player and person. As far as I’m concerned Harvest is the BEST in western NY! Again I thank you for all you have given Ryan.”

Brandon

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“Thank you for a great week! My son loved it and when I asked him how every day was he said “great!”. You have really given him the skills and confidence to be a great player.”

Jamie

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“Great camp! My son Joe had a great time! This is his second camp with Harvest. We are looking forward to your next camp in Rochester.”

Al
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“My son Regan and I would like to thank you and your staff for running a very solid lacrosse camp. I was able to speak with Regan each night about camp that day and found he could easily explain to me several things he learned that day. He was also excited about attending camp the following day. I was also very pleased that some discussions took place about players code of conduct (responsibility, teamwork etc.). Your camp turned out to be a very positive and rewarding experience for my son as he continues to grow within the sport”

Derek
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“I wanted to thank you for the great week my son had at Harvest camp! He came home every day so excited on what he was taught, and the drills he did. He attended your mini-camp at TSE in February, but last week was the first time he attended a week-long lacrosse camp. And he will be coming back!”

Tim
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“I have to tell you that the Harvest Camp was a great camp. My son learned so much in one week. He told me “that was the best camp I have ever been at.” “It as my favorite week.” Thank you for making such an amazing week.Thank you.”

Jaime
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“Thank you for teaching the boys about lacrosse and leadership. Your program has solid values that I believe in, and would like to instill in my children. Thank you for helping me do that. It’s one thing for a parent to talk about values, but another for someone he looks up to and respects, like you. You are doing good things for these boys! Thank you!.”

Shelly
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“I wanted to say thank you for making my sons year. He had a great time and learned a ton over the course of the 3 days. Thanks for bringing your camp to Wisconsin and helping lacrosse expand
in the upper midwest.”

Alexander F.
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“Having sent my son to several clinics and camps over the years, I must tell you that my son really learned a lot from your clinic. We have invested a lot of time and money over the years and it was refreshing to see him walk off the field with such a smile and sense of pride. He was impressed with your commitment to teach them something valuable. You were very approachable and kept the interaction between you and the players vibrant. As a parent I was impressed with how much time you spent with the boys both before and after the clinic. I was impressed how you continued to answer questions and teach long after the lesson was officially over. You are a model player, coach and person. Thank you so much for your time and good luck to you always.”

Brett S. 
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“Tyler had an amazing experience at your camp! I wanted to thank you and all of the other coaches for your hard work and dedication to the sport and to teaching the many aspects of not only how to play to lacrosse, but how to be an exceptional athlete as well. We have attended many tournaments and have been involved in this sport for the past 10 years and have met all sorts of players, coaches and parents. I appreciate your message of leadership and TEAM! I think it can’t be said often enough!.”

Jenn D.
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“I want to commend you on running an exceptional camp. Many camps have a reputation of just letting the kids scrimmage without focus on fundamentals which are what make great players. Your emphasis on fundamentals and skill development in combination with the teaching of respect, integrity, and courage made it a unique and tremendous experience. Many kids and parents do not realize the benefit of life lessons that come from sport participation but your staff emphasized these important values and enriched the experience for all participants. My boys really enjoyed it. Thanks to you and the entire Harvest staff.”

Chuck M.
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“Thank you and I think that it is wonderful that you are using your gift (lacrosse) and influence in such a positive impactful way. Both of the boys really enjoyed working with you and I think they both improved significantly.”

Julie M.
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“The boys really enjoyed the clinic! You did a great job, very efficient! The skills they are practicing repeatedly are showing up in their games during the week. I think both Michael and Joey have made great improvements.”

Julie M.
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“My son attended your wonderful camp out in Henrietta earlier this summer. He, and I, were extremely impressed with the leadership component, and the many talks about topics athletes face but perhaps are not encouraged to communicate!.”

Alisia C.
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“My son Jacob attended your older session. He learned a great deal and had fun … 2 very important things in youth sports! I just want to say, thank you to you for spending the time with the kids. They look up to you. I hope you get the opportunity to hold more sessions like the one that just finished. Again, thanks for all you did with the players!”

Patti H.
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“My son Zach had a great time, He learned a lot from you and your coaching staff and is looking forward to seeing Harvest Lacrosse come back to our area in the near future. Thanks again.”

Art G.
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“Best clinic I’ve been to. My shot speed and accuracy increased greatly! Even my passing got better thanks to him! You can tell that he actually wants you to get better and that he actually wants to be there. I would recommend him any day.”

Cole S.
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“My son (Nicholas) really enjoyed your coaching as well as the program itself. He looked forward to it each week! I enjoyed it too as I was able to pick up a few drills from you guys that will undoubtedly be helpful for coaching the kids.”

Mike S.
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“Thank you all so much for coaching the boys during the clinic. My son Jake and his friend Caleb had a great time and are so excited about their upcoming lacrosse season. Jake has been playing wall ball every day, thanks to you. Hope to see you again on the lacrosse fields.”

Anna and Todd K.
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“Kyle and Dawson had a great time. Both are new players, with the academy grounding them and teaching them the basics. Thanks for your approach and leadership- you made it fun!”

Ann V.
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“Just wanted to let you know that our son Noah really enjoyed the clinic on Sunday!  He said he learned more in that one evening than he’s learned in all of his 6 years of playing lacrosse.”

Chris L.
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“I wanted to let you know that my son Sean had a great time at the camp. He already is planning on returning to your camp next summer. Each day he spoke to me about the word you focused on and could explain it. He was extremely proud of himself for earning his award. Thank you for your emphasis on leading a life with character on and off the lacrosse field. I am glad Sean loves lacrosse and will work hard on the field, but I also want him to work hard in other areas such as school.”

Kim K.
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“What a GREAT night! Thank you for taking a few hours of your night to be with our boys. Your message was clear and very relevant to not only how the boys should conduct themselves on the lacrosse field, but more importantly, how they should conduct themselves as young men.”

Steve G.
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“Grant is a great all-round person. He helped us with our stick work and shooting. If I had a chance to work with him again I would. Thank you!”

Matt Y.
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“From what I heard and watched yesterday and briefly talking to both my boys afterwards, this was a great clinic. I appreciate all your hard work and support what your doing 100%. We look forward to future opportunities to get together. Great job and thank you!”

John B.
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“Working with Grant was a great experience and very helpful with basic skills, especially tips about the best passing techniques that are very unique. I used the skills in a tournament just a few days after and saw a great improvement in my game.”

Ben Y.
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“Strengths of the Clinic were 1v1 player to coach ratio. Atmosphere was great. Quiet with no distractions. Touched on academics along with the sport specific training.”

John B.
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“Both boys raved about yesterday’s lesson and said they did better today using what they learned from you.”

Dave J.
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“Grant is great at sharing what he learned playing at Maryland and how as a young lacrosse player, I can learn from it. Working with Grant was terrific! He is smart and a great coach.”

Adam
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“Grant is a nice guy to work with. It was cool playing and learning from him in a small group. I learned a lot about the best ways to shoot, dodge, and pass. Fundamentals were highly stressed in our small group and drills were designed to focus on them.”

Ryan L.
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“Just wanted to say thanks again for last week. I try not to ask Aaron too much on what he thinks as I dont want this to become a parent pushing his son but from what I gathered from talking with him he got a lot out of the session and had fun doing it. I could tell you work him hard. Nice job!”

John B.
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“My five grandsons have not stopped talking about their positive experience during your group session with them. They immediately put their learning to work at a tournament and camp and were delighted with how much your skills instructions and communications suggestions helped their games.”

Dave M.

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LAX Camps Near Philadelphia | Bryn Mawr College

Check in/out: Overnight and Extended Day Campers check in at 12pm on the first day of camp and Check out at 11:15am on the last day. On the second and third day of camp the extended day campers will arrive at 8:45am and get picked up at 9:00pm.

Age & Ability: Camp is open to boys ages 8-16, all ability levels welcomed.

