Yevgeny Kuznetsov: I was expecting caps on the ice, but no one was tossing them

What’s your biggest impression from the All-Star Weekend?

The whole weekend (smiles). It was a great pleasure to be a part of this spectacular event. I’ve missed Traktor’s training session though. I hope my teammates don’t hold grudge on me.

Two years ago Mozyakin scored five times in 2011 All-Star Game in Saint-Petersburg. You’ve stopped at four. Didn’t you want to break this record?
I didn’t pay attention to these figures just because I don’t need it. I was not upset either when KHL had decided not to choose the MVP of the All-Star Game. The most important thing was to make the fans happy. Hopefully, that’s exactly what we did, and the crowd in attendance will not regret being in the stands during the whole weekend.

Having scored your third goal, you made a clear gesture to the fans…
I was waiting for the caps to be thrown on the ice, but to no avail. All I got was a safety helmet.

Why a safety helmet?
I don’t know. Maybe our fans know better.

Will you manage to pull off penalty shots like the ones you did on Saturday in an actual match?
I haven’t tried it yet. But one thing I do know – Datsyuk created real magic.

Were you surprised when the referees organized a superfinal between yourself and Datsyuk?
Actually I was. In fact, I was ready to give the victory to Datsyuk. Pavel and I have become friends last year at 2012 World Championships. He’s a great guy with great sense of humor.

Americans often don’t understand Datsyuk’s jokes though.
USA has another mentality and sense of humor, that’s all.

Will you reveal the secret of your three-puck shot?
Na-ah, I won’t. I’ve been thoroughly preparing for this contest and have found lots of stuff online. It’s great that I managed to pull this one off successfully.

The only thing you probably haven’t done during the weekend was dancing.
In fact, I would dance with great pleasure, whatever the music!