In today’s edition of our continuing series Not A Word About Hockey we’re going to talk to a very special guest - milestone season’s top goaltender and Kharlamov Cup Playoffs MVP, Avto Yekaterinburg goaltender Vladimir Galkin.

Spare time

– I trust our team doctor to decide on my diet. He knows better what athletes should eat. Shashlik is my favorite meal.
- I have a pet rabbit at home. Her name is Sonya. My sister takes care of her.
- I like to spend my vacations abroad. I love travelling. I dream of visiting USA and Japan.
- We stay active with my friends on weekends – we go to the movies, cafes and around the city. Sometimes I play videogames with the boys.
- My favorite movie is Star Wars and Game Of Thrones is my favorite TV series. Actually, I’m really into science fiction. British Emilia Clarke is my favorite actress.
- I’m really into music. I listen to everything depending on my mood. The latest song I have added to my playlist is Pervy by Skryptonit and Basta.

Character traits

– I’m a driven person. I have a great ambition to be successful. On top of that I work hard and keep my eyes on the prize. One of my shortcomings is that I can stay alienated. Sometimes I stay away from people after a loss.
- I’m always down to play. There was never a moment when I didn’t feel like not going to the game.
- A real my must be, first and foremost, goal-driven and a happy person.
- From my parents I inherited work ethic, ability to stay positive and kindness. Regardless of how tough it gets, I always stay kind and caring.
- Whenever I meet a new person, first thing I look at is the way they talk, how comfortable it is to talk to the person and whether or not we share common interests.
- I have a few superstitions but I try to not focus on them.
- I’m a gambler. At least, I think that gambling is a huge part of me.

Style

– Connor McGregor is my icon when it comes to men’s attire. He really knows how a man should look.
- I pay attention to clothing brands. Black clothes are dominant in my wardrobe. In everyday life I prefer athletic wear rather than classics.
- I don’t have a favorite perfume. I buy a lot of different fragrances, regardless of their brand.
- I can grow a beard but I don’t do it on purpose. I try to shave it if, of course, I don’t get lazy.

Relationship

– My ideal girlfriend has to be first of all caring. I’m single at the moment, because I put a lot of time into my hockey career.
- I don’t think that a serious relationship can be an obstacle in sports career. On the contrary, everyone needs the support from their loved ones.

Career and studies

– If I weren’t signed up for hockey, I would have been in the military. I would have given my life to my homeland and done my best to be successful in that field.
- I study at Ural State University of Physical Culture. I don’t have the time to go to classes because games and practices eat up a lot of my time. So I want to thank my professors for their understanding.
- It’s very important to get a higher education these days. It’s very difficult to find a decent job without it.

Not a lot of people know how I decided to be a goaltender. When I was a kid I watched this cartoon called “We want goals!” and there was a goaltender who played for a team named Meteor. After watching it, I didn’t what to play any other position.