The third-generation goalie rocks with Moscow Dynamo.

Yegor Yegorov is a Saratov Kristall trainee. He joined Moscow Dynamo in the 2021/22 season. The tall goalie has been solid and consistent right from the start, he helped his team win U18 bronze medals and Russian Championship silver medals. Yegor moved up the tiers in the 2022/23 season, the 17-year-old goalie played 15 games in the JHL to help Dynamo win nine of them, and also appeared in the playoffs.

In an interview with the official JHL website, Yegor Yegorov talked about his first JHL season, his father's goaltending advice, and also compared his teammates with superheroes.

“With my first touch in the JHL, I sent the puck outside the playing area and got a 2-minute penalty”

– Will the upcoming training camp be your first preseason experience with the adult team?
– Yes, it is going to be my first training camp with the KHL team. Last year, I also wanted to participate in their training camp, but I knew that I was not ready yet. Things are different now, I am full of energy and committed to prove myself, I am intent on doing my best. There is a huge amount of work to be done over the next two weeks, I’m already looking forward to get started.

– Can you name your best game and your best save in the JHL?
– As for the save, it’s the one I made in overtime of the home game against Krylya Sovetov. Ivan Ryabov gained possession of the puck in their zone, outplayed our line to be in a one-on-one with me. I managed to help my team, and we got a boost of energy, scored a goal and won 4-3. The most memorable game is my first win in the JHL, it was against Krasnaya Armiya early in the season. We had lost the first game on the road, and I was the starting goalie for the second game, we managed to get a 3-2 win, and I was awarded the victory hat in the locker room as the player of the game for the first time. It was a very long-awaited and important win for me. It gave me an impetus to keep working hard and gave me a sense of purpose.

– In your first JHL game, you gave up four goals and got a penalty. Were you overly concerned about such a debut?
– That game was a story of its own. It was not after the game when I was overly concerned, but before it. I felt really jittery, more than usual, and it had its effect at the very beginning of the game. With my first touch in the JHL, I sent the puck outside the playing area and got a 2-minute penalty. Later we talked about that episode with the guys and had a good laugh. Obviously, it was not the best game of mine, but in hockey, just like in life, everything changes every day: some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue. I tried not to dwell on sad things, it was what it was. I knew I would have a chance to bounce back. Maybe having such a start in the league is also a very good experience. Now I look back at that game with a smile.

– Do you often criticize yourself during the season?
– I try to avoid criticizing myself during the season, because it does no good. I can assess my own circumstances, analyze mistakes and areas for improvement. I talk to the goalie coach and my father, then I let the past game go and prepare for the next ones.

“With a defenseman like Zadorov, a team can even play without a goalie”

– This summer, with their sixth-round pick, Calgary Flames have selected you at the NHL Draft. What were your first emotions?
– It was really surprising. I knew about the Draft, but I wasn’t watching it and didn’t expect to be selected. When I got a message from a Calgary scout with congratulations, I rushed to watch the broadcast and saw my name next to the club logo. The first thing I did was letting my parents know and it made their day, then I started receiving calls from my friends and relatives, everyone wished me good luck. It was a truly special evening that I will remember for the rest of my life.

– Why was it so surprising for you to get picked?
– I kept in touch with NHL clubs, Calgary for the most part. I did not expect to get picked, because at that time the NHL was a childhood dream of mine, almost unreal. During the Draft, where I could potentially be selected, I thought: “No, this can’t happen! The NHL is just a rosy dream.” Getting picked is really inspiring, it gives a boost of energy to work even harder, keep progressing and perform well. In fact, the Draft has given me a straight ticket to the NHL, the league that had seemed to be a distant dream.

– Your clubmate Yegor Rimashevsky was selected by San Jose Sharks with their seventh-round pick, did you discuss the ceremony with him?
– When Yegor got picked, I gave him a call, we congratulated each other, had a small talk and that was just about it. Later, when I saw him at the first practice, we talked about the Draft, compared how things had been and what messages we had received, it’s an exciting experience after all. The coaches congratulated me (I believe, they congratulated Yegor as well), they said that getting picked means that we deserved it. But this is just the first step and we are to keep working hard.

