Alexei Byvaltsev: “In the final, the result could have gone in Ak Bars' favor”

“After talking with Anvar Rafailovich, I had a huge desire to move to Ak Bars”

— Alexei, you can confidently be called a versatile center forward: suitable for both top and bottom lines. Nevertheless, which type of forward do you consider yourself more of?

— You know, it depends more on the tasks the coaching staff sets for me. If they are more defensive in nature, I won't argue; I'll do what the coach tells me. If it benefits the team — no questions. But I can also play offensive hockey comfortably. So I don't classify myself as one specific type of player. Whatever role the coach sees me in, that's how I'll perform.

— Surely, before the move to Ak Bars, you had a lot of conversations with Anvar Gatiyatulin. Tell us the details of that conversation.

— The most important thing is that after talking with Anvar Rafailovich, I had a huge desire to join Ak Bars. We also spoke with the management; thank them for their trust. I am very pleased to have joined such a big club.

— Did you have offers in the summer besides Ak Bars?

— Yes, there were offers. But when Ak Bars contacted me and my agent, we made the decision to move to Kazan quite quickly. We didn't even consider the other offers.

— Anvar Gatiyatulin is generally considered a very liberal coach. For example, I've never seen him raise his voice at anyone during training. How would you characterize Anvar Rafailovich by nature?

— I would say that Anvar Rafailovich treats all hockey players like adults. Everyone should understand for themselves where they played correctly and where they didn't, where they made a mistake. Can Anvar Rafailovich say something in a harsh manner? Of course. In the locker room, at practice, during games, emotions sometimes run high.

— Nevertheless, compared to the likes of Andrei Razin, Anvar Gatiyatulin looks like a very calm coach.

— Every coach has their own method. If we're talking about Andrei Razin, look at how many players from Severstal worked with him and continue to work with him now at Metallurg. That means they are comfortable interacting with him; they are used to his working methods.

“I try not to impose unsolicited advice on the young players”

— The last time you worked with Anvar Gatiyatulin was in the 2022/23 season, when Traktor sensationally failed to make the Gagarin Cup playoffs. What was the reason for the team's poor performance in the regular season back then?

— In my opinion, roster instability. Strong foreign players left, several key players had injuries. So there were a lot of personnel problems in the lineup. We tried to fix the situation by the end of the regular season, but unfortunately, we couldn't make the playoffs.

— We see that Ak Bars has undergone a major restructuring this offseason. How difficult is this process internally for the club?

— When many people leave the team at once, it's always a difficult moment for the coaching staff. Now it takes time for other players to take on leadership roles and adapt. Newcomers also need time to adjust. What am I getting at? It doesn't happe

n that young guys come in and immediately fit into the game like a glove. It takes time; the season is long. The main thing is to approach the playoffs in optimal condition, to have a functioning team

— Alexei, you're 32 and have seen a lot in the KHL. Now there are many young local graduates in Ak Bars. Do you share your experience with them, mentor them on certain issues?

— I'm always happy to help with advice when young players come to me with questions. If I see someone doing something wrong on the ice, of course, I'll point it out based on my personal experience. But for the most part, I try not to impose unsolicited advice on the young players. Because I was a young, hot player myself. And when older players give you too much advice, it may not always be beneficial.

— You started your career in the Far East. Were there any experienced players there who could mentor you?

— There were many such players there. For example, in Amur, Alexander Frolov and Vitaly Atyushov always helped young players. Dmitry Tarasov, may he rest in peace, also always had advice to give. Many names could be listed, actually.

— Did they give advice with strong language, or did they try to communicate carefully with the youth?

— It depended on the situation (smiles). If someone overstepped, of course, they might not mince words. But mostly they just came over and calmly explained your mistakes.

“In my opinion, the best movie is 'The Intouchables'. A brilliant film, I always rewatch it with pleasure”

— Continuing the theme of generations, looking at today's youth, what differences do you find compared to players of your generation, for example?

— I'd say that today's youth are more professional. They pay a lot of attention to themselves and know how to prepare on their own. Before, in the KHL, there was more time for preparation during the preseason — two months. Now it's one, so you have to know how to keep yourself in good shape yourself. And now it's a bit easier for young players to break into the main team at an early age. There are clauses in the regulations that give young players chances to prove themselves. Coaches pay more attention to them. The young players just have to use these chances.

— Is it difficult for a young hockey player to live in the Far East?

— There were difficulties, of course. Everyone's day is just beginning, and yours is already ending. But when you're young, everything is easier to bear. Yes, 8-9 hour flights are really tough. But before, they used to fly even further. To somewhere like Riga, they could travel for 13 hours. And they traveled on commercial flights, not charters.

— A standard question for every hockey player who played in the Far East — what do you do on the plane during such long and tiring flights?

— For me, it was classic. TV series, movies, books, sleep a couple of hours, eat. Nothing special.

— Is there a movie you can always rewatch?

— In my opinion, the best movie is “The Intouchables.” A brilliant film, I always rewatch it with pleasure.

“In my opinion, Ak Bars played the final series against Lokomotiv well and looked great”

— Alexei, if we recall the Gagarin Cup final between Lokomotiv and Ak Bars. How expected was Yaroslavl's victory for you?

