The Kharlamov Cup winner is unfolding his potential with Moscow Dynamo in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Bogdan Trineyev started playing hockey in Voronezh to then move to Dmitrov and join Moscow Dynamo after. Being with the Moscow club allowed the forward to develop his career intensely: Trineyev won the Kharlamov Cup in his third JHL season and had been called up to the main team every so often by then. The 2021/22 season was a busy one for 19-year-old Bogdan. The forward played playoff games in three leagues at once: he appeared in nine KHL games, returned to the JHL for one game and went to North America right after to participate in the first round of the AHL playoffs. In the 2022/23 season, the forward has become a full-time Dynamo player, earned a top-6 spot and scored his long-awaited first KHL goal.

In an interview with the official JHL website, Trineyev talked about the nuances of the KHL, communication in English, Dynamo teammates, and winning the championship in the 2021/22 season.

“Given my level of English, Rodewald did not learn anything new from me”

– Your personal stats have been good early in 2023, what can help you keep scoring points?
– I need to stay focused on the game, work on myself more, the rest will take care of itself and points will be there. Contributing to the success of the team is of top importance and comes before personal results.

– After scoring your first KHL goal you said that it didn’t bring much joy to you because your team lost that game. Do you feel different now as the time has passed?
– To be honest, it didn’t bring much joy indeed. Scoring that goal didn’t make me go crazy, because I had been waiting for it to happen for a very long time. I was hoping to score as quickly as possible, but it is as it is. Of course, I was glad to score my first goal, but not over the moon.

– In addition to one goal scored, you also have five assists. Is assisting on goals in the KHL a tough thing to do too?
– Of course, it is. KHLers are professionals. I can only compare the KHL with the JHL, where I could get the puck and outplay everyone. Playing in the KHL is more challenging and complicated.

– One should be developing game intelligence to be a good passer. How do you do it?
– As of right now almost all teammates help me. They give me some pointers and pieces of advice in case if I do something wrong. And if I do everything right, they come up with several options for how it could have been done differently. My teammates are of great help, I tend to look what they are doing during practices so as to think of some new moves or follow their example.

– Your first goal was a power-play one. Does being on special teams units help a young guy feel like a full-time player of the team?
– If a player gains coach’s trust, he must prove worthy of it. Being on a power-play unit has its responsibilities. I don’t feel like a one-hundred-percent player of the main team, I have to show worth in every game, hit the ice and do my best.

– You scored a tip-in goal. Did it take you a while to get adjusted to speeds a puck reaches in the KHL?
– It surely did. At first, when I tried to tip a puck into the net, nothing was working out, because a puck travels much faster than in the JHL. It took me some time to get adjusted to the KHL, but you still get used to everything as time progresses.

– Once you called Dynamo a “family-like team”, what do you mean by that?
– It is on full display when the going gets tough. Obviously, being a team when everything goes well is easy. For me, being a family-like team means sticking together in hard times, when nothing is going right. Not to rail against one another, but on the contrary, to motivate and cheer one another up.

– In the game against Admiral you took your first face-off, what can you say about this experience?
– I used to play center in the JHL quite often, so it was not a novelty for me. Before the game against Admiral, we had many players who could not be dressed, centers included. So I was asked if I could play center that night, I said: “Of course I can.” The only problem was that KHLers are power-packed players, so I tried to employ deception to win some face-offs (smiles). Taking the very first face-off was difficult, but I managed to win it and after that I stopped even thinking of whether I would succeed or not, I just tried to win every face-off taken. I believe, I did quite a good job, my team won that game and that’s the most important thing.

– At the pre-season tournament in Sochi, you played for the Russian junior team and had three games in three days. How do you manage a busy schedule?
– When it comes to a full season, playing back-to-back games is easier than it is in summer. The tournament followed the training camp and it was the first time for us to play three games in three days. It was a new experience for me. Now I am more or less used to such things and try to be always charged with positivism and joy. Assists and a goal also bring energy and make the season a bit easier.

– Vadim Shipachyov and Vyacheslav Voynov left Dynamo in the offseason, did it somehow affect the team?
– Such is hockey, some players leave the team and others join it, it happens every season. We were not thinking about it and had no regrets. We started building a new team without overthinking this. We started playing games and everyone was doing his best to take the responsibility and to be a leader, it's not rocket science.

– Do you manage to be a leader?
– I didn’t strive to assume the role of leader right away. I have been working to fulfill coaches’ tasks. When everything goes well, I try to take responsibility, to come up with some ideas.

