On this translated speak, the New York Islanders’ Alexander Romanov talked about working with a video coach, his ties with basic supervisor (GM) Lou Lamoriello, his transfer from Montreal to New York, and his head coach Patrick Roy.
You will discover the unique speak within the Russian language on the YouTube channel Skolzky Lyod right here!
“Within the NHL, many individuals work with a video coach. Everyone knows and perceive one thing about hockey, however there are some nuances, sure moments within the sport which are essential solely to you. For instance, you may not be a technical participant, you possibly can’t skate circles round the entire five-man unit – you have to make the primary move or obtain the puck on the blue line. You’re not Cale Makar – you’re not going to outmaneuver everybody with fancy strikes. You should develop an understanding of what you must do based mostly in your specific abilities. And the video coach helps you see from the surface how this may be accomplished: the way you’re doing it, the way to do it accurately, and the way to not do it. That’s what working with a video coach is all about.”
The defenseman then goes on to elucidate the way it works. “He sends me a clip along with his voice within the background. He explains sure issues to me, sends good and unhealthy moments – each mine and people of different gamers. Plus, I additionally watch my very own video games to know the place I can enhance and what errors I shouldn’t repeat, for instance. Total, within the NHL, I take into consideration 70 % of gamers work with a video coach.”
About Lou Lamoriello
It seems to be like Romanov really appreciates his present GM, Lou Lamoriello. “He’s merely a legendary particular person. And I don’t discover him peculiar, to be sincere. I don’t know why everybody says that Lou Lamoriello is one way or the other peculiar or very strict.”
And that’s regardless of Romanov having to chop his hair as required by Lamoriello. “Humorous sufficient, I really like my present coiffure greater than the one I had with the lengthy hair. It was… it was terrible. I take a look at previous pictures of myself, and I simply don’t prefer it. However right here’s what actually occurred: I feel my agent, Dan Milstein, warned me instantly that I’d want to chop my hair. That was within the very first second after the commerce. However truthfully, I don’t perceive how this may very well be an issue for anybody. It wasn’t an issue for me – I simply acquired a haircut.”
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It wasn’t laborious for him to adapt. “He didn’t want to elucidate something to me. If the final supervisor, my boss, tells me to do one thing, I’ll do it. If he instructed me to leap off a roof – clearly, that may be ridiculous. But when he says I must shave and minimize my hair – it’s no downside for me in any respect. I don’t perceive why it’s such a giant deal for some folks, however I couldn’t care much less.”
Furthermore, Lamoriello is infamous for having strict necessities. “You must put on a tie,” Romanov goes on. “Even after video games. You’ll be able to’t depart the locker room and not using a tie. Semyon Varlamov as soon as instructed me he acquired scolded for having his tie over his shoulder after a sport. Semyon was on his method to the bus, and Lou approached him, saying, ‘Come right here, I’ve one thing to let you know.’ And he made a comment in regards to the tie: that he ought to all the time be correctly dressed, that he’s an instance not solely on the ice however off the ice as effectively.”
About Enjoying in Montreal
Romanov began his NHL profession in Montreal, earlier than being moved to the Islanders in a three-team commerce. “They in all probability received’t be following, however I wish to thank the Montreal Canadiens followers for the truth that I by no means as soon as felt like I didn’t belong,” Romanov mentioned, including that he by no means confronted any hate. “Not as soon as, ever. In all probability as a result of I used to be nonetheless a rookie – that performed a job. There was by no means any hate directed in direction of me. Right here’s the way it was. Typically I’d learn the feedback – and so they had been all the time constructive. If somebody was sad, it was for a sound motive. There was no baseless hate like, ‘He’s an fool as a result of he’s an fool.’ However for particular causes – sure.”
“For instance, if I tousled in a sport, folks would name me out. Like, ‘He tousled, so he’s an fool.’ And in these instances, I knew I used to be an fool. I by no means deny it. If I make a mistake, and a objective will get scored due to me, I don’t go: ‘Oh no! That’s [Ilya] Sorokin’s fault for not doing sufficient.’ I’m all the time self-critical about my sport.”
Romanov remains to be in love with Montreal’s followers. “In Montreal, the followers are Montreal. As a result of except for the Canadiens, there’s nothing else. Completely nothing. I don’t even know the place they go within the night, apart from to video games. Positive, there are good eating places. I actually like Montreal as a metropolis, however they don’t have many different types of leisure. All live shows occur on the Bell Centre, the place the hockey is. They don’t have every other main sports activities. I imply, there’s no different workforce that pulls a crowd like that. They name the town ‘the Mecca of hockey.’ In some way, they’ve carried that spirit from the previous into the current. And it doesn’t matter what the sport is like, the sector is all the time packed.”
