Deron Quint: I consider myself to be half-American, half-Russian and will live in Chelyabinsk
He also explained why he does not want to quit from hockey even though he is 40 now and admitted that he wants to live in Chelyabinsk permanently.
- Before the last game but one, you said farewell to all of the Traktor fans via your Facebook page. What’s next?
- I don’t know yet. For now I am concentrated on these exhibition games we have in several cities of the Chelyabinsk Oblast. This is a new experience, and I am very thrilled to participate in this project.
- You once admitted that you are expecting your body to give up on hockey quite soon. When do you think this is going to happen?
- Right now I’m feeling pretty good; I have enough strength left. I am sure that my body will not fail me in the next season. It’s hard to say though how many season I am going to be able to play. After so many years of career, I know my body well; however, I respect hockey too much to keep hanging on to. I know that when my body says ‘enough’, I will retire. However, right now is not the time; I am feeling great, my knees and shoulders are alright, and so is my head (laughs)
- When you realize that a big chunk of your career here in Chelyabinsk is coming to an end, what you are thoughts?
- Well, obviously the time that I spent here in Chelyabinsk was the most memorable part of my career. The only thing I could possibly compare it to is my time in NHL that I also fondly remember. Everything here is done for Traktor; team staff, management, fans – everyone does their best for the team. Looking back, the most important thing that I can remember is the fans. I felt their love and support everywhere. No other city in Russia has fans that are so loving and supportive.
- Traktor management was considering offering you a spot in the coaching staff as a defensemen coach. What do you think of that?
- I like the idea of being a coach, but like I said, I still want to play hockey, and I am going to consider contract offers from several European teams that are interested in me being on their roster. However, if this offer came up, I would definitely think about that.
- You had that kind of experience when you personally coached young Artyom Penkovsky.
- Yeah, I love sharing my hockey knowledge with young players, and it’s a good thing that they actually listen to what I have to say. Still, I think I can be more useful on the ice because I feel that I can still go.
- You’ve just said about offers from several European teams. Could you specify which countries these teams are from?
- They are from Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and Finland. I also think that as soon as it becomes possible to discuss trades in the KHL, something interesting is going to come up as well.
- Would you be interested in playing for a Chinese team that is expected to appear in the next KHL season? For instance, Canadian goaltender Matt Dalton went to South Korea a couple of years ago; there, he got his Korean citizenship and is about to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
- (Laughs) Sure, it would be cool to participate in the Olympics. I also know several guys from Canada who got Belorussian citizenship. Before the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino a lot of Canadians and Americans got citizenships of European countries in order to take part in the Olympics. So yeah, it would be fun to be a part of the Olympic Games, but I am afraid these days are long gone for me.
- How is your citizenship saga going along?
- There are a couple of things that are slowing the whole thing down; for example, I don’t have a labor agreement. Therefore, I am waiting for the offseason because this is when things will clear out. I am sure it will all be fine though.
Novak still can’t understand how Traktor got beat by Dynamo in 2013
- Your best years in Traktor took place under the management of Valeri Belousov. What are your memories of him?
- Coach B! A great man and a great coach who always respected the players. Everything he did was professional. He is a key element in our success in 2012 and 2013. I can talk about him for days! Belousov was universally loved; his influence on Traktor and on Chelyabinsk cannot be overestimated. He was a great man!
- Do you remember when you first talked to him? Any detail about him that stood out?
- It’s always obvious when a person is successful. When he first entered the locker room, there was a positive vibe around him. I realized that he was a man of success. He was smiling and full of confidence. It was clear he was glad to be back in Traktor.
This was my first year in Chelyabinsk, and the previous coach was fired after some 20 games. Then, Belousov came along, and it was clear that things would be different with him. His attitude towards the game and the players – everything about him screamed ‘great things are about to come’.
- Your longest tenure has been here in Traktor. When you signed back in 2010, could you imagine that things would go that far?
- (Smiles) My first season in Traktor was not an easy one, and quite frankly, different thoughts crossed my mind during that time. We had an average team with a lot of pluggers, but without players with good technical skills. We missed the playoffs and I didn’t know how long I would stay in Chelyabinsk. However, I signed a two-year deal at the end of the season, and this was when I fell in love with the city, the team and its fans. Hockey-wise, Chelyabinsk is the best city in my entire career. It is like my second family. Wherever you go, you see Traktor flags, car stickers, caps, scarfs etc. People of Chelyabinsk know a lot about hockey; they love their team, and it is my honor and privilege to be a part of it.