Meals Provided: Overnight campers will be provided with all meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Extended day campers will be provided with Lunch and Dinner

Camper Schedule: 

1st Day

12:00pm – Registration and Check in

1:00pm-2:00pm – Orientation

2:00pm-4:30pm – Afternoon Lacrosse Session

4:30pm-5:00pm – Team Building Activities

5:00pm-5:45pm – Dinner

6:00pm-9:00pm – Evening Lacrosse Session / Extended Day Pick up

10:00 – Lights Out

2nd and 3rd Days

7:45am-8:30am – Breakfast (Overnight Campers Only)

8:45am – Extended Day Drop Off

9:00am-11:30am – Morning Lacrosse Session

11:30am-12:30pm – Lunch

12:30pm-1:30pm – Group Activities and Games

1:30pm-4:00pm – Afternoon Lacrosse Session

4:00pm-5:00pm – Leadership Driven Group Activities

5:00pm-5:45pm – Dinner

6:00pm-9:00pm – Evening Lacrosse Session / Extended Day Pick up

10:00 – Lights Out

4th Day

7:45am-8:30am – Breakfast (Overnight Campers Only)

8:45am – Extended Day Drop Off

9:00am – 10:45am – Morning Lacrosse Session

11:00am – Closing Award Ceremonies

11:15am – Check Out

Morning Training Session

Developmental Stick Work

Specialized stick routines involving box and targeted fundamental drills

Position Specific Training

Defense – including a rotation of midfielders

Footwork – pivot, recovery and angles

Stick work – clearing, carrying and stick protection

Field Awareness – slide, recovery and on ball play

Attack 

Situational Awareness – spacing, vision and offensive flow

Shooting– time and room, on the run, shot placement and selection

Dodging – from, X the ally and up top

Riding – drop back, pressure and 10-man rides

Midfield

Situational Awareness – spacing, vision and offensive flow

Shooting– time and room, on the run, shot placement and selection

Dodging – from, X the ally and up top

Defensive Play – body positioning, field awareness and sliding

Goalie

Communication – ball positioning, dictating the defensemen’s position and slides

Mechanics – placement in cage, off stick and stick side movement

Clearing – moving the ball quickly, communicating where to go with the ball and stick work

Face Off Specialist

Mechanics – footwork and body positioning

Outlets – pushing the ball to wings, communicating how and where they should go

Draw – speed work, counter moves and development of additional moves

Afternoon Training Session

Unsettled Situational Game Play, focused on special awareness specific to each type of situation

2v1 Fast play from the ally, X and Y

Cross field 3v2 continuous play

3v4 off ground ball and clears

Full field transitional continuous play

Grouped Position Specific Training- Attack vs. Defense, Midfield vs. Midfield and LSM’s

1v1’s, 2v2’s 3v3’s, 4v4’s– from all positions on the field focusing in

on specific game philosophy’s, techniques and spatial awareness

Specialized Team Building and Leadership Events
Lacrosse capture the flag, lax baseball, lax water balloons, lax maze runner, ultimate lacrosse and other leadership activities

Evening Training Session

Game Play – Clear ride scrimmage, full field scrimmages, camp championship tournament, 7 vs 7, box lacrosse tournament

Daily Award Ceremony

Stratton Mountain Girls Lacrosse Camp | Vermont Lacrosse Camp

Rachel Vallarelli

Coach Vallarelli is a college coach, club director, and professional lacrosse player in both the Women’s Field Game and the Men’s Box Lacrosse Game. She also runs her own business, RV Lacrosse, which focuses on recruiting advising, lessons, clinics, photography, a podcast, and a blog. She also runs her camps through Gamebreaker since 2019. A current Stringking Pro and Base Performance Sponsored Athlete, Vallarelli loves inspiring the next generation of players, in both the men’s and women’s game as well as in both lacrosse disciplines of field and box.

Vallarelli brings a wealth of coaching and playing experience with her. A 2011 graduate of School of the Holy Child in Rye, N.Y., she starred at goalie for the Gryphons’ lacrosse squad, earning 4 Varsity letters and helping the team to have its first-ever winning record and playoff berths after that. She holds the record for career saves and holds second and third place for Single Season Saves. Her career-high was 24 stops versus Greenwich Academy her Senior Year.

During her time at Holy Child and before she committed to play at UMass, Vallarelli was selected to the US U19 National Team squad and had been in the US System since 2010.

She continued her lacrosse career at the University of Massachusetts, where she started in goal for three seasons, earning numerous accolades along the way. During her goalie days at UMass, Vallarelli registered 48 victories and had a goals-against-average of 6.77 — both of which ranks second in program history. Her career goals-against-average is eighth in NCAA history, her 2015 GAA is 10th in NCAA History and she was the NCAA save-percentage champion in 2015 (.523). She is also a 2 time NCAA GAA Runner Up (6.26 in 2014 and 5.77 in 2015) UMass won four consecutive Atlantic 10 championships and was undefeated in Conference play (with 4 NCAA Tournament Appearances & 2 First Round Wins) while Vallarelli played goalie, which also saw her be selected as the conference’s Defender of the Week seven times and earn the 2015 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year Award.

After playing at UMass, Vallarelli took her lacrosse skills to the professional level, becoming a member of the Baltimore Ride, which is part of the United Women’s Lacrosse League and is a Free Agent in the WPLL. Coach also plays professionally for the New York Athletic Club. Vallarelli has also played some men’s field lacrosse as well and is an alum of the Central California Lacrosse Club.

In the Box Lacrosse realm, Vallarelli was the first woman to ever play and start in the IBLA while playing for the Cambridge Nor’Easters. She was also the first woman ever invited to the NLL US Elite Combine and NLL Toronto Combine in 2019 and is an NLL Free Agent. Vallarelli was selected to the invite-only tryout camp for the New York Riptide of the National Lacrosse League. And was then the first woman drafted into the Canadian Arena Lacrosse League for the Whitby Steelhawks. She also plays for the Boston Blazers of the BBLL and for the Lasersharks Box Lacrosse Club.

College coaching stops for Vallarelli include Purchase College, Fresno State, Villanova University, and Wagner College. She was also the Head Coach for Greenwich HS for the 2019 Season. Along with being the Assistant Coach for Purchase College, Vallarelli plays professionally and provides coaching through GameBreaker Lacrosse Camps along with her own business RV Lacrosse and is the Girls Director for Team 91 Tri-State.

2021 Quaker Indoor 150 – Quaker Lacrosse Camps & Clinics

In addition to the UPenn players and coaching staff, this camp will include staff from several additional academic D-1 institutions, enhancing the instructional atmosphere.

The Quaker Winter INDOOR Lacrosse Camp is open to any 9th-grade, 10th-grade, or 11th-grade male athletes (graduating class of 2023, 2024, or 2025). Space is limited by grad year and position.

Sessions will be held in the Penn Park Indoor Dunning-Cohen’s Champion Field Bubble (field turf). Lacrosse camp activities will include:

• 50% individual skill progression instruction by UPenn Coaches and additional Division I and III coaches
• 50% competitive round robin game play

SCHEDULE & REGISTRATION

Camp Check-In:

Saturday, December 4th
8:00am–9:00am
(Inside the Penn Park Indoor Dunning-Cohen’s Champion Field Bubble)

Camp Ends:

Sunday, December 5th at 4:00pm

Resident Package

• Housing at Local Philadelphia Hotel (Saturday Night)
• Lunch and dinner on Saturday
• Breakfast and lunch on Sunday

Price: $645.00 (+ SDI Fee)

Commuter Package

• No housing
• Lunch and dinner on Saturday
• Lunch on Sunday

Price: $510.00 (+ SDI Fee)

There are limited spots available for this camp! Registration will open at 12:00 pm (est- noon) on September 29, 2021. 

Register Online »

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Current PLL Coach

With More to Come Shortly!

CLICK HERE FOR FILM

ConnectLax will be filming at 2021 Quaker Indoor Camp!

