Alexander Zharovsky’s coach “doesn’t want him to think about Montreal”

Félix Forget
Alexander Zharovsky’s coach “doesn’t want him to think about Montreal”
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

Alexander Zharovsky is one of the Canadiens' most promising prospects. The young Russian winger, who had a strong rookie season in the KHL last year, could be part of the solution in Montreal in the years to come.

Especially since he's a childhood friend of Ivan Demidov—that's a great source of motivation.

That said, Zharovsky still has a little while to go before he arrives. He's still under contract in Russia this season, and it's unclear whether he'll make the move to North America afterward. That's what we expect, but it's not a done deal.

So Zharovsky will be playing for Salavat Yulaev this season… and it's worth noting that his coach, Viktor Kozlov, said in a recent interview with the Russian outlet Match.TV that he doesn't want the kid thinking about Montreal.

He wants him to focus on his upcoming season with Salavat Yulaev.

The coach seems to be trying to calm things down around his protégé, knowing full well just how eagerly Zharovsky is anticipated in Montreal—a “crazy” city where everyone is passionate about hockey. He clearly wants to ensure that the kid, who spent some time in the city this summer (and enjoyed the experience), is ready for what lies ahead.

Kozlov also mentions in the interview that, in his view, Zharovsky is currently receiving too much media attention. He feels it's happening too quickly for a young player his age, and while he acknowledges that the youngster is showing great promise, he also gives a lot of credit to the people around him.

You can really sense that he wants to deflect the attention so it doesn't start getting to Zharovsky's head. This is a recurring theme in his comments.

We'll see if Zharovsky—who could theoretically end up in Montreal at the end of the season—will be able to have another big year in the KHL. Because his coach, in fact, isn't wrong: he needs to make sure he's the best version of himself for Salavat Yulaev for as long as he plays for the club.


In Brief

– News from FC Supra, courtesy of our colleague Maxime Truman.

– Hey, guys!

– Note:

– Well done.

– Who will win?

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