- You are loved not only by the fans but by the journalists as well. Did you ever refuse to give an interview to Russian media?
- No, never. I have always thought that people have to know more about the team and the players. Via the interviews, we have an opportunity to express our gratitude to fans for their support. Fans need to know about their athletes on and off the ice. I’ve always known that I have to be open, and I have never shied away from giving an interview. You have to understand that we play for entertainment of the fans; there is no hockey without fans, therefore, we have to appreciate their attention and support. I used to be a hockey fan, and I am still a fan of baseball and football, so I see the game as a fan and try to give the fans as much attention as I can.
- What are your most memorable games in Traktor?
- The last game of the 2011/2012 season against Severstal; we were vying for the Continent Cup and needed a win to secure the cup. We got a win and eventually won the Eastern Conference. The entire 2012/2013 season, including the final series, was also very memorable. We had a great team with plenty of great players.
- Your most important goal in Traktor?
- It was the third game of the season finals against Dynamo; I entered the attacking zone, did a wraparound and scored a backhander into the far corner.
- Now, the question that every player from Traktor circa 2013 has to answer at least once in their careers: what did Traktor lack to win the Cup?
- We were nervous in the first two games, probably because we have never made it this far. If one rewatches the first game of the series, we did not even control the puck often enough. Dynamo, on the other hand, played in their second consecutive Gagarin Cup finals, so they knew what they were doing. So we just handed two games to them. I spoke to Filip Novak, and he still cannot understand how Traktor got beat by Dynamo. We should have taken that Cup.
- In your opinion, who was the best player of that season?
- I cannot name one player. Jan Bulis, the consummate professional with perfect attitude on and off the ice; Michael Garnett who showed top-notch goaltending during two of the most successful seasons; Valeri Nichushkin, only eighteen back then, was stellar. He had to wear the cage, the protective mask, so we called him ‘Caged Beast’. But most of all, Yevgeni Kuznetsov; he is one of the most talented guys I have ever played with. It was a great pleasure to watch him train and play. What he started here in Chelyabinsk, he keeps on doing the same in Washington! It was clear even then that one day he would be a megastar.
I could have appeared in Vityaz instead of Traktor
- Your career could have taken a different route had you signed with Vityaz…
- Yeah, Alexei Zhamnov tried to sign to me several times, but something went wrong every time. We played together in Winnipeg and Chicago, and we know each other very well. You wanna talk about talented players? Here is a talent for you! Zhamnov is a very gifted hockey player.
- Why do you want to live in Chelyabinsk?
- There are several reasons for that. Natasha, my girlfriend, lives here, and I love the city so much, I consider it my home. When I am here, I really feel at home. It’s really hard to explain – I just feel that. The city has changed in the past six years too.
- Is there something about Russia that you still haven’t gotten used to?
- I think I’ve gotten used to almost everything, even to severe Russian winters. However, there is one thing I still can’t get my head around – why are some people crazy enough to swim in the lake at midnight with 30 degrees below zero?
- Martin Grenier, one of the first ever foreigners in Traktor’s history, was amazed with the market that was located outside the Yunost Sports Palace where the black-and-white used to play.
- It is completely normal for Russia (laughs). At first, I thought a giant fish tank in a shop was bizarre, but after some time, I actually liked the idea. This is just a part of another culture that one has to get used to, and that’s exactly what I have been doing.
- Do you think your positive attitude and your openness allowed the young guns from Traktor to understand how to handle themselves with the media?
- It’s actually not that easy to talk to journalists. You have to know what you can and can’t say. Journalist’s job is to squeeze as much information from you as possible, while you have to make sure you say the right things. It’s what people learn through the course of their lives; young people tend to get emotional at times, and it takes time to realize what should be said. They have to learn from others how to communicate with the media.
- Last two games of the regular season had to be memorable for you because you became the oldest player in Traktor’s history and scored in your last game for the black-and-white. Are those facts important to you?
- Of course they are. As far as the goal against Yugra is concerned, I didn’t think about it before the game, but afterwards, I thought that this turned out exactly like it should have – a goal in my last game for Traktor. As far as the age goes…It is a great honor for me to make history and become the oldest player to wear a black-and-white jersey in official hockey games, and I would like to thank everyone involved with the team for giving me this opportunity.
- You turned 40 just two days ago. Do you know that Russians often do not celebrate their 40th birthday?
