The cliché is that happiness comes from simple things. The general director of the Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo, Maxim Gafurov, takes great pleasure in seeing the opposing players try to apply a sustained forecheck against young defender Bogdan Konyushkov, a CH prospect in furious progress.
“No one can put him under pressure,” exclaimed the dashing young CEO on the phone. I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing someone chase him. It’s impossible! He can change direction easily without even losing a little speed.”
CH’s fourth-round pick in the last draft, Konyushkov has become one of the most effective defenders in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in all three zones. He ranks fourth on the circuit for average playing time at 23:06 per game.
In an interview with TVASports.ca in September, Torpedo head coach, the legendary Igor Larionov, said that Konyushkov could have been a key player for the Canadiens this season. He was also reassuring by indicating that Konyushkov did indeed intend to play in the NHL, despite the contract that binds him to Torpedo until the conclusion of the 2025-2026 season.
In the NHL soon?
In our efforts, we also tried to contact DG Gafurov, but in vain. Gafurov finally returned to us a few months later to follow up on Konyushkov’s case.
What emerged in particular from this long discussion with this KHL manager is that there is no question for the Torpedo of preventing Konyushkov from making the jump to North America once his contract is over.
“I think he will play in the NHL very soon,” Gafurov predicted. It will depend on him. If he’s ready, he’ll definitely play in the NHL. We’re not going to hold him back. It’s not our style at all.”
“Very soon” is all relative considering the player’s contractual situation, but presumably Gafurov meant “as soon as Konyushkov can.”
Sport, not politics
Politics has often been inseparable from sport in Russia. However, Gafurov does not feel concerned by this reality.
“You will read in the newspapers that we are being put under pressure [pour prendre certaines décisions], that kind of shit. We are doing our job. It’s not politics, it’s sport. Every week, we are in contact with people from the NHL.
The announcement of the three-year contract extension granted to Konyushkov by the Torpedo came after the selection of the defender by the Canadiens. Gafurov candidly admitted that the two parties had already agreed on the terms of the deal before the NHL draft.
Did the Canadians know what they were getting into? Mystery and gumdrop.
“I don’t know if they knew about it,” Gafurov said. We had recommended him to NHL teams and we wanted to give him a chance to be drafted.
Lots of experience gained
If in certain situations, the KHL has been harmful to the development of young talents nailed to the bench, it is currently giving a lot of mileage to Konyushkov. This is one of the main arguments put forward by Gafurov to defend the merits of this contract extension.
“Look at his playing time,” he argued. That’s pretty special for someone his age. Some nights he plays 25 minutes. He is gaining a lot of experience. He already looks like an adult. I am surprised by the speed at which he is progressing, both physically and psychologically. He may only be 21, but he has the mentality of a player who is 25 or 26.”
Obviously, this is on a case by case basis. Not all players are like Konyushkov. And they don’t all have the chance to evolve within an avant-garde team like Torpedo – which will be the subject of another file to be published.
“For some, it’s better to play in the American League,” Gafurov conceded before qualifying his remarks. But sometimes, young Russians are able to get valuable opportunities in the competitive environment that is the KHL. For Russians, sometimes it’s better; especially with the Torpedo, for example. We advocate an offensive style.”