Alexandre Bolduc: Traktor is well respected in KHL

On paper, Bolduc’s trade is arguably the most successful one of this offseason. In North America, Bolduc has earned the reputation of an extremely tough player who is aggressive on both sides of the ice, loves contact and is not afraid to throw himself in puck’s way. Alexandre played 10 seasons in AHL and was in and out of the NHL. Bolduc spent this past season as Portland Pirates’ captain and posted the following stats: 62 GP, 23 G, 29 A. The coaching staff sees Bolduc as top line’s center. Alexandre himself is not afraid of the burden he might have to carry. He says he is used to being under pressure and that he welcomes the challenge.

Why have you decided to move to Europe? You are 30 years old now…
Playing in the KHL is a great challenge; there are plenty of great players here as well. Traktor’s offer was actually not the first one from the league. I had two options last year, but my mother was suddenly diagnosed with brain aneurysm, so I had to be with her. Now she is fine, so I decided to go to Russia.

Before coming here, did you talk to your fellow Canadians from Traktor?
Yes, I talked to Francis Pare and guys from other KHL teams. They only had positive things to say about the city, the team and its fans. I trust their opinion, so now I am here.

Has the recent tensions between Russia and the rest of the world influenced your decision?
I have heard the opinion that portrayed Russia as an aggressor, but I don’t care. I am an athlete, and the most important thing for me is that the team is well respected in the league, and the city itself is safe and comfortable for living.

Team management and coaching staff see you as top line’s center. Are you used to such huge expectations?
I would have been disappointed had it been any different. Pressure is what the doctor has ordered. I have been a pretty good leader for the past five years. Of course, no one is perfect; sometimes the puck just does not go in, but if you do everything right: you hit, you block, you bust your butt out there, the goals will come. I am 30 years old, and I know how to deal with these downswings.

Will you be living alone in Chelyabinsk?
No, my girlfriend is coming in soon. She worked in a Canadian software company, but left the job. Her name is Sky, by the way – just like one of Breaking Bad’s characters.

So you like TV shows?
I watch them in my free time. My favorite ones are Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad.

I NEEDED ONE MONTH TO GET OVER THE LOSS IN THE STANLEY CUP FINALS

Your career highlights include 10 seasons in AHL as well as tenures in Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes and Arizona Coyotes. What do you think was the reason that did not allow you to become a staple in the NHL?
There are several reasons, actually. I had a chance in Canucks, but all of a sudden I had to undergo two straight shoulder injuries. When I was in Coyotes, I also had decent ice time, but lacked something in the finishing stages of attacks. NHL is a lot like seesaw – you knock it out of the park in one game, you get enough ice time in the next one; if you flop, you head to an affiliate.

Was the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals as part of Vancouver Canucks your greatest hockey memory?
Yes, the conference finals against the Sharks and the Cup finals against Boston are hard to forget. Coaching staff trusted in me, and we were one win away from hoisting the Cup…and what a terrible end. I needed a month to get over this loss.

Was your first ever NHL goal the most important one in your career?
It was one of the most important, no doubt about it. Another one was when I scored the game-winning goal in a second overtime of a junior world championship semifinal against USA. It was held in Yaroslavl, by the way. Back then, I remembered a new arena and local fans who were a rowdy bunch. When Ovechkin touched the puck, fans in the arena went mad.

AHL IS A TOUGH SCHOOL OF LIFE

Portland’s head coach Ray Edwards said you were a mentor for younger teammates. How did you cure them from star sickness, so to speak?
A leader is the one who gives it his all on the ice and expects his teammates to do just that. If a 29-year old hits and blocks shots, why should his 21-year old teammate phone in? Of course, there are ways to explain to a guy what he does wrong, but I’d rather we did not talk about it.

Young Russian players often get star-struck and  buy a Porsche or a house, but in the same time stop evolving professionally. Does the same thing happen over the pond?
Those things happen sometimes. A guy has a terrific season in the junior league, gets noticed by an NHL team and moved to AHL. He thinks it is a walk in the park, and that is so wrong. Many talented hockey players thought the same; AHL is a tough school of life, and not all players sift through it. The first contract is just a stepping stone; to become a fixture means working even more. Still, there are those who lose their head and fail to attain anything.

Back in the NHL, you had to mix it up sometimes, and especially memorable was your scrap with John Scott.
Fights are a part of the show in the NHL. Of course, I had to get into plenty of fights, especially when I was younger. Now I have grown up and learned how to control myself, but sometimes emotions get the best of me and I drop the gloves. I remember John Scott – he was a big fella (smiles). I injured the shoulder in this fight. By the way, when I was a kid, I have been training in both hockey and boxing.

I VISIT SICK KIDS IN CANADA

Is it true that your father was a drag racer, and his 1969 Plymouth Road Runner now belongs to you?
Yes, but I could not drive it when I was a kid. Before the race, my father drove it to a racing track and back to the garage after the race. When he died from cancer, the car became mine. It just stood there in the garage for a couple of years until I replaced the engine. Now, Corey Crawford and I sometimes race each other; Corey drives a 1969 Chevy Camaro. Corey and I have been friends since we were five years old; we both live in the suburbs of Montreal.

So who outraces who?
Drag racing is about driving quarter of a mile on a track; you get through that distance in 12 or 13 seconds. And yeah, Corey’s Camaro is a little bit quicker because he spent lots of money on it while I try to upgrade my Plymouth myself.

Is it true that you have a joint business with Corey Crawford?
Yes. Two years ago we opened a training facility for young hockey players. It includes a gym and a hockey rink. There are not enough training facilities in Canada, so we decided to make a couple of dollars on it. 

How did Crawford’s Stanley Cup party go?
We just spent a couple of hours at his place. He will officially receive a replica of the Cup on July 12, and this is when the party will be held. By the way, last time the Hawks won the Cup, Corey brought the Stanley Cup to our little town near Montreal. He put it on display in an old arena, and thousands of people had a chance to take a photo with it. It was great!

Former Traktor defenseman Ian White visited war veterans as part of a charity program. Do you have a personal mission of your own?
I regularly visit sick kids in hospitals in Canada, bring them gifts. They lack attention, and a simple talk can lighten their mood. It also makes me feel better and brings more sense into my life.

kp.ru thanks Traktor’s interpreter Rustam Mingazov for his help with the interview.