In an interview for the Czech web site Sport, Avangard Omsk general manager Anatoli Bardin discussed his success in luring Jagr from New York, his relationship with Rangers general manager Glen Sather, and his happiness at being able to keep Ranger prospect Alexei Cherepanov in Omsk for “at least” another season. Russian daily Sport Express picked up the interview and translated it to Russian in this article. (Keep in mind when reading the quotes below that Bardin’s words were translated first from Russian to Czech, then back to Russian, and then into English…)

Asked if he perceived Jagr’s signing as a victory over the Rangers and the NHL, Bardin responded diplomatically. “To some it may seem that way, but here it’s a different matter. They need to understand abroad that talented and serious managers work in Russia, who they need to take into account.” But when pressed further he conceeded “Well, if you put it one way, for me it is a victory over the NHL, not over the Rangers.” He then added, seeming to contradict his denial of a scoring a win over the Rangers, “What makes me happy still is that the young Cherepanov remains with us; the New York club wanted to get a hold of him, but the forward decided to stay at home for at least a year. For us this is also a success.”

Asked how frequently he had been in touch with Jagr, Bardin revealed that “from the moment of our meeting abroad [in New York in April], we have called each other every week.” Bardin was then asked if he would consider himself and Jagr friends, and he readily agreed. “We are good friends. We can meet and chat without ceremony.” He went on to explain “I communicate this way not only with Jaromir, but also with all the hockey players on the team. It helps me with my work.” When it was suggested that he was most likely not on such friendly terms with Rangers GM Glen Sather, Bardin grinned and replied “Because I took away Jagr? I don’t think so. We actually have a good relationship with Glen, we communicate extremely well, and after the departure of Jaromir, nothing has changed. There is no discord whatsoever. ” He continued, echoing what many Rangers fans have suspected all along: “They apparently didn’t want to keep him that badly. They had their chance to do it. We offered the best terms and therefore Jagr has moved on to Omsk.”

At the risk of turning this into a Jaromir Jagr blog (it’s summer, what else is there to talk about?) here’s another interview with the big Czech, this one from Russian sports daily Sport Express (see below).

In other news, Soviet Sport reports that Jagr, along with his Avangard teammates and Ranger prospect Alexei Cherepanov, will take part in the 19th annual Siberian International Marathon on August 2nd. The players will run an amateur distance of 4 kilometers in support of the Omsk athletes who are headed to Beijing for the Olympic Games.

And finally, here’s another video feature on Jagr’s arrival in Omsk. The video documents his arrival in Omsk and shows him in and around Omsk Arena, including a staged attempt to buy tickets to an Avangard game from the arena box office, only to discover he had no money. The clip includes a number of interview spots with Jagr in which he speaks in English with the Russian translation overdubbed, but if you listen closely you can pick up most of what he says in English.

And now, without further ado, the interview.

Jaromir Jagr: “I Have Left the NHL Forever”
Andrei Kuznetzov
from Omsk

Yesterday before Avangard’s evening practice the celebrated Jaromir Jagr, who arrived in Omsk early in the morning, gave an interview to a small group of journalists. Among them was this correspondent for Sport-Express.

Your correspondent tried to begin the conversation with Jagr in English, but the Czech at once stated that out of principle he will communicated only in Russian. “You ask your questions in the native language, and if the answers are too difficult for me, my agent will translate from Czech. There is no reason for me to be lazy - this is is part of my job”, with a laugh remarked Jardo.

- Have you ever been received as warmly as you were today in Omsk? Perhaps in Prague, after the gold medal in Nagano in 98…

- I was very warmly seen off from New York (laughing). They waved actively, like this: go away, they said, go away from here.

- Does a sense of resentment towards North America remain?

- Not really, no. I had some offers from overseas clubs. So I was still wanted.

- The NHL will very easily give up on veterans. Are you affended by such an attitude towards aging stars?

