Nikita Tryamkin – “I either play in the NHL or I’m going home”

The big Russian is finally here. 21-year-old Nikita Tryamkin joined the Vancouver Canucks 2 years after he was drafted 66th overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Tryamkin speaks some English, but as a native of Yekaterinburg is more detailed in Russian. On the night before heading to Vancouver, he gave a lengthy interview to Ivan Vedenin of E1.Ru.

“Yes, I knew [the Canucks] followed me throughout the season,” says Tryamkin. “It’s just they were very vague about it, there was not a certainty of any kind. They called me to play for their farm club early in the season, but I didn’t think I needed that. Now our season here is over, and I don’t want to waste my time sitting six weeks with no hockey. I believe this is a step I needed to make. I needed to make the trip and try myself over here.”

In the KHL, Tryamkin played for Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, who were recently eliminated in the 1st round of Gagarin Cup Playoffs by Metallurg Magnitogorsk, a team led by mighty Sergei Mozyakin and former NHLer Alexander Semin.

Avtomobilist enjoyed a good start of the regular season but went through a rough patch after that, almost missing the post-season altogether but won 10 of their last 12 games and finished 7th in the Eastern Conference. The Canucks offer Tryamkin a perfect set-up for the same scenario.

“They’re not in a playoff spot at the moment, but there are a lot of games left to play,” he says. “Maybe Vancouver will pull off a miracle just like Avtomobilist did this season, win ten games out of 12 and make the playoffs.”

The essential component of Tryamkin’s arrival is the fact that he has an out-clause to go back to KHL, should the Canucks send him down to the minors.

“Obviously, NHL is every player’s dream. But it since I spent all my life with Avtomobilist, it was a difficult decision for me.”

With Tryamkin being rather explicit on the subject of earning his stripes down in the AHL, a regular fan can’t help but wonder how does the Russian feel about the Canucks organization on the whole? Would he say that Vancouver is his favorite NHL team?

“Well…” he hesitates. “It’s a team that owns my rights. And perhaps this is a team that will give me future in the NHL. Yeah, I guess, you could say it’s my favorite NHL team. I do play for the Canucks on my game console. And my results are pretty good.”

Tryamkin took advice from Sergei Gusev and Alexei Mikhnov, who both have some NHL experience of their own, before he decided to cross the pond.

“Older guys told me to go and try myself out there, and show them what I’m capable of. I can always come back,” he says. “I talked to Sergei Gusev, Alexei Mikhnov, Dmitry Megalinsky, Alexei Simakov and even my neighbor Vitaly Popov said I should go. I listened to their advice. Why would I want to sit and do nothing for six weeks when I have a shot to try to make it to the NHL, see for myself what it’s all about and get to know where I’ll go the season after, as opposed to rushing there with no information at all?

“At the moment, there are about five guys on the team that I met at the rookie camp two years ago. I know them well. Obviously, we don’t talk as friends-friends, but they messaged me a couple of times after the end of the season, asking me if I would come over. I also know Mikhail Grigorenko from Colorado well. I’ll meet him when we face them.”

Avtomobilist head coach Andrei Razin believes Tryamkin has what it takes to play in the NHL. Notably, Razin was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers 177th overall in 2001 but never left Russia.

“I wish Tryamkin good luck,” Razin told Russian News Agency TASS. “He has what it takes to play in the NHL. Whether or not he’s going to play there is entirely up to him. He made a lot of progress this season but a lot of things need to happen for him to be successful there – he needs to get his chance, take advantage of it and get a regular spot on the team. Besides, being able to speak English will also come in play. He spoke well in English with our import players.”

Media and fans already drew parallels between Tryamkin and Zdeno Chara because of their comparable size. But does Tryamkin understand what needs to be done to play in the same league with the great Slovak?

“You have to simplify your game,” he believes. “Canadians don’t make any unnecessary moves. Usually, they just pass it to whoever is nearest to them and take shots. Simple as that.”

And if that won’t work, Tryamkin won’t stay in Vancouver for long.

“I’m grateful to my hometown team that they let me go. If I can’t make it over there, I will go back to Yekaterinburg and no other place,” he assures. “Hopefully, they will take me back.”