– Were you following the NHL in general and Calgary in particular before getting picked?
– I was following the league, but I wasn’t cheering for any particular team, I was just following the goalies. I like the way Ilya Sorokin, Ville Husso, Anton Forsberg and other netminders play. I was watching highlights to take note of some things that might be useful for me. The only thing I knew about Calgary before getting picked was that the legendary Finnish goalie Miikka Kiprusoff and forward Jarome Iginla had played for them, the latter has taken on the role of special advisor to the general manager, if I am not mistaken. I also watched the episode of Misha Cherkasov’s show with Nikita Zadorov, where he showed the arena, locker rooms, talked about the city and the Calgary Flames.

– Does it make things easier for a goalie when such a big guy as Nikita Zadorov is on the ice?
– (smiles) absolutely! With such a defenseman on the ice, a team can even play without a goalie.

– There is quite a number of Russian goalies in the NHL, young netminders from Russia get drafted year after year. What is our goaltending school’s formula for success?
– It’s hard for me to compare goaltending schools, since I haven’t worked anywhere outside Russia. But since so many Russian goalies wait to hear their names called at the NHL Draft every year, since many Russian netminders’ performance is outstanding from season to season, it means that there is something special about our schools and coaches. It’s a good thing that I was born in Russia.

“My dad and I have different styles, but similar mentality and understanding of the game, because I am my father’s son, it cannot be otherwise”

– As a rule, parents try to dissuade their children from playing goalie. Your father is a netminder himself, but what did your mother think about it?
– My mom was on my dad’s side and helped him persuade me to play goalie. First, like all kids, I wanted to score goals and pick up assists, but I did let myself be tempted. My parents bought me the gear, I hit the ice and fell in love with goaltending, my eyes blazed. Nothing has changed since then. It’s in the genes, an idea made in heaven. It took my parents quite a while to persuade me, I was stubborn and firm. It’s a good thing that I reconsidered my decision.

– Do you and your father have similar styles?
– I can’t say that we have similar styles, manners change with the times after all. Back in those days when my dad played goalie, the technical elements and skills that goalies have now were not there yet. Hockey was different, speeds were not that high, so goalies didn’t have to move that quick in the crease. We have different styles, but similar mentality and understanding of the game, because I am my father’s son, it cannot be otherwise. That’s what gives us so many talking points, his concernment and help cannot be overemphasized.

– You collect Marvel comic books, how did you start this hobby?
– It was about three years ago when I started collecting comic books. It’s quite an interesting story. When I was a kid, I got to like superheroes from cartoons. During dinners at my grandmother’s place, my cousin and I used to watch the 1994 Spider-Man animated series on DVD. It is a great animated series, a must-watch for everyone regardless of age. Much later, during quarantine, I started watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series, I really liked it. By that time, I was a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I had watched all the movies. So, I was looking for something else to watch and stumbled upon this series. Having watched seven seasons, I became so attached to the characters that I really wanted to hear and see some more stories about them. I started to think about how it could be done, and found the answer in comic books. I surfed the Internet, saw five books about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. available at the same store, those were my first comic books. I read them, felt that I liked it and decided to buy some more. My second favorite superhero is Spider-Man, so I got a book about him. I don’t know how many comic books I have in my collection now, but the shelves are crammed with them. I will need to find more space soon.

– Do you read anything besides comic books?
– Yes, my love for reading has several vectors. I really enjoy reading general fiction, especially books about 1920-1930-1940, the so-called Jazz Age, Hemingway’s Paris, the times after the World War I, before and during the World War II. Books by Remarque, Fitzgerald, Hemingway have a special place in my heart. I have read pretty much everything, but there are still a few books I have an eye on. The works of that historical period trigger emotions and teach me a great deal.

Profile
Yegorov Yegor Alekseevich
Born on August 30, 2005 in Moscow
Career
2013-2018 – Kristall, Saratov
2018-2021 – CSKA, Moscow
From 2021 – Dynamo, Moscow