Reed Boucher spent three seasons in the KHL and has already managed to establish himself as one of the most skillful and tough players in the league, as well as a first-class scorer. For Avangard Omsk, which has undergone a number of major personnel changes this off-season, the preservation of such a superstar is a definite success. Moreover, the “hawks” last winter extended their cooperation with the American striker until May 2024.
Busche joined the Avangard, which holds pre-season training camps in Sochi. And although the American will not play in the tournament, he intends to get in optimal shape in the near future. In his free time from training, Reed gave an interview to Sport, in which:
- spoke about reforms in Omsk members;
- appreciated Corban Knight's unexpected decision to terminate the contract with Avangard;
- shared his opinion about Russian culture;
- < br>answered a question about the possibility of obtaining Russian citizenship.
«It's a pity that Gritsyuk and Tolchinsky left. We were really friends»
—How and where spent your vacation?I spent the summer in Michigan with my family. I am happy that I had the opportunity to stay longer with my wife and children. I spent a good time.
— Did you manage to really relax?
— Yes, I had a rest. I feel good. Spent a lot of time with family and children. This is a great way to physically and mentally reboot after a difficult season. In this respect, I spent my time fruitfully.
I haven't even switched over yet. After Michigan, such a big transition to another time zone is hard. Still living in Michigan time.
strong>— It must be a bit of a shame to work hard when everyone around is relaxing, swimming in the sea, sunbathing on the beach .
— Actually no. I knew full well that I had a hard job ahead of me. In a week or two I will be much easier and more comfortable. All the work, all this hard work as the season progresses, will bear fruit for us.
— Mikhail Kravets said that he does not plan to involve you in the tournament in Sochi. How do you rate your current physical condition?
— Before flying to Sochi, I felt great. But this long flight still affected my condition. Of course, I'm not in top form now, but soon the body will adapt, rebuild, and everything will be fine. noticeably changed. Surprised?- Indeed, there are many new players in the team. Of the old men who have been playing for Avangard for more than a year, we have 5-6 people left. I look forward to getting to know the newcomers better and playing with them. From what I have already seen, I concluded that we have a good team.
— What is your opinion about such a large number of players leaving Avangard, including key ones?< /strong>
— It's a pity when the guys leave, especially Grits (Arseniy Gritsyuk) and Tolch (Sergei Tolchinsky). We communicated well with them, were on good terms and were really friends. It is truly a pity to lose such people. But we need to go further, move forward, build a team with new guys and connect with them.
— The club has also announced the departure of Corban Knight. Were you shocked by Corbin's decision?- I was in touch with Korben all summer, so I probably learned about his decision to leave Avangard before the rest. This decision was made for family reasons, and it is not for me to judge Corbin. What is, what is.
— Do you agree that the «Vanguard» has lost, perhaps, the best center forward in the KHL?
— Absolutely . I think Corbin is the best center I have ever played with. This, of course, is a huge loss for Avangard.
strong>— Mikhail Kravets at one of the press conferences noted that now it is necessary to assemble a link for you .
— Well, they just re-signed Vladimir Tkachev, and that's great. I'm glad he stays at Vanguard. And I'm sure the club will find a good center forward to replace Knight.
— You are already one of the league's top stars, and Avangard fans recognized you as the best in the playoffs last season player. Now you are, in fact, the main hope of the club. Do you realize this? Does it add confidence and inspiration? Or, on the contrary, is it extra pressure and responsibility?
— No, I wouldn't say that. Every day is a new day for me, when I come to the arena, give my best and work to the best of my ability to help my team. I have been doing this every day throughout my career. Therefore, I will not call myself the main person of the team. There are many leaders in Vanguard. We will do everything to make the club successful.
— A few days ago you met with Vladimir Tkachev in Sochi, who signed a new contract with Avangard. The club announced this on August 6, but maybe already in a personal conversation, Vladimir said that he would remain in the team? > — Yes, we talked with him about this. And he told me that he would sign a new contract with Avangard, so I was aware. I am very happy that Tkach remains.
«For Miroshnichenko, playing with Ovechkin and Kuznetsov will be a great experience»
— Last season you can personally add to your asset. But what, in your opinion, was not enough for Avangard in the series with Kazan's Ak Bars? What was the key to the defeat in the Eastern Conference Finals?
—I don’t even know what really was the reason for our failure. We had every chance to win, we could easily win this series. But how many times did it happen that we simply could not endure. The opponent bounced back in the end, and we lost either in regular time or in overtime. As a result, matches turned out that seemed to be winning for us, but Ak Bars won.
— What is more offensive: to lose when you play from the position of the first number and surpass your opponent in key parameters, or to lose in a match without a chance of success?