SEE CONNECTLAX FOOTAGE FROM YEARS PAST

*Film cost is not included in the camp price and can be purchased separately.

Please Note – Due to the safety of the players and staff, UPENN does not permit spectators inside the bubble.

Camp Testimonials:

“Thank you for a great event. It was impressively organized, especially for an inaugural event. I particularly appreciated the very thorough communication leading up to the event. Thank you for all your time and effort. We had a great time.”
Parent of Camper from MA  

“I got back from the Penn Rising Stars 150 camp late Sunday evening.   I know you are not allowed to communicate with me but while it is still fresh in my mind, I wanted to tell you about my experience at the camp and thank you for the opportunity to attend.  I have attended prospect days and camps at [other D1 school names omitted] and this year’s Penn Prospect day.  But without a doubt this was the best camp I have attended.  The coaching was excellent.  Not only did I like the drills but it was important to me that a Penn defensive player worked with me and gave me pointers.  All the players were friendly.  The hotel was great and so was the food.  When my parents arrived, we even  stopped at the book store to buy a Penn sweatshirt.   Thank you again. ”
Camper from PA

“My son had an awesome time at your camp! He said he learned a lot, really liked the coaching, and thought it was an all around great experience! Thank you so much.”
Parent of Camper from NY

  “On behalf of my son, (2018 Goalie), I can tell you he had a great experience.  He mentioned that he loved the opportunity to work with two of the best goalies to ever play the college game and thought the level of team play was a stronger than some of the other “open enrollment” camps he’s been to.  He also mentioned how well organized the two days were (something I sensed from the pre-camp emails you distributed). All in all, a worthwhile experience for him and one we’d both recommend to others.”
Parent of Camper from PA

 “My son has been to many tournaments, camps and showcases.  In fact I originally deleted your email because I have spent a small fortune on lacrosse this year.  At the last minute I decided to put him on the waitlist and I am so glad I did.  He came home really excited about everything he learned.  I am pretty sure he has never felt that way before and he has been to a lot of events.  It sounds like all the coaches were very friendly and gave him really helpful coaching tips – he told me that there were a few things he was doing completely wrong, and with the coaches help he was able to do the moves properly and successfully.  One small change in the way he held his stick or the angle of his body made a huge difference.  He also thought the level of play was very good and competitive.”
Parent of Camper from NJ

Refund Policy :

ALL CANCELLATIONS MUST BE MADE TO

KIRSTIN IKEDA at [email protected] .

REFUND TIMELINE (please read):

On or Before Thursday November 4th a refund will be available (SDI Fee is non-refundable)

Between Friday November 5th to Monday November 22nd any cancelation will require a doctor’s note of injury/illness for a refund ($50 non-refundable deposit camp fee + non-refundable SDI Fee. All other cancellations will not receive a refund or credit

Between Tuesday November 23rd  and Start of Camp NO refunds will be issued.

**Camp Fees are $645 for Overnight Campers and $510 for Commuter Campers. Camp fees are not inclusive of the processing fees charged at the time of registration. These processing fees are non-refundable.

**Please know that spectators are not allowed in the bubble due to fire code/safety protocol

**Please call Kirstin Ikeda at 410-430-0237 or email [email protected] with any questions**

Compliance Statement

Quaker Lacrosse Camps/Invictus Lacrosse LLC offers youth camps and clinics throughout the year. All camps and clinics are open to all interested campers, limited only by number, grade level and graduation year, gender, and/or position.

(NCAA 13.4.3.2.2)
Advertisement Directed Toward a Particular Audience: An institution may advertise or promote an institutional camp or clinic toward a particular audience (e.g. elite camp), provided the advertisement or promotion indicates that the camp or clinic is open to any and all entrants (limited only by number, age, grade level, and/or gender).

Want to get better this summer?

Lacrosse Tip   | Tagged:
Athleticism

Presented by Brian Lalley, Camp Director
Pacific Lutheran University – Boys Lacrosse Overnight & Day Camp

Xcelerate Nike Lacrosse National Program Director, Brian Lalley, discusses, daily routines.

San Rafael, CA – What common trait do those at the top of their craft possess? For Brian Lalley, Xcelerate Nike Lacrosse National Program Director, “Confidence and ability were the first two that came to my mind. Great athletes put little thought to mistakes and know they possess the skill-set to perform at a very high level.”

He goes on to say that, “Part of ability you’re born with and the rest is developed. It will take thousands of reps to improve one element of your lacrosse game. Building daily routines to maximize repetitions and build your coordination and ability in a number of skills is critical to becoming a top-level player.”

Here are a few excercises that can help give you a leg up on the competition.

Juggling
“Any exercise to build hand-eye coordination is valuable to improving stick work. Juggling is something you do on the couch while relaxing or walking around the house.”

Jump Rope
“Most coaches will tell you the most important things to improve as a lacrosse player are stick-work and footwork. Jump rope gives you a lot of repetitions of quickly firing off the balls of your feet.”

Foot Ladders
“Like jump-rope, foot ladder drills really work on foot speed and balance. There are many different drills that focus on various elements of running, turning hips, driving knees, etc.”

Wrist Rollers
“Wrist strength and explosiveness is important to every position in lacrosse. For example, a shooter with good wrist strength and explosiveness can appear as though he is shooting high and use the strength in his wrists to snap it low.”

For more great tips like this on how to get good at lacrosse fast join us this summer at one of our Xcelerate Nike Lacrosse Camps. Our goal at Xcelerate Nike Lacrosse Camps is to provide the leadership necessary to help build this confidence and to help each camper reach their full potential. We want everyone that spends a week with us to leave camp knowing they can achieve anything!

90,000 Panarin: there is no question that I should give up the Olympics

“This is not a big secret, and I delayed my answer a little. I should have said about this in the summer. And now I think only about the season. And I don’t want to dig these moments,” Panarin replied , and then repeated his thought. – I will say again that this is not a secret, and I will tell everyone. But I repeat that I was too lazy to do this in the summer, it was almost before that. And now the season is very close. ”

A leading question on the same topic immediately followed, but Artemy coped with this too.

“We are again returning to this moment, which I would not like to talk about now,” Panarin chuckled. “Let me tell you next summer. Nothing terrible happened. Everything is fine and everything is fine.”

But was the player under pressure? After this incident, is there anything stopping him from speaking on political topics?

“No, nothing interferes. It’s just that I have already made a choice,” said Panarin. “In general, this was not the incident.”

Okay, let’s change the subject. What does the star forward think of the Rangers? New partners have come, now the team is headed by head coach Gerard Galland.

“Actually, I have good emotions, – said Panarin. – I really miss the guys, our energy in the locker room. It’s too early to talk about something, but so far I see one positive thing in the team.”

Video: Top ten goals of Artemiy Panarin in the 2020-21 season

And what kind of injury happened to Artemiy, due to which he missed the ending of last season? There is also an element of mysticism here.

“I had a minor injury after that famous scuffle (with Washington forward Tom Wilson – approx.NHL.com/ru), – said Panarin. – Actually, I didn’t hit my head there. Slightly damaged another part of the body when everyone pounced on me. And what our team did later was pleasant to tears. At that moment I realized that for the sake of this team I was ready for much more than I thought. ”

One of the journalists asked to clarify what kind of emotions it is when your helmet flies off and there is a man on top who weighs more than you?

“This is a common moment. It is clear that emotions are overwhelming, – explained Panarin.- But every player in such a situation does not think whether he is wearing a helmet or not. I just wanted to answer my opponent a little. For this he began to crawl out of the heap-small, and so he was injured. But you had to lie still. “

Is Artemy going to the Olympics? This is one of the main topics that runs like a red thread throughout the entire international season.

[See also: The next step for Panarin, Shesterkin and Georgiev]

“I haven’t heard anything yet,” Panarin admitted.- As far as I know, there is no official list of participants who will go to Beijing. If I was included in such a list, I would probably know. Of course, I will play for the national team with pleasure. The Olympic Games are a big event for hockey and the whole world. There can be no question that I shouldn’t go to the Olympics. “

Apparently, Artemy will again play in the top three with Ryan Strohm. How does he feel about this prospect?