— I definitely can't call it expected. Because, in my opinion, Ak Bars played the final series well and looked great. They had a fantastic second game in Yaroslavl, so nothing was clear-cut in this series. The result could have gone in Kazan's favor as well.

— In your opinion, why did Ak Bars lose the last two matches of the final?

— Perhaps they lacked patience in certain things. Lokomotiv is a very strong team with experienced players who know how to win championship games.

— Were you impressed by Lokomotiv's comeback in the semifinal series against Avangard, with 33 seconds left in the sixth game? I can't imagine what was going on inside the Omsk players...

— I can imagine how frustrating it was for the Avangard guys. They definitely felt empty for a few days after the series. That's sports, that's fate. Just 33 seconds... You lose the win in the sixth game first, then lose the seventh after leading again. It's not easy to get through emotionally.

— You know, there's a famous saying: “Negative experience is still experience.” Did the Avangard players even need such painful experience?

— We'll see this season. Whether they can get through it and become stronger after such painful defeats.

“My only thought was — just don't mess up on the ice so they don't bench me right away” — on playing with Gusev and Dadonov on the same line for the Russian national team

— The 2017/18 KHL season with Amur was a breakthrough for you in terms of personal statistics. You were called up to the Russian national team and played in the Eurotour. You were on the extended roster for the World Championship in Denmark. You were on the team with Kirill Kaprizov, Igor Shesterkin, and Pavel Buchnevich — current NHL stars. Tell us about your feelings.

— Fantastic impressions. Because it was unexpected for me. It was a huge pleasure to play with such masters. I'm glad I managed to score during the Eurotour, play with Nikita Gusev and Evgeny Dadonov on the same line, and then make it all the way to the World Championship.

— Dadonov and Gusev are very subtle players with the highest hockey IQ and technique. Was there nervousness at the start when the coaching staff put you on the same line with them?

— Of course, there was. When the coaches came up to me and said they wanted to put me on the first line with Gusev and Dadonov, my only thought was — just don't mess up on the ice so they don't bench me right away. Like, don't lose the puck, pass it accurately to them.

— Was there some incredible aura around Dadonov and Gusev even then?

— Actually, no. Very calm guys, still quite young back then. Now Gusev and Dadonov are some of the main faces of Russian hockey. Back then, on the national team, I wouldn't say there was any strong fear of making a mistake, that I'd be doomed immediately.

— As I recall, you didn't actually play in the World Championship in Denmark. Did that leave you with any regret?

— Honestly, no. Because I spent a lot of time with the Russian national team that year. As a kid, I couldn't even dream of that. It was an incomparable experience and joy for me. So there was no regret about not making it to the final stage of the World Championship in Denmark.

— Were you affected by Vladimir Krikunov's words to the national team coaching staff in those years, that “they could have found someone stronger than Byvaltsev”?

— Absolutely not. Yes, I heard that Vladimir Vasilievich said that. But if I was called up to the national team, the coaching staff knew better.

— In the Russian press, Vladimir Pluschev, Alexander Kozhevnikov, and other well-known hockey experts often make rather peculiar statements. How do you feel about criticism from such specialists?

— I try not to read it. Everyone thinks differently. If you listen to everyone and take bad comments to heart, you could end up hanging yourself.

“If something bothers you, discuss it with the coach. He's not actually going to bite you”

— After a successful season with Amur, you had a difficult period at SKA, and then you were traded to Vityaz. Why didn't your career work out in St. Petersburg?

— I couldn't handle it psychologically. When you move to such a team, to a big city, there's a burning desire — here and now. There was some youthful maximalism. I wanted to play a lot, be in leading roles on the team. But I just needed to endure the difficulties. It's hard to realize that at a young age. You come to SKA from Amur and think — since I played 20 minutes in Khabarovsk, I should play that much here too, otherwise why am I here? But if I had worked, endured, everything would have worked out over time. I should have had an honest conversation with the coaching staff. To understand what I was doing wrong, what role they saw for me on the team. And everything would have fallen into place.

— Were you afraid to talk to the coaches back then?

— Over time, I realized there's nothing scary about having an honest conversation with coaches. If something bothers you, discuss it with the coach. He's not actually going to bite you.

— In those years, SKA was coached by Alexei Kudashov. What was your relationship with him then and now?

— The most ordinary. I have no grudges against him; everything is fine.

— Did Alexei Kudashov influence your desire to stay at Avtomobilist?

— No.

— Did you want to stay at Avtomobilist for the next season yourself?

— Let's say, 50/50.

— Can we say that Anvar Gatiyatulin's factor played a decisive role in you ending up at Ak Bars?

— Yes, definitely.

— Your first season with Avtomobilist coincided with the team's most successful playoff run in the Gagarin Cup in 2024. Tell us about the phenomenon of that Avtomobilist, which beat Ak Bars 4-1 and then SKA, while not being considered favorites in any series.

— Essentially, that's what helped us. No one considered us favorites; no one bet on us back then. We weren't moving very smoothly during the season; we were a bit shaky. But we approached the playoffs in excellent shape; everyone kind of bonded, everyone believed we could go for the Cup. We went from game to game, not thinking about what was next. The series against Ak Bars gave us a lot of confidence. We won one game in Kazan, then a second. That's how we gained confidence, which later showed in the series against SKA.