Dmitry Erykalov An unexpected turn in the life of the champion of Russia and the winner of the MFM. Euro cups in hockey are a strange thing. They seem to be there, but it’s like they’re not. What can we say about less prestigious tournaments, if even the Champions League does not excite the leading clubs of the continent? At least because there are no KHL clubs among the participants. But here the Russian players in various clubs and tournaments in Europe, no, no, yes, they will light up. But few people expected to meet the world champion among youth, the former player of the Russian national team and the winner of the Gagarin Cup as part of … a Turkish club. In the match with the Lithuanian Hockey Panks, not just anyone, but Aleksey Kaygorodov, appeared. It was in the Continental Cup. This is the only club hockey tournament hosted directly by the IIHF. In the early 00s, Swiss, Finnish and Russian clubs took part in it. Lada and Ak Bars even won it. Now the Slovaks, the French, the Poles and the British are running the show. And the Turkish club Buz Adam, for which, in addition to Kaygorodov, several other Russians play, plays in the same group with Lithuanians, Belgians and Spaniards. Literally one of these days Kaigorodov will take to the ice against, no less, “Barcelona”. This, of course, is still that exotic, but in general, it is not the first time for Alexei to participate in international tournaments. Being a legend of Metallurg Magnitogorsk, he took part in the most successful version of the Champions League, after which he took part in the Victoria Cup. He failed to score against Henrik Lundqvist, but the game itself with the NHL club is an event. And closer to the end of his career, Kaigorodov twice played for Salavat Yulaev at the Spengler Cup.Sergei Terentiev, photo.khl.ruIt was believed that Kaigorodov’s career ended in 2016. In one season, he changed three clubs, having traveled along the route Astana – Moscow – Magnitogorsk. Alexei not only returned home, but won the Gagarin Cup with Metallurg. So at the age of 32, one of the smartest and most technical center forwards in the country for the first time became the champion of Russia. On this note, Alexei ended his career, and a year later a sweater with his number and surname was hung under the arches of the sports palace in Magnitogorsk. And Kaigorodov was remembered by many fans of the World Cup in Bratislava. Or rather, the match with Canada in the quarterfinals of that tournament. This, of course, was not the same Canada that smeared us at the Olympics, but the company of Tavares, Spezza, Fanef, Pietrangelo, Burns, Eberle, Duchenne, Skinner and Nash looked like a good irritant. To beat them is to remind ourselves that we are not so bad, and hockey in Russia is alive. Beating the Canadians is almost a national idea. The winning goal then, as in Quebec, was scored by Ilya Kovalchuk, but everyone remembered not him, but what happened three minutes before. By the middle of the third period, the Russian team was losing to the Canadians by one goal. According to the score, it is not critical, but the wards of Bykov and Zakharkin had almost no chance. And then the deletions rained down one after another. Aleksey Emelin and Evgeny Artyukhin alternately walked to the penalty box. The Russians fought back hard, like an old man breathing, climbing the stairs to the twentieth floor. The most experienced Konstantin Gorovikov could not throw the puck out of the zone. It seems that our people ate. And then the puck goes to Alexei Kaygorodov, the center forward of the third link. For the Magnitogorsk player, this World Championship was the second in his career with a break of eight years. He went to his debut tournament at the age of 19, being one of the most promising players in the country. In Bratislava, young Vladimir Tarasenko was put in his link, and instead of the majority, which is more appropriate for a born playmaker, they handed him a minority. And it had to happen that it was the owner of the reputation of a soft and not the fastest forward who would create a real miracle. What Kaygorodov did with the Canadians looks easy and even mocking from the outside. Just look how he deals first with Brent Burns and then with Jason Spezza. Not the last people in the NHL, by the way. Do not circle them with mind-blowing feints. Doesn’t crush. And he just throws the puck past them, moving along a pre-built route. Alexei seemed to know in advance that these “gorillas from the cage” would be thrown at him, opening a corridor to the gate. That was all he needed. Kaigorodov’s passage was reminiscent of a slalom. It was as if he was skiing down the mountain, avoiding obstacles and picking up speed faster and faster. With three Canadians behind him, there was no stopping him. Aleksey equalized the score extremely cold-bloodedly. And this despite the fact that the goal in the quarterfinals to the Canadians was his first in the tournament. And as it turns out later – the last in the form of the Russian national team. Kaigorodov will play the semi-final and the bronze medal match, after which he will never wear a jersey with a double-headed eagle on his chest. That tournament will be the last for Bykov and Zakharkin. However, Alexei returned to hockey. Maybe Bykov will decide to train again? For example, the same “Barcelona”.