” Of course, at the moment we are showing good hockey, and we have an excellent combination, – says Panarin.- We play together most of the time. Therefore, it is difficult to say with whom it would be better or worse. Although we tried to play with others. Ryan and I have a good rapport, and we communicate well outside the ice. “

Would it be interesting to play with Zybanejad? And not necessarily in the majority.

” Of course, yes. Mika is a great player. He just loves to perform with Chris Kryder more, so they are not broken, “Panarin remarked.

Video: NYR-FIL: Panarin is closing the gap

Recently, our hero gave an interview, chatting with a friend on Instagram, and noticed that would not want to become the captain of the New York club.But do you really need a Rangers captain?

“I did not say that this role is not for me,” said Panarin. “But I said that there are better candidates. And I am in the club in order to close some part. And if we want to win the Stanley Cup , everyone should think about the team, not about their moments, in order to look cool and be proud that you have the letter “C” sewn on your sweater. Everyone should bring their own advantages to the team. It’s difficult for me to answer if the Rangers need a captain right now.I don’t make such decisions. Therefore, I will not say anything specific. “

Does Artemy himself think that he is acting as a leader? Does he feel such a responsibility?

” In general, I think the guys are looking at me. Unfortunately. Because I am almost 30 years old, – Panarin laughed. – Of course, I try to help somehow. But since I don’t speak English very well, I just try to show by my example that I can. I just do what I do. As I train, so I train.And if I have a result, then the guys are looking at me. ” when Pavel Buchnevich was traded to St. Louis.

“I was a little upset because we communicated well with him outside the ice,” admitted Panarin. – But this is part of all processes in the NHL. Unfortunately, this happens sometimes. So it was with me at some point.I hope Pavel likes everything and everything will be fine. “

After these changes, can we say that the Rangers are now ready to achieve big goals? The team has carried out a major update.

” Of course, agreed Panarin. – Our team could have reached the playoffs last year. We have a great team, a great organization. Of course, we have strengthened 100 percent this year. We have a new coach. Therefore, I am sure that everything will be fine. “

Pavel Lysenkov is a columnist for Match TV (http: // www.matchtv.ru) and a regular contributor to NHL.com/ru.

“Carolina” has matured to the role of favorite

“We are now just bursting with confidence, – said after the game the author of the winning goal defender Brett Pesci. – We believe that we can win any match against any opponent.”

“Carolina” is really becoming more familiar with the role of a leader. No one has forgotten that a year ago this team was ahead of everyone in their division, including Tampa and Florida, but now the Hurricanes hockey players, so to speak, have reached a new level of strength.The previous club record – five victories from the start of the championship – remains farther and farther in the rearview mirror.

“We had a good training camp, where we paid a lot of attention to movement, especially in attack,” said striker Martin Necas, as did Pesci, who also scored his first goal of the season. “We are in good shape, we know how to play, and this game is not easy for any opponent to cope with. We must continue in the same spirit. I hope this is just the beginning. ”

Nechas equalized the score in the second period, and the first began with Christian Fischer pushing through the Hurricanes’ defense, getting out on the spot and shoving the puck into Frederick Andersen’s goal.

Video: KAR-ARI: Nechas scores with a click from the blue line

It happened soon after an excellent moment with Andrey Svechnikov, who in the fourth minute he dispersed the Hurricanes attack and ended up in the path of the puck, launched towards the goal by Jordan Staal … However, the goalkeeper of “Coyotes” Karel Veymelka successfully coped with an unexpected rebound. Well, and the moment in the 17th minute, when Svechnikov in the majority watched the puck near an empty corner after a pass by Sebastian Aho, you cannot call it anything other than “stealing” by the goalkeeper.The entire PNC Arena was confident that now there would be a red light outside Weimelka’s gates. But no.

Weimelka did some incredible things at his workplace, in addition, luck constantly smiled at him – the puck either hit the barbell or crawled in centimeters from it, but did not want to cross the cherished line. This was probably the only time that fortune turned away from him in the 37th minute – and it was then that Nechas fired the puck from the blue line, and a rebound from Christian Fischer made the throw non-beating.

Svechnikov, who still had 11 (7 + 4) points, made his contribution to the victory three minutes before the final siren, when he earned a penalty for the leading defender of “Arizona” Jacob Chikran. It took 17 seconds for the Hurricanes to realize the excess – as already mentioned, the long-range shot of Brett Pesci reached the goal. At the same time, 19-year-old Seth Jarvis earned his first point in the NHL for an assist on debut day, who, in his own words, admires Pavel Bure’s game, although he ended his career when Jarvis was only one and a half years old.

“Delightful feeling! – Jarvis rejoiced at his debut. – My whole family was on the podium, and even though they were a little late, they still enjoyed hockey.”

It seems that not only relatives of Jarvis enjoy the Hurricanes hockey. The team, which has long been a favorite of hockey analysts (since the 2016-17 season, the Hurricanes finish in the top 5 leagues by SAT% every year), for a long time gave the impression of being too fragile and not grown up to big things. But now this impression does not add up at all.The victory over the current “Arizona”, who scored only one point in nine games (0-8-1), is not God knows what an achievement, but further proof that “Carolina” is able to turn the tide even in a game that does not go according to her scenario … Actually, four of the eight wins of Rod Brindamore’s team were strong-willed.

Video: KAR-ARI: Pesci put Carolina ahead in time

Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe described the feeling of playing against the current Hurricanes best when his team was beaten 4-1 in Raleigh a week ago.

Carolina, quite frankly, sets the NHL standard in terms of dedication and dedication. You play against them on the road, and you really open your eyes to what kind of effort you need to put in to win this league, “Keefe admitted at the time. there is skill, a brilliant fusion of experience and youth, and impenetrable defense, and even the confident play of rookie goalkeeper Frederick Andersen, who won his 400th career victory on Sunday.Whatever indicator you take – the majority (28.1%), the minority (88.9%), the number of shots made and allowed (34.1 and 28.9), Brindamore’s wards are in the top 7 of the NHL, or even higher. By the number of goals scored per game, they are second on Monday morning after “St. Louis” (4.13 and 4.14, respectively), by the number of conceded goals – by far the first (1.50).

Even without the glasses of Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho, who also interrupted his streak at the mark of seven matches (5 + 5 = 10), “Carolina” is able to win.Now, after four straight home games, the Hurricanes are heading to Chicago and a tough test of ambition in Florida, where they will cross clubs with the Panthers and reigning champions from Lightning. Success in these matches, perhaps, will finally consolidate the status of “Carolina” as the main favorite of the season.

“I won’t say that we played perfect, but the feeling is still positive,” Rod Brindamore did not over-praise his team after a successful home streak. “The guys will get a couple of days off to regroup mentally and physically, after which we will have to press again for gas “.

The Carolina doesn’t seem to be going to slow down. And Svechnikov, who after this game is the first in the entire NHL in terms of expected goals in all situations (4.75, according to NaturalStatTrick), too.

Joel Edmundson’s interview: about Svechnikov, Tarasenko, Montreal, the new NHL season – January 8, 2021

Canadian Joel Edmundson took the Stanley Cup with Vladimir Tarasenko, played the season next to Andrei Svechnikov, and now he will race for Montreal. Before the start of the shortened regular season, he gave an interview to Sport24.

Training Camp New Season

– How were your first days at Training Camp Montreal? Feeling normal after a break?
– Just fine. I had met my new partners ten days before, but the opening day of the training camp was still special. I really missed hockey, there has never been such a big break in my memory. It’s great that hockey is back and we can finally get on the ice. The new reality did not stop the NHL from starting the season.

– How is the preparation going in the new reality? I heard that even the team staff working with the players should be in constant isolation.
– It is. We discussed all the new rules in zoom. Absolutely everywhere, except for ice, we have to wear a mask, I’m still not used to this. You can only shoot it on ice. Even the dressing room is no exception. Maybe during the games in between periods we will be allowed not to wear it … Let’s see.