– You have already played against former Dynamo players: Shipachyov, Voynov, Jaskin. Does facing such opponents add excitement?
– It doesn’t play a big role for me personally. We are to be committed to the result in every game and try our best for our team to win. It doesn’t matter to me if I am facing a former Dynamo player or a friend of mine. There are no friends on the ice, as the coaches always tell me.

– In November, in a game against Kunlun Red Star, you had a scrap with Canadian player Jack Rodewald. What subject were you tackling?
– Given my level of English, he did not learn anything new from me (laughs).

– Are you ready for such episodes in the men’s league?
– Hockey is an emotional game, I don’t get to think about who is coming at me and whether he wants to fight or not, everything happens in the blink of an eye. If an opponent drops the gloves, I won’t bail, I’ll have to fight. But I need to be more aggressive on the ice: to win more battles, to drive the net more aggressively, to shoot more. Of course, I’m not going to fight in every game (smiles).

– You missed almost the entire month of December. Is it tough to come back after such a long period of time?
– There is nothing tough about it, I kept working on myself. The first few games were challenging, but then I picked up steam and my conditioning and confidence got back there.

– You have been playing more physically lately. Did you realize that you needed to improve this component?
– I believe I need to play tougher and throw more checks. I don’t aim at killing anyone, but if there is an opportunity to play physically, I will take it.

– You have played several VHL games for Dynamo SPb in the 2022/23 season. Did you experience any difficulties moving from one team to another?
– I see no difficulty about it: you take a night train, have a good sleep and arrive at a destination in the morning. Having a VHL team is always good. If you do not make it to the main team, you still have an opportunity to play and stay in the game shape. It seems good to me and this is how it should be.

– In the 2021/22 season, you played playoff games in three leagues at once: KHL, JHL and AHL. How can you evaluate this experience?
– Playoffs feel like a holiday for every hockey player. You want to go as far as possible. I was happy to play for the junior team, for the main team and in the AHL, no matter how many games I appeared in. For me, playoffs mean an opportunity to win a title.

– The teams you played for were eliminated in the first or second round. Did it add to negative vibes?
– I do my best to be a professional: when the main team got eliminated, I tried to shift focus to the junior team right away instead of getting myself all worked up. I had another opportunity to win a trophy with the junior team and I made every effort for this. I didn’t have my head in the clouds, but focused on new tasks.

– Does victorious feeling differ in the KHL and the JHL?
– A win is a win, no matter what league you play in. This feeling remains the same for me. Winning is always nice.

– You have a negative plus/minus in the KHL, VHL and AHL, do you consider it to be an issue?
– To be honest, I do follow this stat. I try to correct my mistakes and improve my defensive zone play, plus/minus is also important after all.

“When we advanced to the final to play Loko, we realized: “Here is our chance.”

– Over the past two years two JHL teams won their first Cups. Has the league become more competitively balanced?
– This is anyone’s guess. Of course, there are some strong hockey schools, whose teams maintain their positions atop the standings most often. But there is no longer a clear all-time leader in the JHL. Rosters change every year: alumni leave the league, new guys join it and teams are to be built again.

– Did defeating the three-time champion Loko in the final series of the 2020/21 playoffs made the triumph more emotionally colored?
– I can honestly say that during the playoffs we didn’t even talk about the finals. We were focusing on each series and thought: “We are to win, advance to the next round and then we'll see”, we all were in a good state of mind. We won the first round, the second, the third ... when we advanced to the final to play Loko, we realized: “Here is our chance.” We did not think about their experience in winning the Kharlamov Cup. We had an opportunity to win, so we leaped at it and discarded unnecessary thoughts. We had a good team that season, a lot of funny guys, so we always hit the ice with can-do attitude and positive thinking. We were not worried or uneasy, we knew what we were aiming for.

– In the 2021/22 playoffs, you only appeared in Game 3 against SKA-1946. Was it already clear that they were among the favorites to win the Cup?
– I wouldn’t say so. I didn’t have suchlike thoughts, that’s for sure, and same is true for the most of the guys, because the time we get to spend in the JHL is limited and we all want to win the Kharlamov Cup. We had a chance to do it and having been eliminated we didn’t think like: “Nah, we lost, but what if they become champions…” It wouldn’t help matters (smiles). We felt bad, we wanted to win, especially being defending champions.

– In the 2021/22 season, you were assessed a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, the video went viral because of the head coach’s reaction. Have you learned your lesson?
– Well, I did know it was not the right thing to do, I let my team down. My opinion has not changed: it’s unacceptable. But hockey is about passion and emotions, we do not always manage to keep them under control. My fault, so I got an earful from the coach, as everyone has seen (smiles).

