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Haven для хоккея Malnourished

Самые холодные дни наиболее наилучшим образом греют мое сердце хоккея

But here in St Petersburg it is great! We all train together, help each other. We are hanging out like it’s a pioneers camp [like Boy Scouts]. Dmitry [their trainer] the coach is our team leader. Sergey Gonchar kept saying how well he trained here before the start of last season. He suggested I come here too. And I don’t regret it!

I was told that in the beginning Gonchar could hardly handle the new training system . . .

And I didn’t even finish my cross-country run the first time! My pulse was 210, but now it is 176. The progress is evident.

Do you run listening to music?

Yes, everybody has a player. I play Eminem. Because of it running is especially rhythmic.

Why did you decide to stay at the trainer’s house in St Petersburg?

There are always parties at his house. There are always a lot of beautiful girls, a dance floor. And in the bedroom there is a huge disco ball and a pole to all the way to the ceiling… [Ovechkin says it with a straight face, but then can't hold it any longer and bursts out laughing.]

Our Canadian colleagues [from CBC traveling with Sovetsky Sport] were amazed: if Sydney Crosby went to an ordinary city gym in the States he would be torn apart for souvenirs. You just come here and train with regular people.

That doesn’t bother me. Yes, I do see that people recognize me. But this is the difference in Russia that no one throws themselves at me and don’t disturb my personal space.

Crosby has already signed his extension with Pittsburgh. How are your negotiations with Washington going?

I don’t want to talk about it. The fact that Crosby signed his new contract and I have not doesn’t make my pulse rush.

Translation courtesy of Dmitry Chesnokov. Original article (untranslated) is available online at Sovetsky Sport.