– How often will players be tested?
– During training camp every two days.But I heard that when the season starts, tests will be done daily. And I’ll tell you, this is not the most pleasant procedure (laughs) .

Getty Images

– How do you like the idea for the new Canadian division?
– I think this is an interesting challenge. Fans in Canada are thrilled with this. Although, first of all, this is, of course, a necessary measure. The borders with the States are still officially closed. Only by dividing the teams in this way by divisions, we will be able to start the season and play to the end.It is a shame that fans in Canada will not be able to attend matches, even the smallest of them.

– It’s strange to play with empty stands.
– Agree. When you just start rolling, the anthem plays, you feel uncomfortable … But everything goes right away on the first throw-in. You don’t notice the empty stadium anymore … Plus some kind of music in the background. You adapt to everything.

– The 2020/21 season will be very short. What do you think about it?
– I really want to try this format.Yes, we’ll have a lot of hockey and back-to-back games. But by the playoffs we will feel fresh. Surely, the players will have less injuries.

Contract Montreal

– You signed a 4-year contract with the Canadiens for a total of $ 13 million. Are you satisfied with these numbers?
– I am quite happy with both the amount and the term of the contract. For me, the priority was precisely the team. I really wanted to play in Montreal. My whole family is a fan of the Canadiens.Seeing me in the uniform of their favorite club is a great joy for them. I am happy that everything turned out the way I wanted. Plus almost $ 3.5 million – good money too. (laughs) .

– How do you like coach Claude Julien?
– On the first day of the training camp, we only managed to exchange a couple of routine phrases. But before signing, we had a telephone conversation. Everything was in a positive tone. I think that working with a professional of this level is a great chance for me.

– Which coach can you name the best in your career?
– Good question.Craig Berubi contributed greatly to my development. In general, he helped St. Louis win the Stanley Cup. This is a strong and strong-willed coach. At Carolina I was very comfortable working with Rod Brindamore. He has a special vision for hockey.

Getty Images

“Svechnikov is a very strong guy”

– You played at Carolina with Russian superstar Andrey Svechnikov. How good is he?
– Besides being a great hockey player, he is also just an awesome guy.We lived together in the same residential complex and talked a lot. To tell the truth, the whole team adores Andrey. In “Carolina” cool friendly guys. I am still in touch with everyone.

– Was it hard to play against him in training?
– Oh, yes. Andrey is a very strong guy. Not afraid of anything. Substituted under attack. Leads a tough fight. Plus he has very technical hands. See how he handles the puck. This guy is special. “Carolina” is very lucky that Svechnikov plays for them.This kid has a complete set. He has all the skills an NHL hockey player needs.

– Did he teach you how to score lacrosse goals?
– Oh no (laughs) . I didn’t even ask and never tried. Let that be his patented feature.

– In the recent ranking of players under 23, Alexis Lafrenier was put above Svechnikov. What do you think about it? The man hasn’t played a single game in the NHL yet, and Svechnikov is already a big superstar.
– To be honest, I don’t really follow all these ratings.But putting Lafrenier above Svechnikov is very strange, even though he is the number one draft of this season. Andrey has been playing in the best hockey league in the world for more than two seasons. He just showed himself great. And Lafrenier is only at the beginning of the journey. Only when he comes out on the ice in the NHL will we see what he is capable of.

Getty Images

– In St. Louis you also played with the Russian guys, won the Stanley Cup with Vladimir Tarasenko and Ivan Barbashev. Niklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson noted that playing with the Russians on the same team is something special, do you agree with them?
– Right (laughs) .The Russian guys are definitely special. It’s always more fun in the locker room if there are a couple of Russians on the team.

– Some Canadians don’t like playing in the US very much. In the course of their careers, they still strive to go home. Are you excited to be back in Montreal?
– Of course. But I cannot say that I wanted to escape from the USA. It was very cool to play there. For example, I really like Chicago. Just a fantastic city.

– What about Raleigh (Carolina)?
– This is a small hockey town.There is not much to do there, but for the players it is just heaven. Calm, measured leisure. But, I think this is a plus. There was not much to be distracted by. A great opportunity to focus on playing hockey.

Sport24

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My task is to help Russia at the World Cup

Goalkeeper Evgeny Nabokov, who joined the Russian national team on Monday, in an interview with Sport-Express noted that the training schedule with the coaches of the national team allows him to get in excellent shape, and also expressed a desire to play at the World Championship in Slovakia.

– What fate did you find yourself in Novogorsk?

– Some time ago, the head coach of the Russian national team Vyacheslav Bykov called me in California. The conversation turned out to be long and very sincere. He gave me, if you like, a chance to resume my career – and invited me to the national team. I flew to Moscow on March 24 – at the invitation of the coaching staff of the national team and the president of the FHR Vladislav Tretyak. I trained on Khodynka for several days. I felt that as a goalkeeper I was still alive and, probably, I could benefit my comrades.So he ended up in Novogorsk at the first stage of the preparation of the national team for the world championship.

– Have you doubted for a long time, deciding to resume your career?

– There was only one doubt: would I have enough time to put myself in order. Still, after four months outside of big hockey, you can lose both shape and self-confidence. But I was very pleased with the work plan: it turned out that the national team has nine training meetings ahead. That is, in fact, I ended up in the traditional pre-season NHL camp, when you have a month to prepare and the opportunity to play from three to five full-fledged matches.I think that such a schedule allows you to get in excellent shape.

– What shape are you in now?

– With every hour spent on the ice, I gain it. I missed the ice. With great joy I came out and worked under the guidance of our coaches – Andrey Nazarov, Valery Bragin, Sergey Cherkas. The mood is wonderful – I am doing my favorite job!

– What task do you set for yourself?

– The most commonplace.I want to return to the national team, help her at the World Championships in Slovakia. I remember Quebec very well. And I hope that those wonderful days will be repeated in Bratislava.

– Many people still talk about your collapse in the NHL when you signed with Detroit in the winter, but were intercepted by the Islanders, which they refused to play for. Please shed some light on that story.

– Light? ( laughs ) The press, it seems to me, has already spilled everything it can on that story.I read and sometimes did not know whether to cry or laugh … In fact, the agent and I knew then what we were doing. We understood that Detroit was a great chance to return to a good level. And at the same time, we realized that I was likely to be intercepted in the draft refusals. Alas, this is what happened.

– They say that when Islanders general manager Garth Snow called you, you hung up with emotion …

– That’s right, this is the most fun … In fact, no one hung up.Snow simply could not get through right away – and after 20 minutes I redial his number. Everything was constructive, gentlemanly.

– Did you follow the developments in your former club SKA?

– Certainly! I have many friends in the army team, a piece of my soul remained there.

– If you could replay the situation, would you again break off your supercontract with SKA by mutual consent?

– I guess I did everything right.Then a whole group of factors played a role, including family factors.

– Many said that then your American wife called you to your homeland in California. And now she gave the go-ahead to return to Russia?

– I don’t think there is anything shameful in this – to listen to the opinion of my wife … As for my current trip, we discussed it at the family council – together with the children. My wife said that perhaps it makes sense for me to stay in America. But I still decided to go.Apparently, professional instincts prevailed.

– In the national team, your tasks are clear. What are you going to do at the club level?

– There is complete fog here. It all depends on the Islanders. They say that this club’s rights to me will be extended for the next season.

– What about the KHL? Maybe resume your career at home?

– This is also an open question. The problem, it seems to me, is that the Islanders may ban me from playing in the KHL.

– But how ?! We have no formal agreements with the NHL. And, say, Alexander Radulov was able to come to the KHL and with the current contract with Nashville …

– You see what interesting legal nuances you know … I don’t know yet, I haven’t talked to the agent yet. Anyway, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Now all my thoughts are about the national team.