- Me personally - no. In the end, nobody drove me from North America. Here’s another thing. Each hockey player perfectly aware of how much he is worth and what salary he deserves. And so, when you agree to take half of that salary, you become extraordinarily popular in the NHL.

- Do you feel that you’re a veteran?

- I’m a veteran?! I feel like I’m 18, no, 16 years old! (laughing)

- You remain only a short way from the top of the list of best forwards of all time in the NHL.

- Another couple of season and I could probably have overtaken the second or third place. But now its to late to think about that. Now let Ovechkin try to do that. The main thing to acheive such an objective is to avoid injuries, so I wish for him for first of all health.

- Incidentally, about health. Andrei Nazarov, who protected you during the lockout season, has now left to be a coach. Is it necessary now for Avangard to have a tough guy of that level?

- I have gotten used to a rough and agressive game. But I myself play only clean hockey. And another thing, unsportsmanlike methods drive me crazy. So that guy who is able to work his fists, won’t bother us.

- According to Alexei Kovalev’s stories, you fought with someone in the NHL not so long ago.

- No, it was purely a water cooler tale. There tough guys fight only with tough guys.

- Known “police officer” Chris Simon, will play in the KHL for Vityaz, you’re not at all afraid?

- He was my teammate in Washington, and I remember that Simon was able to play good hockey.

- But his team, Vityaz, fights far more than it plays.

- Everyone’s aim is to win, Vityaz is no different.

- What do you think about the situation around Alexander Radulov? Would you leave for another league while having an operating contract with a club in the NHL?

- It is difficult for me to judge. The age of the hockey player plays a great roll in making these decisions. A young forward should always feel he has the prospect of growth in skill and salary with a club.

- Is the transition to the Russian league the most serious step in your career?

- Definitely. With this decision I broke off with the NHL. I closed off any path of return. Therefore I has strong doubts before making the final decision.

- You agent says that a call from the regional governor Leonid Polezhaev played a deciding roll in your choice of Omsk. What did he tell you?

- We didn’t talk about money. All details were coordinated during negitionations with general manager Anatoli Bardin. However, I, in leaving the NHL forever, needed serious guarantees. I wanted to be sure that the GM had the authority to offer me such a big contract, that he had the right to sign players of my level. I hoped to receive guarantees of serious intentions from the governor, with whom I was still familiar from the lockout season.

- What are your impressions of Omsk Arena?

- It’s true that in North America there are larger arenas. But Omsk Arena concedes nothing to its American “competitors” in terms of comfort for players. And the area in which the history of the team is displayed is superbly done.

- Avangard coach Sergei Gersonski plans to use you on a line with your fellow countrymen [Pavel] Rosa and [Jakub] Klepis.

- I don’t know much about them as players. We’ll need to work together.

- But in fact on the Rangers, it was easier for your to play with Czech linemates, than with others?

- Yes, but, for example, I had played together with Straka in Pittsburg. And as a whole I was very familiar with the Czech guys on the Rangers.

- You have agreed to play for the Czech National Team. Will we see you at the Moscow stage of the Eurotour in December?

- Most likely, I will only play in the last stage — the Ceska Pojistovna Cup — before the World Championships. In any case, that in particular is what I agreed to with the team’s head coach Vladimir Ruzicka.

- What do you remember most of all about your reception at the airport in Omsk?

- The fans made a huge inflatable bear with my number. But, where has he disapeared to? Did he burst? I bet he was drunk. (Laughs)

- Is it true that you do not drink at all, even on vacation? For Russians, a Czech who does not drink some beer is a very strange thing.

- For someone who wants to play at the top level for 15-20 years, I categorically do not advise being on friendly terms with that pursuit. For me certainly it all came from my upbringing, from childhood. Nobody drank at home, and I got used to such an order of things. And when you see beer in the refridgerator every day, you have a completely different relationship towards it. Instead, I love sweets.

- When will your girlfriend arrive?

- Yesterday she arrived from overseas, but she has gone to visit relatives in the Ukraine. At the beginning of the season she will come back to me.

