WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.560 The deep dive. Kirill Kaprizov, the wildfire 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:06.759 scouting, the 136mm contract, and the geopolitics 00:00:06.759 --> 00:00:08.919 of hockey. Join us on this deep dive into the 00:00:08.919 --> 00:00:11.960 astonishing career of NHL superstar Kirill Kaprizov. 00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:14.779 Tailored just for you, we explore the incredible 00:00:14.779 --> 00:00:18.379 butterfly effect of how a 2014 California wildfire 00:00:18.379 --> 00:00:21.059 led the Minnesota Wild to scout a kid from a 00:00:21.059 --> 00:00:23.640 remote Russian village. We'll unpack his record 00:00:23.640 --> 00:00:25.940 -shattering rookie season, his thrilling 2018 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:29.160 Olympic Golden Goal, the intense 2022 offseason 00:00:29.160 --> 00:00:31.850 military ID contest, controversy and his historic 00:00:31.850 --> 00:00:34.590 2025 contract that made him the highest paid 00:00:34.590 --> 00:00:37.490 player in NHL history. Perfect for anyone intrigued 00:00:37.490 --> 00:00:39.770 by sports history, global athletics, and the 00:00:39.770 --> 00:00:42.350 making of Kirill the Thrill. Keywords, Kirill 00:00:42.350 --> 00:00:44.990 Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild, NHL History, Ice Hockey, 00:00:45.090 --> 00:00:47.810 KHL, Colder Trophy, Sports Biography, Olympic 00:00:47.810 --> 00:00:50.869 Hockey, Richards NHL Contract, 2022 Russian Military 00:00:50.869 --> 00:00:53.350 ID Controversy. Welcome to today's Deep Dive. 00:00:53.390 --> 00:00:55.429 We built this specific exploration strictly for 00:00:55.429 --> 00:00:57.829 you, pulling from a comprehensive Wikipedia biography 00:00:57.829 --> 00:01:00.509 of a modern sports phenomenon. It's truly a phenomenon. 00:01:00.789 --> 00:01:02.950 Yeah. We are looking at the life, the career, 00:01:03.070 --> 00:01:05.569 and the sheer global spectacle of Russian ice 00:01:05.569 --> 00:01:08.150 hockey superstar Kirill Kaprizov. And this really 00:01:08.150 --> 00:01:10.530 isn't just your standard sports biography. No. 00:01:10.700 --> 00:01:13.079 not at all. This is a story about the unlikeliest 00:01:13.079 --> 00:01:16.260 of discoveries, severe international geopolitical 00:01:16.260 --> 00:01:18.439 tension, and athletic achievements that have 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:20.840 completely rewritten the record books. We're 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:23.299 basically tracing a path from a tiny freezing 00:01:23.299 --> 00:01:26.500 village in Siberia all the way to the absolute 00:01:26.500 --> 00:01:28.980 brightest lights of North American professional 00:01:28.980 --> 00:01:32.040 sports. And to kick things off, consider this 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:35.120 incredibly bizarre fact from our sources. The 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:37.620 richest contract in the history of the NHL might 00:01:37.620 --> 00:01:41.439 never have happened if it weren't for a cloud 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:45.420 of smog drifting off a 2014 California wildfire. 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:47.659 Okay, let's unpack this. The origins of this 00:01:47.659 --> 00:01:50.200 story really require us to look at an extreme 00:01:50.200 --> 00:01:53.140 level of childhood dedication. Right. Kaprizov 00:01:53.140 --> 00:01:55.420 grew up in a very small village called Kuzidevo. 00:01:55.870 --> 00:01:58.370 which sits about 60 miles outside the city of 00:01:58.370 --> 00:02:01.730 Novokuznesk in Siberia. 60 miles? Yeah, 60 miles. 00:02:01.909 --> 00:02:04.709 And he started playing hockey at age four. Because 00:02:04.709 --> 00:02:06.829 of where he lived, developing those skills required 00:02:06.829 --> 00:02:09.430 a grueling daily commute. I mean, imagine that. 00:02:09.610 --> 00:02:11.650 He and his father traveled those 60 miles into 00:02:11.650 --> 00:02:13.849 the city every single day just for practice. 00:02:14.189 --> 00:02:16.909 Imagine commuting two hours every single day 00:02:16.909 --> 00:02:19.189 as a preschooler just to chase a puck. It's wild. 00:02:19.789 --> 00:02:22.930 That level of repetition, sitting in a car in 00:02:22.930 --> 00:02:25.469 the Siberian winter, it builds a foundational 00:02:25.469 --> 00:02:28.229 discipline that you simply cannot teach. No, 00:02:28.250 --> 00:02:30.050 you really can't. But all the discipline in the 00:02:30.050 --> 00:02:32.810 world doesn't guarantee you get noticed by NHL 00:02:32.810 --> 00:02:35.330 scouts, especially when you're playing deep in 00:02:35.330 --> 00:02:37.310 Russia. Exactly. And that is where the California 00:02:37.310 --> 00:02:40.150 wildfires come into the picture. The scouting 00:02:40.150 --> 00:02:42.990 story is almost entirely driven by random chance. 