Recall that at the end of last year, Nabokov tore off the contract with SKA for family reasons.In January, the 35-year-old goalkeeper signed a one-year deal with Detroit and was put on a bounce draft, from where the Islanders took him. But the Russian did not want to play for the “islanders”.

90,000 “Russians are special guys, it’s always more fun with them.” He played with Tarasenko and Svechnikov: Edmundson’s interview – Rambler / sports

Canadian Joel Edmundson took the Stanley Cup with Vladimir Tarasenko, played the season alongside Andrei Svechnikov, and will now race for Montreal. Before the start of the shortened regular season, he gave an interview to Sport24.

Training Camp New Season

– How were your first days at Training Camp Montreal? Do you feel normal after the pause? – Just fine. I had met my new partners ten days before, but the opening day of the training camp was still special. I really missed hockey, there has never been such a big break in my memory. It’s great that hockey is back and we can finally get on the ice. The new reality did not stop the NHL from starting the season.

– How is the preparation going in the new reality? I heard that even the team staff who work with the players should be in constant isolation. “That’s right. We discussed all the new rules in zoom. Absolutely everywhere, except for ice, we have to wear a mask, I’m still not used to this. You can only shoot it on ice. Even the dressing room is no exception. Maybe during the games in between periods we will be allowed not to wear it … Let’s see.

– How often will players be tested? – During training camp every two days.But I heard that when the season starts, tests will be done daily. And I’ll tell you, this is not the most pleasant procedure (laughs).

– How do you like the idea of ​​the new Canadian division? – I think this is an interesting challenge. Fans in Canada are thrilled with this. Although, first of all, this is, of course, a necessary measure. The borders with the States are still officially closed. Only by dividing the teams in this way by divisions, we will be able to start the season and play to the end. It is a shame that fans in Canada will not be able to attend matches, even the smallest of them.

– It’s strange to play with empty stands. – I agree. When you just start rolling, the anthem plays, you feel uncomfortable … But everything goes right away on the first throw-in. You don’t notice the empty stadium anymore … Plus some kind of music in the background. You adapt to everything.

– The 2020/21 season will be very short. What do you think about it? – I really want to try this format. Yes, we’ll have a lot of hockey and back-to-back games. But by the playoffs we will feel fresh.Surely, the players will have less injuries.

Montreal Contract

– You signed a 4-year contract with the Canadiens for a total of $ 13 million. Are you satisfied with these figures? – I am quite satisfied with both the amount and the term of the contract. For me, the priority was precisely the team. I really wanted to play in Montreal. My whole family is a fan of the Canadiens. Seeing me in the uniform of their favorite club is a great joy for them. I am happy that everything turned out the way I wanted. Plus almost $ 3.5 million is good money too (laughs).

– How do you like coach Claude Julien? – On the first day of the training camp, we only managed to exchange a couple of routine phrases. But before signing, we had a telephone conversation. Everything was in a positive tone. I think that working with a professional of this level is a great chance for me.

– Which of the coaches can you call the best in your career? – Good question. Craig Berubi contributed greatly to my development. In general, he helped St. Louis win the Stanley Cup. This is a strong and strong-willed coach.At Carolina I was very comfortable working with Rod Brindamore. He has a special vision for hockey.

“Svechnikov is a very strong guy”

– You played at Carolina with a Russian superstar – Andrey Svechnikov. How good is he? – In addition to being a great hockey player, he is also just an awesome guy. We lived together in the same residential complex and talked a lot. To tell the truth, the whole team adores Andrey. In “Carolina” cool friendly guys. I am still in touch with everyone.

– Was it hard to play against him in training? – Oh yeah. Andrey is a very strong guy. Not afraid of anything. Substituted under attack. Leads a tough fight. Plus he has very technical hands. See how he handles the puck. This guy is special. “Carolina” is very lucky that Svechnikov plays for them. This kid has a complete set. He has all the skills an NHL hockey player needs.

– Did he teach you how to score lacrosse goals? – Oh no (laughs). I didn’t even ask and never tried.Let that be his patented feature.

– In a recent ranking of players under 23, Alexis Lafrenier was ranked higher than Svechnikov. What do you think about it? The man hasn’t played a single game in the NHL, and Svechnikov is already a big superstar. – To be honest, I don’t really follow all these ratings. But putting Lafrenier above Svechnikov is very strange, even though he is the number one draft of this season. Andrey has been playing in the best hockey league in the world for more than two seasons. He just showed himself great.And Lafrenier is only at the beginning of the journey. Only when he comes out on the ice in the NHL will we see what he is capable of.

– In St. Louis you also played with Russian guys, won the Stanley Cup with Vladimir Tarasenko and Ivan Barbashev. Niklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson noted that playing with the Russians on the same team is something special, do you agree with them? – Exactly (laughs). The Russian guys are definitely special. It’s always more fun in the locker room if there are a couple of Russians on the team.

– Some Canadians don’t really like playing in the US.In the course of their careers, they still strive to go home. Are you happy to be back in Montreal? ”“ Of course. But I cannot say that I wanted to escape from the USA. It was very cool to play there. For example, I really like Chicago. Just a fantastic city.

– What about Raleigh (Carolina)? – It’s a small hockey town. There is not much to do there, but for the players it is just heaven. Calm, measured leisure. But, I think this is a plus. There was not much to be distracted by. A great opportunity to focus on playing hockey.

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Ovechkin’s Washington or Panarin’s Rangers? Who to root for in the new NHL season

Andrei Meng, the observer of Match TV, represents all the Russian players who made it to the main teams of the NHL clubs.

Andrei Meng, the observer of Match TV, represents all the Russian players who made it to the main teams of the NHL clubs.

Arizona (Western Division)

Russians: z. Lyubushkin

After a successful last season, Arizona will once again try to resist the favorites of their division – Colorado, Vegas and St. Louis. Ilya Lyubushkin will become the main “homebody” in the team, but it is unlikely that he will be in the top 6 in all the games of the season.After all, the six leading defenders have been formed, and the Russian is the first option to substitute. However, if he comes out on the ice, he should expect a crushing game for his opponents.

Detroit (Central)

Russians: n. Viceroys

Need that strong start.

Hear from Vladislav Namestnikov on day four of #DRWTC » https://t.co/A8ZpcNNrSJ pic.twitter.com/MS2FNCaVIg

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 4, 2021

The once great Detroit is still in deep restructuring. In the offseason, Red Wings general manager Steve Yizerman did a solid job, and Vladislav Namestnikov became one of the options to strengthen the squad.The Detroit functionary knows the Russian very well from his work at Tampa. Since childhood, Viceroys dreamed of playing for Detroit, and after a controversial last season in Rangers, Ottawa and Colorado, he is able to return to the level of quality role-playing for the top 6.

Calgary (North)

Russians: z. Nesterov

After three years of playing for CSKA, Nikita Nesterov, who during this time became the Olympic champion and winner of the Gagarin Cup, returned to the NHL. At Calgary, he went for a significant salary cut, but the current level of the club allows the Russian to count on a successful result.Nesterov will start the season in the third pair, but in the course of the season he may well end up in the top 4.

Another Russian defender Alexander Yelesin did not even make it to the reserve squad – the club decided that a great playing practice in the AHL is much more important for him than constant training with a base.

Carolina (Central)

Russians: n. Svechnikov

Andrey Svechnikov / Photo: © Greg Thompson / Icon Sportswire / imago-images.de / Global Look Press

“Carolina” over the past years pleases its fans with a bright game.The young team under the leadership of the club legend Rod Brindamore also became famous for various post-match victory shows, for which the famous Canadian expert Don Cherry called it the “Gang of Assholes”. One of the Hurricanes’ two main forwards is 20-year-old Andrey Svechnikov. He scored two lacrosse goals last season, becoming the first hockey player in NHL history to score a goal like this. At the same time, Svechnikov does not hesitate to play with the body, sometimes devoting too much time to this. The Russian will continue to grow and, perhaps, for the first time in his career, he will reach an average of “one point per match”.