- I consider myself to be half-American, half-Russian, so here I used my American half and celebrated this date anyway (laughs).
- Before the last game but one, you said farewell to all of the Traktor fans via your Facebook page. What’s next?
- I don’t know yet. For now I am concentrated on these exhibition games we have in several cities of the Chelyabinsk Oblast. This is a new experience, and I am very thrilled to participate in this project.
- You once admitted that you are expecting your body to give up on hockey quite soon. When do you think this is going to happen?
- Right now I’m feeling pretty good; I have enough strength left. I am sure that my body will not fail me in the next season. It’s hard to say though how many season I am going to be able to play. After so many years of career, I know my body well; however, I respect hockey too much to keep hanging on to. I know that when my body says ‘enough’, I will retire. However, right now is not the time; I am feeling great, my knees and shoulders are alright, and so is my head (laughs)
- When you realize that a big chunk of your career here in Chelyabinsk is coming to an end, what you are thoughts?
- Well, obviously the time that I spent here in Chelyabinsk was the most memorable part of my career. The only thing I could possibly compare it to is my time in NHL that I also fondly remember. Everything here is done for Traktor; team staff, management, fans – everyone does their best for the team. Looking back, the most important thing that I can remember is the fans. I felt their love and support everywhere. No other city in Russia has fans that are so loving and supportive.
- Traktor management was considering offering you a spot in the coaching staff as a defensemen coach. What do you think of that?
- I like the idea of being a coach, but like I said, I still want to play hockey, and I am going to consider contract offers from several European teams that are interested in me being on their roster. However, if this offer came up, I would definitely think about that.
- You had that kind of experience when you personally coached young Artyom Penkovsky.
- Yeah, I love sharing my hockey knowledge with young players, and it’s a good thing that they actually listen to what I have to say. Still, I think I can be more useful on the ice because I feel that I can still go.
- You’ve just said about offers from several European teams. Could you specify which countries these teams are from?
- They are from Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and Finland. I also think that as soon as it becomes possible to discuss trades in the KHL, something interesting is going to come up as well.
- Would you be interested in playing for a Chinese team that is expected to appear in the next KHL season? For instance, Canadian goaltender Matt Dalton went to South Korea a couple of years ago; there, he got his Korean citizenship and is about to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
- (Laughs) Sure, it would be cool to participate in the Olympics. I also know several guys from Canada who got Belorussian citizenship. Before the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino a lot of Canadians and Americans got citizenships of European countries in order to take part in the Olympics. So yeah, it would be fun to be a part of the Olympic Games, but I am afraid these days are long gone for me.
- How is your citizenship saga going along?
- There are a couple of things that are slowing the whole thing down; for example, I don’t have a labor agreement. Therefore, I am waiting for the offseason because this is when things will clear out. I am sure it will all be fine though.
Novak still can’t understand how Traktor got beat by Dynamo in 2013
- Your best years in Traktor took place under the management of Valeri Belousov. What are your memories of him?
- Coach B! A great man and a great coach who always respected the players. Everything he did was professional. He is a key element in our success in 2012 and 2013. I can talk about him for days! Belousov was universally loved; his influence on Traktor and on Chelyabinsk cannot be overestimated. He was a great man!
- Do you remember when you first talked to him? Any detail about him that stood out?
- It’s always obvious when a person is successful. When he first entered the locker room, there was a positive vibe around him. I realized that he was a man of success. He was smiling and full of confidence. It was clear he was glad to be back in Traktor.
This was my first year in Chelyabinsk, and the previous coach was fired after some 20 games. Then, Belousov came along, and it was clear that things would be different with him. His attitude towards the game and the players – everything about him screamed ‘great things are about to come’.
- Your longest tenure has been here in Traktor. When you signed back in 2010, could you imagine that things would go that far?
- (Smiles) My first season in Traktor was not an easy one, and quite frankly, different thoughts crossed my mind during that time. We had an average team with a lot of pluggers, but without players with good technical skills. We missed the playoffs and I didn’t know how long I would stay in Chelyabinsk. However, I signed a two-year deal at the end of the season, and this was when I fell in love with the city, the team and its fans. Hockey-wise, Chelyabinsk is the best city in my entire career. It is like my second family. Wherever you go, you see Traktor flags, car stickers, caps, scarfs etc. People of Chelyabinsk know a lot about hockey; they love their team, and it is my honor and privilege to be a part of it.