He was acknowledged on the streets rather more usually in Montreal. “On Lengthy Island, you’re not likely wanted – not within the sense that hockey followers don’t want you, however you’re simply not that attention-grabbing to the native sports activities followers. As a result of moreover the Islanders, they’ve the [all New York teams] Rangers, the Jets, the Giants, the Yankees, the Knicks, and the Nets. It’s loopy.”
Romanov’s Household Ties
Romanov’s father Stanislav is a widely known determine in Russia. He’s the son-in-law of legendary coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, and he lined up for Staff Russia on the 1995 Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship in Sweden. In that match, Stanislav netted the game-winning objective for the Russians in opposition to Staff Canada within the round-robin.
“My father has been my head coach my entire life,” Romanov says. “Now, to a lesser extent, as a result of there’s a strict system in place and specialists that I must take heed to first. However prior to now, he was my foremost coach: for all of the camps, we skilled collectively in the summertime, within the gymnasium, and all the time on the ice.”
“After all, I grew up with a whole lot of assist. No level in hiding it. I didn’t must put in huge effort to make it. I had every thing. However to be sincere, a whole lot of guys – even those coaching now – have rather a lot, too. They simply lack character in some areas, or they don’t have sufficient persistence. Typically it’s, ‘Oh, neglect about that 6:30 a.m. follow! Why trouble going? What’s it going to offer me? I’ll simply get extra drained,’” the defenseman explains.
Certainly one of Romanov’s largest weapons is his skating. “My dad and I labored on skating continuously from a really younger age. I’m grateful to him as a result of not solely does he know rather a lot about hockey, however he additionally approached my coaching very sensibly. The very first thing a child wants, typically, is skating. With out it, you received’t get wherever. You can be clueless, you might be a stiff participant, however for those who can skate, for those who can transfer, for those who’ve acquired the sides – that’s it, you’ll play.”
Romanov can be recognized for some bone-crushing hits. However he doesn’t have it in his thoughts an excessive amount of, apparently. “You’d must be a fairly simple-minded participant to have a job mannequin for physique checking. What sort of position mannequin is that anyway?” he says. “The issue is, I may not even like doing physique checks. I don’t want them in any respect. I wish to play hockey, rating objectives – similar to everybody else on the ice.”
However generally, there’s a second the place you don’t wish to give in to somebody: ‘Why is he skating into the center to attempt to get round me? Has he misplaced his thoughts? That is my zone – my home, rattling it. He’s are available in with soiled ft, leaving a multitude. What does he assume he’s doing? If he tries to chop via the middle – that’s it, goodbye.’ Nicely, comparatively talking. If you consider it this fashion, why ought to any participant – whether or not it’s [Connor] McDavid or not – be skating freely round my zone? If I’ve an opportunity, I’ll hit him. Finish of story.”
About Patrick Roy
Aside from for Lamoriello, Romanov had type phrases for Patrick Roy, too. “He’s a winner, somebody who has received every thing in hockey: 4 Stanley Cups, numerous Vezina Trophies – he’s collected each trophy doable,” Romanov says about his head coach. “And with that very same deep understanding of hockey, he moved into teaching. He’s really a relentless particular person. None of us like shedding, however he actually hates it. And he’s a really sensible specialist. Some would possibly say, ‘Oh, he’s only a goalie…’ However on this case, his understanding of the sport is at such a excessive stage that it doesn’t matter. He’s unimaginable. A legend! And a top-notch specialist who has a deep understanding of the sport.”
“You’ll be able to’t simply name him a motivator. Our conferences final about half-hour – and it’s all techniques, every thing needs to be exact. Beneath him, the workforce follows strict sport self-discipline – not when it comes to ‘penalties or no penalties,’ however within the sense that everybody should be of their place. If one participant receives the puck, the far winger has to dash into the hole; if he doesn’t, he is aware of that’s it, he’s accomplished, he’ll be benched. Past powerful motivation, we’ve got a inflexible sport system that should be adopted – and Roy is absolutely demanding about that.”
Romanov’s Method to Getting Prepared for Video games
“There was a time after I was tremendous hyped for video games and would heat up virtually 3 times earlier than the sport. I used to be simply on hearth. However now I’ve reevaluated my preparation, and as an alternative of all that chaos earlier than the sport, I collect my ideas and focus extra on what I must do on the ice, who I’m up in opposition to, and the way I ought to play higher. Like I mentioned, my first season is an effective instance: I used to be simply operating round mindlessly, chasing gamers. Now my sport is extra clever. I play extra by place, ensuring my feelings don’t get the higher of me. Typically it’s higher to easily move the puck.”
Romanov’s profession has been going up, and this season he will likely be in his contract 12 months. The defenseman should work laborious, and issues can solely enhance for him and the Islanders. And it does seem like that working laborious shouldn’t be an issue for him.