“I had never played best-of-three series in playoffs before”

– In the summer you played two playoff games in the AHL. What can you say about this experience?
– I went there to see how people live, practice and prepare for games. I gained some insights, got some understanding of their lifestyle so as to know what to expect in future in case if I go to play there.

– What did you learn about living the North American life?
– I didn’t get to talk to local people or teammates much. Alexander Alexeyev and Alexei Protas were those who were helping me in most cases. They were translating when any of the teammates wanted to ask me something. American mentality is different in a way, some things are being treated totally different, but those are not some global issues.

– What was your reaction to the first round in the AHL playoffs being best-of-three series?
– Last year, when I was with the main team to play playoff games against Severstal and CSKA, best-of-seven series seemed tough after the JHL, psychologically challenging, but then you get used to it. When in America guys told me we would have best-of-three series, I was really surprised. I had never played such playoff series before, it was unexpected.

– Many players face the problem of learning a foreign language during the season, what is the case with you?
– Some tutors refused to teach me when they found out what schedule I had. Their reaction was: “No, we can’t work like that.” I understand that it’s hard to deal with such a schedule, less than all can adjust to it. I can’t study when I am on the road, or when we play games every second day. And when it comes to learning English, you need to stay consistent and practice a lot, you need to study and speak the language as much as possible. It is hard in this regard.

– Do your linemates Jakob Lilja and Jordan Weal help you improve your English language skills?
– My skills are being improved indeed, I listen to what they are saying in order to expand my vocabulary. But when they are all emotional and start speaking too fast, I look at them and do not understand a thing. Other teammates and the coaching staff help me in such situations. Sometimes it gets tough during games, but they try to use simple words during practices to make their point easy-to-understand. When we play games, everything happens in a matter of seconds, so I don’t always get to fully understand them.

“My family didn’t want me to be a goalie: the equipment was more expensive”

– You said that you wanted to be a goalie when you were a kid. Are you glad that you changed your mind?
– I am neither glad nor disappointed that I didn’t become a netminder. It was my family who didn’t want me to be a goalie: the equipment was more expensive and there was no guarantee that I would succeed. I am happy to be able to play hockey, it is what brings me pleasure.

– If things had gone a bit differently, what would goalie Bogdan Trineyev get painted on his helmet?
– To tell the truth, I haven’t thought about it. When I was a kid, I used to wonder why skaters didn’t get their helmets painted. I didn’t understand why goalies were allowed to get it done, while other players were not. I don’t know what exactly I would get painted, but there would be something for sure (laughs).

– You are a Dmitrov trainee, it is a very good hockey school. What can you say about it?
– Dmitrov opened the doors to Moscow for me. We used to travel from Voronezh by bus: we left, rode during a night and played right after the journey. After a full season there, I understood that constant travelling by bus to Moscow is not an option. Not all parents were for it, especially since the level was increasing and we needed to try things out. Many guys went to Dmitrov together with the coach and it helped them make it to Moscow.

– You said that you like playing DOTA and CS:GO when you have some free time. Do your teammates tag along?
– When I was with the Sports School and in the JHL, I used to think: “It’s KHL, there’s no place for video games there. KHLers are mature serious men.” Having joined the league, I was surprised to find out that video games are popular with hockey players, my teammates included. I haven’t played with all the guys, but there are those who invite me to the “party” (smiles).

– It is hard to stay calm when you play such games, is it true for you?
– Things happen. Especially when playing DOTA, there are moments that make you overreact and yell. Sometimes it helps, but sometimes it does a disservice. You might waste all your emotions and end up feeling burned-out, that is to say that you need to know when enough is enough. When I have a day off, I can find an hour or two to play some video games and that’s it.

– And how do you manage your emotional reactions on the ice?
– I am good at keeping my emotions under control. I happen to fail to keep my temper in check on rare occasions. In most cases I tend to store up the emotions so that they could prove useful at the right moment. I try not to direct my emotions outward when it is not required. Sometimes I even remain silent before games in order to save my emotions for the game.

– Is shooting right-handed an advantage in the KHL and in modern hockey in general?
– I haven’t noticed it helping me anywhere. The only time when I saw that it had served me well was with the national team coached by Sergei Vladimirovich Golubovich. There were two right-handed players on the team back then - Yaroslav Askarov and me. So, I realized that it also plays some role (smiles). But if you underperform, no one is going to make any allowances just because you shoot right-handed while the majority doesn’t.

– What are your goals for this season?
– Like any other athlete, I aim high. I will make sure to do my best in order to contribute to the success of my team.