- There were rumors that she did not want to go to Russia.

- Not at all! She, by the way, knows Russian well. At home we speak it only, to bring up my level.

Spooky and Kogan, that one was for you guys — thanks for reading!

You don’t need to understand Russian to read the excitement on the face of Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov in this video report on Jagr’s first practice from Russian TV channel Sport. Cherepanov is shown about 20 seconds in, grinning as he watches Jagr skate in drills with his new linemates. He then explains (again) that he has a year left on his contract with Omsk and that he will remain in Omsk to fulfill it. Cherepanov smiles as he admits that he’s looking forward to watching Jagr, both on the ice and off, and explains that he has much to learn from a player like him.

Upon his arrival in Omsk Jaromir Jagr discussed his decision to leave the NHL, his feelings for the people of Omsk, his views on the KHL and his plans for the future in an interview on Russian TV station Sport, which was transcribed by by the fine folks at AllHockey.ru.

- In Omsk you are very popular. Is it not a burden on you?

- There are always two aspects in sports. If you play well, you’re popular. When things go badly, in a split second everything can turn, as if a wall comes up around you. It is good to arrive in a city where they wait for you and want you to play for the local team. And now it all depends on me and how I play and what I bring to the club.

- And in the Czech Republic are many children named Jaromir?

- I was named by my father, in his honor and in honor of my grandfather. And so this is not so popular a name in my homeland.

- Do you remember your previous arrival in Omsk?

- Yes, then it was much greater experiment for me. I didn’t know what awaited me, but I was pleasantly surprised by the level of development of the hockey infrastructure and quality of the game which already then was comparable to the NHL. Of course, at the present time Russia does not yet live up to the overseas league, because the majority of the best players in the world play in the NHL. But the guys I have seen here — for example [Maxim] Sushinski — they too are excellent. I simply know little about them. And to be the first here is very difficult. And with Omsk in general I have fallen in love. Here everything is cordial, it is customary to help one another, not like in larger cities with more money. It impresses me very much and reminds me of my homeland.

- What are they saying in the NHL about your decision to come to Omsk?

- I’m not particularly worried about it. The main thing was to make the right decision, because I played overseas for 17 years and could still go on for 3-4 years. So the choice was difficult. I understood that soon I will probably need to go to Europe more often to visit my father. And the love which I felt that came towards me from Siberia helped me decide.

- What’s you opinion of the KHL? Is it a competitor to the NHL?

- You have to understand that the history of the National Hockey League totals decades, even in my time there it expanded from 21 to 30 teams. It took a long time for hockey to gain its present popularity. It would be wrong to make comparisons with the KHL, which is just starting out. The start has been good, and I hope I will bring a worthwhile contribution. This is a big opportunity for players, teams and coaches to raise their standards. As for me, I always wanted and continue to want to be first — this is how I made my name. And here, in Russia, I also will try to show everything I am capable of.

- Alexander Radulov has also arrived in Russia from the NHL, but there was a scandal in connection with his transfer. What do you think of this situation?

- I don’t know much about it besides what was written on the Internet. In any case, this is his personal decision, and I don’t know what I’d do in his place. Therefore I can not judge. I remember, two years ago Evgeni Malkin left for the NHL before completing his contract in Russia, and there was no problem. Why now is there such a sensation? So we’ll see…

- Where will you finish your career?

- The chance that I will return to the NHL is insignificant, I would say that it is equal to zero. I had an opportunity to become almost an idol overseas, perhaps second only to Wayne Gretzky [in scoring]. But now that I have decided to come over to Europe it is unlikely a return would be possible. But I will not regret or look back; my purpose is to play good hockey here. I don’t know whether I will be in Russia for two or three years, but then in any case I will go home, to Kladno, to the club of which my father is president.

- And when will your girlfriend arrive?

