Former Russian NHL enforcer and long-time KHL coach Andrei Nazarov had some strong words about the incident in the St. Louis/Tampa Bay game where
Brayden Schenn landed a big hit on
Nikita Kucherov, knocking him out of the game.
"In my day, when the NHL had [enforcers], bodyguards who patrolled the ice, this
Brayden Schenn would have been severely punished.," said Nazarov. "I think he would have ended up in the hospital and there would be a line brawl."
"You have to think with your head what you are doing on the ice, who you are hitting, who you injuring.
Nikita Kucherov is a world-famous star who brings in a lot of money not just for Tampa, but for the NHL as a whole. The fans come to see the stars [like Kucherov]."
Nazarov's NHL career lasted from 1993 to 2006, spanning seven NHL teams. In 571 career matches, he had 1409 penalty minutes, including three seasons with 200+ PIMs. After his retirement, he returned to Russia and started coaching. His last job with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk ended in December of 2018. He has coached more than half a dozen KHL teams and two national teams (Ukraine and Kazakhstan) in a span of 11 years. Known for his abrasive personality, Nazarov has been a harsh critic of any anti-Russian sentiment coming from former US and Canadian players who spoke negatively of their experiences in the KHL. He has gone as far as calling on the KHL to establish a special PR division to fight what he deemed to be hostile propaganda.
He spoke out against
Evgeni Malkin when it was revealed that Malkin was a U.S. citizen, saying "I'd never trade the Patriarch Ponds of Moscow and my home in Chelyabinsk for a ranch in America." He recently joked that he was sending "spies" to go after
Paul Bissonnette and
Ryan Whitney of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast for their frequent willingness to poke fun at Russia.
You can view Schenn's hit on Kucherov below.
Source: <"A HREF="https://www.championat.com/hockey/news-3904229-nazarov---o-travme-kucherova-v-mojo-vremja-shenn-otpravilsja-by-v-bolnicu.html">Championat.com