— Missing an advantage is the worst thing that can be. Losses happen, because it is impossible to win and play perfectly in every match. But when you dominate your opponent, but in the end you give in to him, it's very disappointing.
— Do you agree that in the new season it will be much more difficult for Avangard, although the club's tasks remain unchanged?
— No, I don't think so. The club signs new players in order for them to do their job, the installation. If each of us gives 100%, then everything will be fine. I do not think that it will be more difficult for us than last season. Any season is difficult and requires a lot of effort in order to reach the playoffs, make it to the finals and eventually win the trophy. It is always difficult.
— Among those who left the club was Ivan Miroshnichenko. What do you remember about him? Ivan is really a good and young player. He wanted to try his hand at the NHL, and we can't judge him for that. I wish him good luck and all the best.
— How do you assess his chances to prove himself in the “Washington Capitals”? Many are of the opinion that Ivan was a little hasty with his departure overseas.
— I have not been in the North American structure for a long time, so it is difficult for me to answer this question. Moreover, I don't know how the Capitals system works. Is playing on the same team with Alexander Ovechkin also a kind of school?
— I am convinced of this. In addition, in “Washington” there are enough Russian hockey players who can teach Ivan a lot. For example, Evgeny Kuznetsov. Definitely, for Ivan, playing with them will be a great experience.
— At the last NHL draft, Mikhail Gulyaev got to the Colorado Avalanche. Do you see a second Cale Makar in him?
I am very happy for Misha. It's always cool when a player is picked in the first round of a draft. Last season he didn't have enough opportunities to show his best side in the KHL, but I hope that this year he will prove himself, be more aimed at the opponent's goal and become a high-level shooting guard.
strong>- Another graduate of the Avangard system, Arseniy Gritsyuk, who was drafted by the New Jersey Devils, who is not a stranger to you, could also go to the NHL this summer. Would you like to see him in the Devils camp?
— Grits is a good player who has every chance to prove himself in the NHL. But everything depends on him. He made the decision to stay here. If he nevertheless decides to go to America, then I wish him only good luck.
— How do you like the current New Jersey, by the way? Many see him as a contender for the Stanley Cup.
Yes, the Devils have a good team now. I am sure that they are able to fight for the championship. But to be honest, I don't follow the NHL or hockey in general. I have enough hockey in the arena and in the classroom, when it is necessary to analyze game moments from the video. When I'm at home, I switch off from hockey. I don't even want to watch it.
«Russian citizenship? It is necessary to understand how this will affect me and my family»
— And how do you distract yourself from hockey?
— I devote a lot of time to communicating with my family. I talk to my family via video call. It's one thing to play in North America and be able to come home after games and training, where your family is waiting for you. All hockey remains in the arena. But the other thing is to live and work far away from your family. It is only possible to call up with relatives. Well, sometimes I just go out for dinner.
— There was no desire to bring the family to Omsk or any other city in Russia?
— We are planning to organize their move already this season. It will be great if everything works out.
— You have been in Russia for four years already. Have you managed to adapt to our country or even assimilate during this time?
— Used to everything, except for the Russian language. learning?
“I have never taken this issue seriously, to be honest. Maybe I should start learning the language, but so far I have no soul for this.
— What do you like about Russian culture? What do you find special about her? Or maybe there is something that makes you feel uncomfortable?
—Somehow I can’t even remember something really unusual would say, «Oh! Wow!» I would not say that Russian culture is a different world, which is radically different from what I am used to. Yes, there are differences, but there are also many similarities.
— That is, it wasn’t such that you saw a person’s behavior that was unusual for you and thought to yourself: “Yes, this is definitely Russian”?
— No.
— Once we talked about Omsk, and you said that the city is beautiful and developing. What other Russian cities would you call comfortable for living?
— Moscow is very beautiful, St. Petersburg, Kazan. In Russia, in principle, there are plenty of cool cities.
— And how do you like trips to the Far East?
— No way. I sleep during the whole flight. And if I'm not sleeping, then I'm playing something. I don't spend a lot of time in the cities themselves.
Recently, there has been a trend in the KHL when foreigners are puzzled by obtaining Russian citizenship. Brennan Menell of Dynamo Moscow, for example, has already received a Russian passport. How do you feel about this?
— Over the past few days, I have been repeatedly asked about this. This is a very serious matter that needs to be explored with the family. Before you decide on this, you need to analyze all the subtleties and discuss everything with your family, you need to think very carefully. I have already thought about the possibility of obtaining Russian citizenship, but, I repeat, I need to check everything, understand how this may affect my family, my children.
— But you do not rule out that that one day you will make such a decision?