- She’ll come later. I’m used to preparing for the season alone, to have an opporunity to relax. Especially since I will still need to go to the Czech Republic for a couple of exhibition matches. Later, when the season starts, I will have more free time, and we can spend time with each other.

Then there’s this revelation, brought to us by Soviet Sport writer Pavel Lysenkov, who shadowed Jagr though his first day and a half in Omsk as background for an amusing article on the Czech’s arrival. Lysenkov got the bright idea of calling Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin, curious to know what two superstars would talk about. After the two exchanged pleasantries, he uncovered the real reason Jagr left the NHL:

- “How long will you play in Russia?” [Ovechkin asked.]

- “Two years. Then I will return to the Czech Republic. You have to understand, I can’t play in the NHL anymore. You are much better than me. What am I to do in a league where Ovechkin scores 65 goals, and I only score 25? I was so bad that I had to leave like a real man.” Jagr practically falls of his chair with laughter. Sasha [Ovechkin] laughs along with him. “If you could score just 40 goals, and I 30, then it would have made sense for me to stay for another year. But now I understand that there is nothing more for me to do in NHL. There is Ovechkin.”

It appears Jagr’s sense of humor remains firmly in place.

Recent Ranger signee, defenseman Vladimir Denisov, will join brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn of the Montreal Canadiens next month when they participate in the Cup of Belarus on behalf of 2008 Belarusian Extraliga champions Keramin Minsk.  The three will train with the team and then play for them in the 10 team pre-season tournament, which takes place between August 5 and August 18th in Babruysk, Belarus.  Minsk head coach Andrei Gusov explained: “The guys who are preparing for the next season overseas were curious whether it would be possible for them to work together with Keramin this summer.  We certainly did not object and have invited them to play for Keramin in the Cup of Belarus.  Participation of players from the NHL will raise spectator interest in the tournament, and I think that fans will be pleased.”

Darius Kasparaitis was a popular Ranger during the four seasons he played in New York, before a combination of age, injury and salary cap considerations sent him packing for St. Petersburg, Russia at the start of last season.  Since arriving in Russia last fall Kaspar has been writing a blog for the Russian web site Championat.ru.  And he’s checked in with some off-season updates.

Apart from a couple of trips to Florida with his daughter, and a vacation in the Bahamas, Kasparaitis has spent the majority of the off-season in New York, running in the park, training at the gym, and occasionally taking to the ice.  Kasparaitis acknowledged in a post from the end of May that “I would like to play in New York, but nothing has worked out here, so I have decided to go to Russia.”  He admitted that he received no interest from any NHL teams, and made the decision to re-sign with SKA St. Petersburg for two years, noting that he enjoyed his time there last season.  “It was pleasant for me in St. Petersburg last season.  Not because of money!  It is simple — the team, the trainer, the city, the fans.  Everything suited me.  So I thought — why not?  Why run around, looking for somewhere with more money? I believe that I can play for four more years.  So I want to play and enjoy myself, help a team, work with youth, share my experiences.  And so, SKA was the only team I talked to.”

Kasparaitis also shared that he has set a goal of playing in his fifth Olympics in 2010.  “I’ll admit, I would very much like to play in the Olympics in Vancouver.  It is my dream.  I have played in four successive Olympiads.  Only the fourth time we did not win a medal; the first three — gold, bronze, silver — had great results.  Now I wish to play in the fifth.  For me it is a very big dream.”  But he admits it won’t be easy.  “I understand that it will be difficult for me to make it.  But everything will depend on me, how I train, how I play.”

Kasparaitis, who regularly expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of officiating in the RSL last season, weighs in on the formation of the KHL, acknowledging that he’s excited to be one of the first players in the new league.  “You know, it is interesting to me to play in a new league.  There will be different rules of play.  I hope that the referees will be more adequate, more skilled, improved… To me it seems interesting to be one of the first players who will play in the new league.  Everyone is interested in this league.”