- You are loved not only by the fans but by the journalists as well. Did you ever refuse to give an interview to Russian media?
- No, never. I have always thought that people have to know more about the team and the players. Via the interviews, we have an opportunity to express our gratitude to fans for their support. Fans need to know about their athletes on and off the ice. I’ve always known that I have to be open, and I have never shied away from giving an interview. You have to understand that we play for entertainment of the fans; there is no hockey without fans, therefore, we have to appreciate their attention and support. I used to be a hockey fan, and I am still a fan of baseball and football, so I see the game as a fan and try to give the fans as much attention as I can.
- What are your most memorable games in Traktor?
- The last game of the 2011/2012 season against Severstal; we were vying for the Continent Cup and needed a win to secure the cup. We got a win and eventually won the Eastern Conference. The entire 2012/2013 season, including the final series, was also very memorable. We had a great team with plenty of great players.
- Your most important goal in Traktor?
- It was the third game of the season finals against Dynamo; I entered the attacking zone, did a wraparound and scored a backhander into the far corner.
- Now, the question that every player from Traktor circa 2013 has to answer at least once in their careers: what did Traktor lack to win the Cup?
- We were nervous in the first two games, probably because we have never made it this far. If one rewatches the first game of the series, we did not even control the puck often enough. Dynamo, on the other hand, played in their second consecutive Gagarin Cup finals, so they knew what they were doing. So we just handed two games to them. I spoke to Filip Novak, and he still cannot understand how Traktor got beat by Dynamo. We should have taken that Cup.
- In your opinion, who was the best player of that season?
- I cannot name one player. Jan Bulis, the consummate professional with perfect attitude on and off the ice; Michael Garnett who showed top-notch goaltending during two of the most successful seasons; Valeri Nichushkin, only eighteen back then, was stellar. He had to wear the cage, the protective mask, so we called him ‘Caged Beast’. But most of all, Yevgeni Kuznetsov; he is one of the most talented guys I have ever played with. It was a great pleasure to watch him train and play. What he started here in Chelyabinsk, he keeps on doing the same in Washington! It was clear even then that one day he would be a megastar.
I could have appeared in Vityaz instead of Traktor
- Your career could have taken a different route had you signed with Vityaz…
- Yeah, Alexei Zhamnov tried to sign to me several times, but something went wrong every time. We played together in Winnipeg and Chicago, and we know each other very well. You wanna talk about talented players? Here is a talent for you! Zhamnov is a very gifted hockey player.
- Why do you want to live in Chelyabinsk?
- There are several reasons for that. Natasha, my girlfriend, lives here, and I love the city so much, I consider it my home. When I am here, I really feel at home. It’s really hard to explain – I just feel that. The city has changed in the past six years too.
- Is there something about Russia that you still haven’t gotten used to?
- I think I’ve gotten used to almost everything, even to severe Russian winters. However, there is one thing I still can’t get my head around – why are some people crazy enough to swim in the lake at midnight with 30 degrees below zero?
- Martin Grenier, one of the first ever foreigners in Traktor’s history, was amazed with the market that was located outside the Yunost Sports Palace where the black-and-white used to play.
- It is completely normal for Russia (laughs). At first, I thought a giant fish tank in a shop was bizarre, but after some time, I actually liked the idea. This is just a part of another culture that one has to get used to, and that’s exactly what I have been doing.
- Do you think your positive attitude and your openness allowed the young guns from Traktor to understand how to handle themselves with the media?
- It’s actually not that easy to talk to journalists. You have to know what you can and can’t say. Journalist’s job is to squeeze as much information from you as possible, while you have to make sure you say the right things. It’s what people learn through the course of their lives; young people tend to get emotional at times, and it takes time to realize what should be said. They have to learn from others how to communicate with the media.
- Last two games of the regular season had to be memorable for you because you became the oldest player in Traktor’s history and scored in your last game for the black-and-white. Are those facts important to you?
- Of course they are. As far as the goal against Yugra is concerned, I didn’t think about it before the game, but afterwards, I thought that this turned out exactly like it should have – a goal in my last game for Traktor. As far as the age goes…It is a great honor for me to make history and become the oldest player to wear a black-and-white jersey in official hockey games, and I would like to thank everyone involved with the team for giving me this opportunity.
- You turned 40 just two days ago. Do you know that Russians often do not celebrate their 40th birthday?
- I consider myself to be half-American, half-Russian, so here I used my American half and celebrated this date anyway (laughs).
