Maxim Arefyev: "The level of competition at Ak Bars is the highest in my hockey career."

      Arefyev on competing with Bilyalov and Ak Bars’ chances for the Gagarin Cup

      Arefyev on Bilyalov: “He teaches me a lot, and I don’t let him relax”

      – Maksim, you’ve been playing at a very good, respectable level in the KHL for Ak Bars, even though you don’t have that much game time. How would you assess your performances?

      – Thanks for the high praise and to the Ak Bars coaches for the trust they’ve placed in me. The team welcomed me well, and my teammates helped me settle in. I hear only words of support from all the guys, and in turn I try to go into every game charged to the max, with high concentration and focus.

      – How would you evaluate the level of competition right now? Could you replace Timur Bilyalov?

      – The level of competition at the moment is probably the highest in my entire hockey life. It’s not VHL goalies — it’s Timur Bilyalov, who has played in the KHL for about 10 years, if not more. He teaches me a lot, and I, in turn, don’t let him relax. So I think we make a good tandem and we can achieve a lot together.

      – You debuted in the KHL in the 2023/24 season. Can you recall your first impressions?

      – It was an unforgettable experience. I came on as a substitute in a match against Severstal. For the first seconds I didn’t really understand where I was and what was happening, but then I remembered that I can play hockey too (laughs). Although the team lost that game (7:5 in favor of Severstal), I was satisfied with my debut.

      – How many goals did you concede that day?

      – I came in at 6:4; the seventh goal was scored into an empty net. It’s good we didn’t concede because of me — that added confidence.

      – Did you think then that a year later you’d effectively become the backup goalie?

      – I didn’t have a clear idea that I would be the second goalie. I just wanted a chance, literally one or two games, to show what I’m capable of, so the coaches could see what I can give the team.

      – Do you remember your first goal conceded for Ak Bars? What were your first emotions?

      – Yes, the first goal sticks in your memory for a long time. I don’t remember exactly what I felt emotionally, but I remember the sequence in detail. The opposing forward was alone on the crease. He received a pass and beat me one-on-one. It was a game against CSKA, and we won that one 2:1.

      – Have you noticed progress since your KHL debut?

      – Definitely, I see changes in the structure of my game, in technique and decision-making. We review all my mistakes on video after games with the goalie coaches, and that helps a lot going forward.

      – If there hadn’t been a real chance to play for Ak Bars in the KHL this year, would you have gone out on loan?

      – Before the season there was no clarity about my future, but I had a huge desire to play for Ak Bars, and they gave me a chance — you have to use it. Thanks to the coaching staff and the club for the trust.

      “I’m glad I got the chance to show myself”

      – Do you think there is a strong goalie school at Ak Bars?

      – I completely agree with that, because Kazan has a lot of homegrown players who perform at a decent level. So Ak Bars has one of the strongest goalie schools in Russia.

      – Over the last two to three years several goalies from the Ak Bars system have gone overseas: Amir Miftakhov, Artur Akhtyamov, Vyacheslav Peksa. Why do you think that is?

      – I don’t know exactly why, maybe it’s their dream. I’m in periodic contact with Slava Peksa and we even went to training together this summer in Almetyevsk to see our mentor Kirill Korenkov. Slava is following his dream — good for him.

      – Seeing the success of Artur Akhtyamov, who recently debuted in the NHL, have you felt a desire to go to North America and try yourself there?

      – I follow all three of those guys. I can’t say that I’ve developed a desire to try myself in the North American league. I’m currently focused on my career at Ak Bars and on helping the team here. I want to take as much as I can from the games I’m given and give the team the same in return.

      – If Amir Miftakhov hadn’t gone overseas, do you think you would have had a real chance to showcase yourself this year?

      – I think that if Amir hadn’t gone to North America, I might only have had a real chance to show myself in the event of an injury to one of the goalies.

      – So in a way you’re glad he left?

      – I’m glad that I got the chance to show myself.

      “Technical flaws are present in the VHL; in the KHL they’re minimized”

      – At the moment you get more game practice in the VHL for Bars than in the KHL. Is it hard to readjust since the league levels are different?

      – There’s a huge difference between the KHL and the VHL in decision-making speed and game tempo. If in the VHL some players don’t always finish their chances, in other words there’s a certain amount of technical sloppiness, in the KHL that’s minimized. The KHL has the best players in the country — much more technical and hugely motivated to win.

      – So when fans accuse the team of lacking effort, that’s wrong?

      – I think so, because this is elite sport. We all want to win and we put in every effort to do so. Maybe sometimes, due to some circumstances, from the outside it seems players aren’t motivated enough, but that’s not the case.

      – Do the goalie coaches at Bars have different demands than those who work at Ak Bars?

      – I wouldn’t say they’re dramatically different. The main requirement is to stop the puck going into your net by any means. But again, this ties back to the previous question about tempo and speed. In the KHL you have to act much faster than in the VHL. If in the VHL you have enough time to think, in the KHL that time is minimized and so coaches demand that you do everything much faster.

