All-Star Game 2013. Official press-conference
The participants were KHL
president Aleksandr Medvedev, Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Mikhail Yurevich
and captains of both teams – Aleksey Morozov (Team East) and Ilya Kovalchuk
(Team West).
– Chelyabinsk is a true hockey town, – said Mikhail Yurevich. It’s so
great that our city became the capital of Russian hockey, even if it’s two days
only. This event is important for the development and promotion of sports in
our region. On our part, we’ve tried to do everything in our power to host this
hockey spectacle without a hitch.
– All-Star Game is a show, – Aleksandr Medvedev continued. This show is now
in full swing. I have to admit – even though it’s a great spectacle, we’ve lost
43 of 44 NHL players that will be back to their respective NHL clubs to fulfill
their contractual obligations. On a positive note, two of these 43 players have
agreed to participate in this match; and maybe for the first time ever Team
West could be victorious because having Datsyuk and Kovalchuk on your line-up
is certainly an advantage.
– We are happy to be here in Chelyabinsk, – said Ilya Kovalchuk. All-Star
Weekend is a big event for each and every hockey player. We’re enjoying every
second of it, but most importantly fans love it! Here’s to hoping that we have
a great match tonight, and we will try to show the fans something they do not
often see in ordinary matches.