The young forward is a patriot of Dynamo, he scored four goals in the first playoff game.

16-year-old JHC Dynamo Msk forward Igor Chernyshov is spending his second season in the Junior Hockey League. In the 2021/2022 season, he made his JHL debut with the Moscow team, played 18 regular season games and scored 11 (7+4) points. The first playoff game was a historic moment for the forward and the League - Chernyshov became the youngest player to score four goals in one game. He was recognized as the best rookie of the first round of Kharlamov Cup playoffs. In the 2022/2023 season, the forward scored 7 (4+3) points in 12 games.

In the offseason, Chernyshov played for the main team at the Mayor of Moscow Cup and became the youngest participant of the tournament. In an interview with the JHL press service, the player talked about the emotions he had after his debut season, about scoring four goals, moving from Penza, playing two sports at the same time, and the difficulties of balancing school with hockey.

“There were mistakes, ups and downs, but I am happy with my first season”

– What were your thoughts before hitting the ice for your first JHL game?
– I had been waiting for this for a long time, because I was not able to play for the team at the start of the season due to an injury. The JHL was a new level of my career, so I was very passionate about my first game, I was glad to be given a chance to play. I was worried before going out on the ice, but we have a friendly team: everyone supported me and helped me get on the right track. After the first shift, my boiling blood returned to normal.

– It looked like you quickly got adjusted to the JHL. What were your feelings?
– I tried to abstract my mind from irrelevant thoughts. I listened to the coach, paid a close heed to his words and followed his instructions. That was why I looked confident. There were mistakes, ups and downs, but I am happy with my first season in general.

– What did you feel in the playoffs?
– The emotions were more vivid. All teams are highly motivated when the playoffs start, but everyone still feels a little jittery. The same was also true for us. For me, scoring points is not of top priority, it’s nice, of course, no matter what part of the season it is - the regular season or the playoffs. But scoring four goals gave me a different type of feelings. I couldn’t believe it happened. Everyone congratulated, people were happy for me. It was an unforgettable moment, I will remember it all my life.

– What does a player feel when he manages to score several goals in a game?
– It adds motivation and self-confidence. You score one goal, then another. You start thinking: “Give me some more ice time.” Then you score one more. Such moments gin up the striving for making all-out effort on the ice.

– You were recognized as the best rookie of the first round of Kharlamov Cup playoffs. Do such things also help to build more confidence?
– Any recognition gives a boost and motivation, even criticism does. I do not pay much attention to it, but if it is legitimate, why not think about it. Such things make you prove yourself.

– How did you balance school with practices?
– It became harder to study when I started playing in the JHL. We practiced in the mornings, so I wasn’t always able to attend classes. When I had a moment to spare, I put time into preparing for exams. I did well in all the exams and now I am on college and pursue a degree in coaching. The program is delivered via distance education: teachers send me assignments, I do everything at home and send back to them.

– How can you evaluate your performance at the start of the 2022/2023 season?
– I already have JHL experience, so I did not feel too worried. I understand what kind of league it is, what kind of game we play. I tried to improve my skills in all the components during the offseason. You always have to keep refining yourself.

– Why did you change your jersey number?
– I had been wearing number 25 since childhood, but when I joined Dynamo junior team, it was already taken. I was offered other options and I picked number 10. I don’t over-focus on such things, but it’s still nice to wear the number you had when you started playing hockey. 25 is my father's birthday.

– In the offseason, you played for the main team at the Mayor of Moscow Cup and became the youngest hockey player in the history of the tournament. In what way was it different?
– It’s not for me to say whether I was inferior to other players or not. It seems to me that I was an average player, I did not feel that I played worse that the others. I did feel jittery: I was afforded the opportunity to get the taste of the country’s main league by playing for the legendary Russian club. I was extremely pleased to play for Dynamo, even though it was preseason. I am grateful to the management and the coaching staff for their trust and the opportunity to prove myself.

“When I moved to Moscow Dynamo school, I began to realize that there was so much more to hockey than I had thought”

– Your name is Igor, same as your father’s. Were you named after him?
– My parents were struggling to find a name for me. My dad shouldered the responsibility for it, went to the Civil Acts Registration Office and put the name Igor on file for me. My mom took it in good part and here I am, Igor Igorevich.

– What is your parents’ attitude to hockey?
– I have a sporting family: my mom used to do rhythmic gymnastics when he was a child and my dad used to box. My father loves hockey very much, so I was signed up for it. But I also did gymnastics and played some basketball. Here’s an interesting story: our hockey team was under a basketball coach for a month and we were playing two sports at the same time.

– How did it influence your skills?
– Gymnastic training exercises are very useful for the conditioning. And basketball helps to get a better understanding of the game: a team is united by the ball, partners need to be linked well, read the game. Everything is just like it is in hockey, so it was useful.

– You started playing in Penza. What is the level of hockey there?
– Pretty average, but there is quite a number of players who were born in Penza: Anton Slepyshev, Sergei Andronov, Klim Kostin. Now there are a lot of guys from my hometown on the junior team. It is evidence of the good work done by Dizel school.

– What were your first impressions of practices?
– I was taking hockey childishly back then. It was more of an opportunity to hang out with friends and play some sport in addition to it. As I grew older, I began to realize that it was something I could not leave without. I started treating the game with better understanding and care deeply about it.

– At what age did you come to realize it?
– Quite early – I was 11. I moved to Moscow Dynamo school and began to realize that there was so much more to hockey than I had thought. It was a more serious level, ambitious goals. I understood that I had to mean business if I wanted to be successful.

– Did you ever think of quitting hockey?
– No, not even once. There were moments when not everything worked out, but you can’t do without it. Hockey players, like all people, are not robots. We can’t always play excellent. But it was not a reason to give up.

– How did you happen to be with Moscow Dynamo?
– I was offered to join it after a children’s tournament. My parents and I spent a while considering moving, we had doubts: if it wasn’t too early, if it was the right club for me. But at some point, we realized that it was time to move on. It is not easy for a child to leave all his friends and his hometown in the blink of an eye. But it was challenging and I really wanted to play for Dynamo.

– You said that your parents motivate you. In what way?
– My parents are very supportive. I know how much effort they directed to giving me the opportunity to play hockey, to play for Dynamo. How much time they devoted to me instead of doing something else. How much money was spent on my development as a player. I will always remember their contribution and play for them.

“I like reading mystery novels and watching mystery movies”

– What do you usually do on road trips?
– I listen to music, sleep, play board games with my teammates. I like reading mystery novels and watching mystery movies. I recommend watching Knives Out – an engaging murder investigation movie. And as for books, Chingiz Abdullayev has written many great novels on this topic.

– Do you have enough time to see cities on road trips?
– No. They remain unseen. We were lucky with the schedule at the start of the season: we played in St. Petersburg with SKA-1946 and then with Dynamo SPb. We did not go back to Moscow between these games and walked around St. Petersburg on the day off. We don’t get such an opportunity in other cities, we follow the hotel - arena - hotel route. I’ve been to many places, but haven’t had time to see them.

– What kind of rest do you prefer?
– Active, for sure: I like jogging, playing team sports. I also dream of doing some hiking, spending some time alone with my thoughts. I think hiking would be right up my alley, I’ve got to try it. Like many people, I want to see the most famous landmarks in the world. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me.

– Do you have any favorite sports teams?
– As for soccer and hockey, there are no two ways about it – I only cheer for Moscow Dynamo!


Ksenia Goryunova

Profile
Chernyshov Igor Igorevich
Born on November 30, 2005 in Penza
Career:
2013-2017 – Dizel, Penza
From 2018 – Dynamo, Moscow