Colorado (West)

Russians: n. Nichushkin

Valery Nichushkin / Photo: © David Becker / Contributor / National Hockey League / Gettyimages.ru

A few months ago, Colorado was one of the most Russian clubs in the NHL, but according to the results of the offseason, only Valery Nichushkin remained in the squad. In the last championship, the striker interrupted his 91-game goalless streak, eventually scoring 13 goals, and earned the 10th utility rate in the entire NHL (“+26”). In the new season, he will be one of the key role-players of the Avalanche, seriously claiming the Stanley Cup.In the course of the shortened preseason, Nichushkin played enough in the third link with Comper and Donskoy, but his appearance in the top 6 is not excluded.

Minnesota (West)

Russians: n. Whims

Готовится к началу сезона💚 pic.twitter.com/hpH4Ix7Ari

— Kirill_Kaprizov_9️⃣7️⃣ (@KiriilKapriz97) January 13, 2021

The long-awaited NHLovskiy debut of Kirill Kaprizov will take place in Minnesota. The forward approaches the first game in a great mood. In the preseason, “Wild” actively played him in the first link and the first special brigade of the majority, proving high expectations from the performance of the Russian striker.Minnesota are far from the most sparkling team in the league, but there is no doubt that when the Russian is on the ice, we will see a truly spectacular spectacle.

Montreal (North)

Russians: z. Romanov

Strong play from Romanov, Kotkaniemi in Canadiens first scrimmage – Montreal Gazette https://t.co/jZYM7tqGI5 #Habs #Canadiens #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/MfByGWfjZ4

— Montreal Canadiens (@GoMontrealCanad) January 8, 2021

Montreal are far from the favorites in the Canadian Northern Division, but the appearance of 21-year-old defender Alexander Romanov in the line-up draws increased attention to this club in Russia. Against the background of Kaprizov and Sorokin, the upcoming debut of the ex-CSKA player in the NHL is somewhat lost, but it can become the opening of the championship.The majority will count on Romanov, and the ability to wage a power struggle should help him quickly get used to North America.

Nashville (Central)

Russians: n. Trainin

Last season, Trenin finally made his debut for Nashville, playing 21 games (2 + 4) in the NHL. Feeling trust, in the summer he signed a new two-year contract with the club, having great chances of further stable hitting the base. Taking into account the Predators’ system of play, the Russian theoretically can claim to be in the top 6 in the course of the new championship, but he will start the season at the third or fourth level, fulfilling his universal functions.

Pittsburgh (East)

Russians: n. Malkin

Evgeni Malkin / Photo: © Harry How / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

The loser of last year’s restart for the upcoming season does not look like the favorite of the new Eastern Division, but he will clearly qualify for the playoffs. Evgeni Malkin has been an NHL star for many years, and their relationship with Sidney Crosby will once again become Pittsburgh’s main driving force. In the summer of 2022, the Russian’s contract with the club expires, and against the backdrop of numerous rumors about the exchange, he needs to demonstrate high performance and do without serious injuries, which the last time was possible only in the first championship season 2008/09.

Philadelphia (East)

Russians: z. Provorov

Ivan Provorov / Photo: © Glenn James / Contributor / National Hockey League / Gettyimages.ru

In the upcoming season, Philadelphia will no longer be the shady favorite that nearly made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last fall. Alain Vigneau’s team will receive much more serious resistance, and the main Russian defender of the NHL, Ivan Provorov, should help to cope with it. He finally came to his senses after a serious injury, having gained tremendous coaching confidence last season.Do not hesitate, Provorov will once again become the Flyers’ leader in terms of playing time, and will also be actively involved in both the majority and the minority.

Chicago (Central)

Russians: z. Zadorov

In the offseason, Chicago, which won the Stanley Cup three times in the past 11 years, officially announced a “makeover.” Losses at the start of the championship of the two leading centers Toews and Duck only exacerbated the situation – one should not expect a large number of victories this season.

For Russian hockey fans, the main intrigue will be the performance of defender Nikita Zadorov, who was traded from Colorado after a bad season. Lack of coaching confidence and personal instability were the main reasons for the change of club. In “Chicago” the Russian will get a lot of playing time both in equal squads and in the minority.

Islanders (East)

Russians: v. Varlamov, V. Sorokin

Semyon Varlamov / Photo: © REUTERS / Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

New York has become the center of Russian goalkeepers: four goalkeepers for two clubs, and they will all receive relatively equal playing time.The Islanders duet is a collaboration of experience and youth. Semyon Varlamov a year ago signed a contract with the “islanders”, including in order to become a mentor for the young Sorokin. Along the way, Varlamov managed to be one of the team’s heroes in the last playoffs.

Sorokin is the future of the Islanders. Now his task is to adapt to North American ice hockey and the defensive system of the “islanders” – the latter is very similar to the one that was in CSKA, so there should be no problems.

Columbus (Central)

Russians: z.Gavrikov, N. Grigorenko

Photo: © Bruce Bennett / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

The distinctive Columbus with head coach John Tortorella will once again be among the most uncompromising teams in the league. The main responsibility for defense will fall on defender Vladislav Gavrikov, who impressed the whole club in one season and received a three-year contract worthy of his role in the offseason. In the future, the Russian can grow to the first pair, but for now his link with David Savar remains one of the most played.

The chances of another Russian, forward Mikhail Grigorenko, who returned to the NHL, are less bright. If in the systemic CSKA he managed to reveal his bombarding potential, then in Columbus it may not work out because of the more stringent requirements. And for the role of the conditional Panarin, who was allowed everything on the ice, Grigorenko is not suitable.

New Jersey (East)

Russians: z. Kulikov, N. Gusev

Nikita Gusev / Photo: © Icon Sportswire / Contributor / Icon Sportswire / Gettyimages.ru

The end of the last regular season gave hope for a good future for Gusev in New Jersey, but Alain Nasreddin was replaced by the experienced Lindy Ruff, famous for his consistency and rigidity. Whether the Russian will be able to adapt to a completely different hockey model is a big mystery.

There is no doubt that the newcomer of the club Dmitry Kulikov will quickly fit into it. He should be one of the Devils’ main hopes in direct defense. His three-year stretch at Winnipeg cannot be called successful, but last year proved Kulikov’s possible usefulness for the second-third pair of the NHL club.

St. Louis (West)

Russians: n. Tarasenko, N. Barbashev

Unfortunately, constant injuries do not allow Vladimir Tarasenko to return to the level of the first sniper of “St. Louis” – at least the start of the upcoming season will also be no exception. The club has already invited Hoffman to replace him, and it is not known when the Russian will be able to start playing.

Ivan Barbashev is doing much better. He continues to be the Blues’ top all-round forward, fitting perfectly into coach Craig Berube’s playing model.Barbashev will start the season in the fourth line with Clifford and his usual partner Sundqvist.

Toronto (North)

Russians: n. Drums, n. Mikheev

Ilya Mikheev / Photo: © Vaughn Ridley / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

An interesting situation has developed at Toronto, which is one of the favorites in the Northern Division. Second-year Ilya Mikheev and debutant Alexander Barabanov, in fact, claim one position in the second or third link. Mikheev, due to injury, spent only half of last season, but managed to impress the club so much that he periodically played along with the star Tavares and Marner.

Barabanov, on the other hand, came to the training camp, having not very great chances of being among the top 12 forwards, but still managed to gain a foothold in the fourth three with Spezza and Simmonds – they will probably start the season with this composition. But in terms of their characteristics, Drums are much more suitable for the third link, where Mikheev was just playing around. We look forward to a successful game from both Russians and their intriguing internal rivalry.

Florida (Central)

Russians: v.Bobrovsky, n. Denisenko

Sergey Bobrovsky / Photo: © REUTERS / Dennis Schneidler – USA TODAY Sports

In the offseason, Florida lost its Russian star in the person of Evgeny Dadonov, but still the most attention is drawn to the second season in the Panthers of Sergei Bobrovsky. Last year was a really disastrous year for the goalkeeper, but now he is ready for a “reset”. True, Bobrovsky completely missed the Panthers training camp and will not take part in the start of the season.

