Evgeny Mityakin: «My family always supports me»

Evgeny Mityakin talks about his vacation, best KHL centers and preparation for the upcoming season.

– How do you spend your vacation?

– I spend most of my vacation in Yekaterinburg, where I live. In the spring, I went to St. Petersburg, then flew to the UAE, and visited my parents in the Perm Region.

– Do you like outdoor activities or do you prefer to lie on a beach?

– I like outdoor activities more. I can have a rest at the sea for a week.

– How helped your family in your development as a KHL player?

– I visited my parents in my hometown Krasnokamsk, which is 30 kilometers from Perm. My family always supports me. My father, mother and younger brother have watched every game I have played throughout my career. Last season they visited games in Nizhnekamsk and in Yekaterinburg. They are rooting for me. It helps me a lot!

– Are there any differences in your preseason camp? On what kind of things do you prefer to focus on?

– An individual training plan was sent to each player of our team. Neftekhimik Strength and Conditioning Coach Alexander Urakov told me what I need to work on and I try to stick to these tips and the plan. We have a long season ahead. You need to be ready.

– In your opinion, who is the best center in the KHL?

– Besides our team’ centers, I really like the way Eric O'Dell plays. He is a balanced, two-way center. We should not forget about Vadim Shipachyov. Yeah, maybe he is not a fast or a power forward. At the same time, he reads the play well. He has a great mindset and it is a pleasure to watch him play. Yeah, Alexander Kadeikin and Corban Knight pretty good too.

– Patrice Cormier left our League. Will it be easier to win faceoff now?

– Yes, he played well, but I do not think that in the KHL he was the best at faceoffs. Do not forget that he plays on the left side from the faceoff point for himself. There are more versatile centers on the faceoff point in the League. I will mention O'Dell again. I think that he is the strongest center in the KHL on faceoffs. Despite the fact that, Knight's stats are better.

If we talk about Russian centers, then Sergei Andronov from Lokomotiv plays good on faceoffs as well as Kadeikin and Byvaltsev.

– You are a big guy. Do you want to drop the gloves with someone who just pissed you off on the ice?

– Hockey is an emotional game. There are a lot of emotions during the games. You are angry, but you need to do everything that is good for your team. Therefore, it is better to make textbook hits.

– In your opinion, a tall forward - what are the pros and cons?

– A tall forward can win more plays that are physical; screen the goalie on the slot. About cons, a tall forward is less maneuverable. Each player has his pros and cons. Therefore, no matter how big or small you are - you need to win as much physical play as possible!

– What is the main thing for you, as for the center, in the game?

– For me, the main thing is to be useful on both sides of the rink - both in D-zone and in offensive zone. As you know, mostly breakout are set up by center. For me, the main thing is that the center forward is balanced.

– What is your opinion about new calendar of the games? What is more important during the season - play more or train?

– I really liked that the last season was intense with plenty games. Now I know how to prepare for the season better. Any hockey player will tell you that it is better to play more than to train. When there are many games, it is more interesting both for the fans and for the players. You just enjoy it!