And finally, Kasparaitis shared some big news of a personal variety: In September, he will become a father for the second time.  “For me the season will start with the birth of two daughters.  Already in September my girlfriend is due to give birth.  We have decided that she will give birth in Stockholm, in Sweden.  All her family is there.  And I too will go there closer to term.”

Omsk awaits the arrival (at 5am) of their hero...

Jagr arrives in Omsk.

The crowd exults!

Jagr greets his public...

The press swarms...

Even the rarely-seen giant Omsk bears come out of the woods to show their support!

Jagr checks out Omsk's new arena...

Takes the full tour...

...and has a laugh.

All photos courtesy Avangard Omsk. See the full photo gallery of Jagr’s arrival for more.

The Hartford Wolf Pack have announced the date of their home opener for the 2008-2009 season. The Pack will kick off their home schedule on Saturday, October 11th. In addition, five other “prime” home-ice dates have been guaranteed to the club by the AHL, including Saturday, November 1st, Saturday, December 20th, Saturday, January 3rd, Friday, January 16th and Friday, January 30th. Opponents and game times will be announced when the full AHL schedule is released later this month.

You have to wonder if Rangers GM Glen Sather regrets being so accommodating to Omsk General Manager Anatoli Bardin when he visited New York with the goal of wooing Jaromir Jagr to play in Russia last April. At the time, with Jagr a dominating force on the ice for the Rangers, the idea of him abandoning his NHL career in favor of Russia’s brand new hockey league seemed absurd. Fast forward three months and Jagr’s about to step off a plane in Siberia, in a city he’ll call home for at least the next two hockey seasons. And Bardin’s crowing about his summer coup:

After four or five months, the majority of people had already ceased to trust that Jagr would come. They said that it was [the work of] a PR company. We fought this battle to the end. And it was not so simple. Now it seems he’s arrived and all is well. And in fact, very many teams in the NHL sought Jagr and offered serious contracts. The NHL has said, and will say, that we gave Jagr huge money. Nothing of the kind! The man simply saw how the conditions are here, the infrastructure, the attitude towards him, and he has chosen our league and Omsk Avangard. And by the way, it was nice that we not only took Jaromir Jagr away from the NHL, but that we still did not give away Cherepanov.

Maybe it’s just me, but do these sound like the words of a man who claimed three months ago that he would soon sign an agreement of cooperation with Sather, making their two teams partner clubs so as to facilitate the exchange coaches and players in order to share their experience? Of course, this is the same man who at the time claimed that Alexei Cherepanov would be allowed to join the Rangers for training camp this fall — an idea Cherepanov has dismissed outright. Then again, in Bardin’s eyes, the impact of Jagr’s acquisition reaches far beyond the two clubs. Bardin continues, citing Jagr’s arrival in Omsk as proof that his country’s new league is on the path to success:

I believe that Jagr is a very serious acquisition not only for Avangard, but for all of Russian hockey. It says that we are on the correct path. Regarding the rivalry between the NHL and KHL: my opinion is there is no rivalry present. These are simply ordinary business projects. The NHL has been engaged in it for more than one hundred years, the management of the KHL — a league which was only recently established — is only starting. But all the same is working professionally and calmly. You know, to me it is very nice to see. And now the NHL has become agitated. And I that that it is more a problem of the NHL’s than our league. And that is not big words, it is pride for the fatherland.

And you thought we were just talking about hockey…

Spartak Moscow General Manager Andrei Yakovenko offers his take on why Ranger prospect and former Wolf Pack player Ivan Baranka signed a two-year deal with his team for the upcoming season:

Baranka is one of the New York Rangers’ most promising players.  In America they left him; they wanted him to remain in the club’s system.  But he didn’t have the opportunity to play in the main team of the Rangers — there are a lot of players with one-way contracts.  There even people with million-dollar contracts play for the farm club!  So Baranka didn’t have even a theoretical chance of hitting the roster.  And he came to us in order to make other NHL clubs take notice of him so that in the future he’ll have the opportunity to change clubs.