Prospects for the 20-year-old striker Grigory Denisenko are still unclear.By the end of the pre-season training camp, the Russian, selected by Florida in the 2018 draft under the overall 15th number, was moved to the “fifth” link. It is possible that in order to provide practice, Denisenko is sent to the AHL.

Dallas (Central)

Russians: v. Khudobin, N. Guryanov, N. Radulov

Photo: © Bruce Bennett / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

As part of last year’s Stanley Cup finalist, the former Russian representation remained: Anton Khudobin and Denis Guryanov signed new contracts with Dallas in the offseason.Ben Bishop will miss most of the regular season, and Khudobin will again have to become a full-fledged first goalkeeper of the club. Guryanov must continue his growth as a top sniper – during the training camp he played enough in the first link.

The main intrigue is Alexander Radulov. The last season for the star Russian turned out to be controversial: his performance decreased by half, and the number of unforced deletions remained unchanged. This raised many more questions than had arisen in the course of Radulov’s three previous seasons in the NHL.Now Alexander has a chance to take advantage of Tyler Seguin’s absence and return to the previous level.

San Jose (West)

Russians: v. Melnichuk, z. Knizhov, N. Letunov

The Russian trio from San Jose doesn’t have much of a chance to be in the first line-up. Nikolay Knizhov and Maxim Letunov, who proved themselves confidently in the last AHL championship, can join the “training” team – especially Letunov, whose sniper skills will clearly be useful to the Sharks if necessary.

Alexey Melnichuk will probably also be in reserve. There are only three goalkeepers left in San Jose’s training camp, but Dubnik and Jones are obviously starting the season. Perhaps Melnichuk could use his playing practice in the AHL, but he managed to play 14 games in the KHL for Torpedo, so he is definitely in good shape.

Washington (East)

Russians: v. Samsonov, z. Orlov, n. Kuznetsov, N. Ovechkin

Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov / Photo: © Patrick McDermott / Contributor / National Hockey League / Gettyimages.ru

Washington is the most popular club among Russian fans in the last 10 years. Traditionally, the team is a contender for the Stanley Cup and has a large domestic diaspora. As at the beginning of last season, four Russian players will play for the Capitals, led by Alexander Ovechkin, who continues the pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s sniper record.

Dmitry Orlov and Yevgeny Kuznetsov will again begin to perform their most important attacking functions – Kuznetsov must regain his role as the first center of the team after a not very successful championship.But the most interesting is the figure of Ilya Samsonov: having confidently debuted as a back-up for Washington, he will begin his second year in the NHL as the first goalkeeper. Due to heart problems, the most experienced Henrik Lundqvist will miss the season, which only increases Samsonov’s responsibility – the Capitals do not have a quality replacement.

Ottawa (North)

Russians: z. Zaitsev, z. Tooth, n. Anisimov, N. Dadonov

Nikita Zaitsev / Photo: © Icon Sportswire / Contributor / Icon Sportswire / Gettyimages.ru

In a couple of years, Ottawa, which continues perestroika, has become one of the most Russian clubs in the NHL. On the free agent market, the main Russian signing of the team for many years was made – forward Evgeny Dadonov. For three seasons at Florida, he proved his sniper qualities and efficiency, now he has to become the leader of the outsider club.

Artem Anisimov will continue to rush between the second and third lines, and Nikita Zaitsev will continue to be the main defensive back of the club.Former SKA defender Artem Zub played enough before the start of the season in the third pair of Ottawa.

Rangers (East)

Russians: v. Georgiev, V. Shesterkin, N. Buchnevich, N. Panarin

Artemy Panarin / Photo: © Jonathan Daniel / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

The Rangers are a young and interesting team that will definitely show fun hockey. Yes, he is unlikely to bring success, but the current challenge is to play in the NHL of his main avenues, in particular, Lafreniere.

The club’s leading star is Artemy Panarin, who was nominated for the most valuable player in the regular season last season. He will again be the main attacking figure of the Rangers – his compatriot Pavel Buchnevich will help him in this, having found a common language with head coach David Quinn and consolidated in the top 6.

Igor Shesterkin and Alexander Georgiev will create the second Russian goalkeeper brigade in New York. Unlike the Islanders, the Rangers have two young goalkeepers with little experience.Obviously, Shesterkin will start the season as number one, but changes are not ruled out in the course of the championship.

Tampa Bay (Central)

Russians: v. Vasilevsky, z. Sergachev, n. Volkov, n. Kucherov

Photo: © REUTERS / Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

The loss of superstar forward Nikita Kucherov due to injury before the end of the regular season is perhaps the main disappointment for Russian fans. But even without him, there are enough Russians in the current Stanley Cup winner.

Andrey Vasilevsky is undoubtedly the best domestic goalkeeper in recent years, who must again fight for the Vezina Trophy. Mikhail Sergachev will continue the correspondence dispute with Provorov for the title of Russian NHL defender No. 1.

23-year-old striker Alexander Volkov, who appeared last season in the decisive sixth match of the Stanley Cup Final and earned a key deletion on himself, should get much more playing time this year.

Read also:

90,000 Ilya Kovalchuk: “The USA is a great country.As is Russia. Enjoy life and be happy. ”

Ilya Kovalchuk returned to the NHL after six years. ESPN has published a huge interview with Ilya, who will now play for the Kings.

About returning to the USA

“I achieved everything I wanted in Russia. We won the Olympics. This was the main task. But, I think that I still have strength. And I look forward to a new challenge. I haven’t played in the NHL in five years, and a lot has changed since then, but I’m very happy to be back. ”

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Kovalchuk, Nichushkin and other peppers who exchanged the KHL for the NHL

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On winning the Olympic Games

discomfort.Until the last week we were not even sure that we would go to the tournament. Thanks to Vladimir Putin for letting the athletes decide for themselves.

Hockey is the main event of the Olympics. And Russia was present at it. Yes, we were stripped of our name and flag, but everyone knew perfectly well where we came from. We were forbidden to pronounce the word “Russia” or wear uniforms with official signs. It was very unpleasant. Walking around the Olympic Village, you see athletes from other countries in their bright, beautiful uniforms, and you are wearing some kind of simple red tracksuit …

Ilya Kovalchuk

Photo: Getty Images

But with the start of the game you forget about all this.The whole country was rooting for us. Perhaps even this whole situation has drawn even more attention to Russia. We were supported very actively, and we were able to present a holiday to our fans. Make people happy. This was our main goal. ”

About age

“I am a young 35-year-old man. No, I don’t think about age. I just try to prepare myself as best I can for the start of the season. I arrived at the training camp in optimal shape. But there is still a lot of work to be done. I have to adapt, get used to the new system.This is all new to me. It’s good that there is time before the start of the official matches. Here the game is a little faster than in the KHL. Less space. Less time to make a decision. And preseason matches are a great way to get involved. I feel like I’m getting better and better with every game. ”

About Ovechkin’s championship

“It was amazing. I followed all the matches. It’s great when a player achieves something so meaningful because he deserves this victory. The way he played in the playoffs was great.Yes, the whole “Washington” showed itself excellently. And for me the key moment of the final series was that save by Braden Holtby at the end of the second match. ”

Alexander Ovechkin

Photo: Getty Images

On the tense relationship between Russia and the United States

“I don’t see any problems. I can only talk about sports. I don’t want to touch on politics.

Yes, the situation is not easy now. But I think the FIFA World Cup showed what real Russia is like. We are a very open country and nation.And we wish you all the best. And all these sanctions … I hope someday they will be lifted, and the presidents will be able to come to an agreement. Because two such huge countries must act together. Many people try to tie sports to politics, but I avoid that. The USA is a great country. As is Russia. Just enjoy life and be happy. ”

• Kovalchuk signed a contract with Kings for 3 years.
• He previously played in the NHL for Atlanta and New Jersey.

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