      – You’ve played seven games in the KHL in total. You have pretty good stats. It’s clear they also depend on the number of games played. Do you think if you’d played more games your stats would be worse?

      – To be honest, I don’t follow my statistics, I just try to go into every match and give everything for the win.

      – A skater might not fit a coach’s system. Does that happen with goalies?

      – Yes, of course, just like with skaters, goalies are taken for specific tasks. If a player doesn’t fulfill those tasks, then he’s not right for the team — the same applies to goalies. That’s hockey.

      “Parents did a lot so that I could play hockey”

      – In your opinion, what basic qualities should a top-class goalie combine?

      – I wouldn’t say there are specific basic qualities. Many top goalies have totally different physiques and technical attributes. Yet each of them does his job well and stops the puck. All goalies achieve success thanks to completely different personal qualities.

      – Can you name your top 3 KHL goalies?

      – To be honest, I don’t follow other goalies and I don’t particularly like watching other people’s games, only when it’s video review right before a game. But again, the goalie I model myself on right now is Timur Bilyalov. I often watch from the bench how he reads the play and what actions he takes in different situations. Watching and learning from him is worth a lot.

      – I often hear from skaters that goalies are “on their own wavelength.” Do you agree and how does that manifest?

      – Indeed, you often hear that goalies are special people and that a normal person wouldn’t stand in the net to catch pucks flying at roughly 150 km/h. Maybe that’s partly true, but we live with it somehow (laughs).

      – So choosing to be a goalie was a conscious choice?

      – I actually have an interesting story about that. I started playing hockey in Orsk, for Yuzhny Ural. At age 5–6, when our team began assigning positions, one of the boys was put in goal. He got a new uniform, different from the skaters’. He went out to the first practice in it and I thought: he looks cool, I want to be a goalie too. After practice I told my parents. They bought me the gear, and I’ve been playing in goal ever since.

      – Goalie gear is considered the most expensive. So your parents could afford it?

      – Goalie equipment really is very expensive, and my parents did a lot so that I could play hockey. They even postponed buying their first car several times because of my passion. I’m indebted to them for where I am now.

      – You’re very tall — 195 cm. Which of your parents is that tall? How do your size help you in the game?

      – The funny thing is that neither parent can boast height. My mom is 165, my dad about 175–176. They say my grandfather was tall. I definitely consider my height a big plus. With impressive size I cover a large area of the net, and accordingly the pucks that get past me are smaller, they clip me less.

      – Some goalies in interviews have said they chose the net because they thought it would mean less work.

      – I didn’t think that at the time. And generally I don’t quite agree. During matches the goalie stands in the net for all 60 minutes with full concentration, while skaters have time to rest. So I think the goalie actually has to work at least as much as forwards and defensemen.

      “I think our team has pretty high chances in the upcoming Gagarin Cup play-off”

      – You’re from Orsk and later moved to Kazan. Tell us more: at what age did you move and why?

      – My parents got a call from the coach of Ak Bars’ 2003-born team, Lenar Vildanov. At that time his team was considered the champions in their age group. They invited me to come for a tryout. I was 14 then. The first time I came to practice with the new team was in Orenburg, since it was not far from Orsk where I’m from, and the Kazan team had a game there. After that I was invited to preseason camp, and that’s how I ended up in Kazan at the Ak Bars school. For a year I was loaned out for playing time to one of Kazan’s sports schools — Strela. I played there a season in the YHL.

      – Your MHL debut didn’t happen for Kazan’s Irbis but for the Sakhalin Sharks. How did that happen?

      – Indeed, my junior-level debut happened not for Irbis and not even for Sputnik (the MHL team from Almetyevsk). I was sent on loan to gain experience in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — it’s practically the edge of Russia on the border with Japan. Marat Valiullin (general manager of HC Ak Bars) helped arrange that. It was a very interesting time. Although I spent that year in a not very strong team, I managed to show myself quite well, after which I got my opportunity to play for Irbis.

      – In your view, what are Ak Bars’ chances this season?

      – I think our team has pretty high chances in the upcoming Gagarin Cup play-off. We’re charged and extremely focused, all the guys fight for each other, you can feel the team unity. I think we are capable of achieving high results this season.

      – Do you think they will give you a chance to play in the upcoming playoff?

      – I’m not thinking about that now and am focused only on playing my next match to the fullest, giving everything for the win and being useful to the team.

      – How did you celebrate New Year?

      – Unfortunately my mom and dad couldn’t come to Kazan this year. So I celebrated New Year with my girlfriend and her parents. We gathered at home, set the table — all in good Russian traditions. But we didn’t rest for long — on January 3 we started preparing for the game with Avtomobilist.

      – Any wishes for the fans for the New Year?

      – I want to wish health — this is especially important in the winter when viruses are going around. And, of course, happiness and good luck. Come to our home games over the holiday break, we’ll try to please you with wins in the New Year.

      Photo: ak-bars.ru