00:02:43.129 --> 00:02:46.729 It's so crazy. It is. In 2014, the Minnesota 00:02:46.729 --> 00:02:49.990 Wild Scouting Department was in Russia. evaluating 00:02:49.990 --> 00:02:53.090 talent. They were scheduled to fly home, but 00:02:53.090 --> 00:02:56.009 a massive weather event. A smog. Right. Specifically, 00:02:56.250 --> 00:02:58.590 heavy smog rolling in from wildfires burning 00:02:58.590 --> 00:03:01.009 all the way over in California ended up delaying 00:03:01.009 --> 00:03:03.150 their flight. So they're stuck. They're grounded. 00:03:03.330 --> 00:03:05.889 And looking for something to do, the scouts decided 00:03:05.889 --> 00:03:08.830 to take in a local meddler, Novokuznetsk, game. 00:03:09.229 --> 00:03:12.409 And there on the ice was a young Kirill Kaprizov. 00:03:13.050 --> 00:03:15.490 What's fascinating here is the sheer fragility 00:03:15.490 --> 00:03:18.449 and randomness of multi -million dollar sports 00:03:18.449 --> 00:03:20.650 scouting. Yeah, if the wind blows a different 00:03:20.650 --> 00:03:22.990 direction over the Pacific Ocean. That flight 00:03:22.990 --> 00:03:26.330 takes off on time. The scouts never attend that 00:03:26.330 --> 00:03:29.689 local game. And the entire trajectory of an NHL 00:03:29.689 --> 00:03:32.610 franchise is permanently altered. A natural disaster 00:03:32.610 --> 00:03:35.509 halfway across the world essentially burst the 00:03:35.509 --> 00:03:38.530 modern era of Minnesota wild hockey. It's incredible 00:03:38.530 --> 00:03:40.550 to think about. Because of that chance encounter, 00:03:40.849 --> 00:03:43.129 Minnesota draft him in the fifth round of the 00:03:43.129 --> 00:03:47.400 2015 draft. taking him 135th overall. Which is 00:03:47.400 --> 00:03:50.219 a late pick. It's a late pick, but the seed was 00:03:50.219 --> 00:03:53.460 planted. And Kaprizov was incredibly proactive 00:03:53.460 --> 00:03:56.860 about his future. Knowing that the NHL was the 00:03:56.860 --> 00:03:59.400 ultimate destination, he actually started learning 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:02.039 English while still playing in Russia. That's 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:03.960 rigged. He picked it up by practicing with his 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:06.520 teammate, Ryan Stoa, who happened to be a Minnesota 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:09.300 native playing overseas. And that foresight speaks 00:04:09.300 --> 00:04:12.370 volumes about his mindset. He wasn't just developing 00:04:12.370 --> 00:04:14.990 his physical game. He was preparing himself culturally 00:04:14.990 --> 00:04:17.670 and communicatively for the transition to North 00:04:17.670 --> 00:04:20.649 America. Getting fully ready. Exactly. But before 00:04:20.649 --> 00:04:23.009 he made that jump, he had to prove himself at 00:04:23.009 --> 00:04:25.850 the highest levels of European hockey. His rise 00:04:25.850 --> 00:04:28.509 through the KHL was meteoric. To say the least. 00:04:28.709 --> 00:04:31.050 He moved from his hometown club in Novokuznetsk 00:04:31.050 --> 00:04:34.310 to Salavat Yulayov Ufa and eventually landed 00:04:34.310 --> 00:04:37.939 with the powerhouse CSKA Moscow. The stats from 00:04:37.939 --> 00:04:41.079 his KHL days are staggering. He didn't just participate 00:04:41.079 --> 00:04:43.500 in that league. He completely dominated men who 00:04:43.500 --> 00:04:45.319 were significantly older and more experienced 00:04:45.319 --> 00:04:47.300 than him. Looking at the numbers, you immediately 00:04:47.300 --> 00:04:50.160 see the profile of a generational prodigy. He 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:52.160 became the youngest player in KHL history to 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:55.139 hit 100 career goals. Wow. Achieving that milestone 00:04:55.139 --> 00:04:59.540 at just 22 years and 172 days old. Unbelievable. 00:04:59.620 --> 00:05:02.560 He led CSKA Moscow to the Gagarin Cup Championship 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:06.839 in 2019 and was named a five -time KHL All -Star. 00:05:07.160 --> 00:05:09.480 He was producing offensive numbers that the league 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:11.800 had rarely seen from someone his age. And his 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:14.060 dominance wasn't restricted to club play. He 00:05:14.060 --> 00:05:16.579 stepped onto the global stage at the 2018 Winter 00:05:16.579 --> 00:05:18.939 Olympics. Competing for the Olympic athletes 00:05:18.939 --> 00:05:21.100 from Russia team, he was the absolute youngest 00:05:21.100 --> 00:05:23.240 player on the roster. And being the youngest 00:05:23.240 --> 00:05:25.519 player in an Olympic tournament usually means 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:27.899 you're there to gain experience. Maybe play limited 00:05:27.899 --> 00:05:30.660 minutes. Right. But Kaprizov was the offensive 00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:33.060 focal point. He tied for the tournament lead 00:05:33.060 --> 00:05:35.920 with five goals. Five goals for the youngest 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:39.319 guy there. Yeah. And more importantly, he demonstrated 00:05:39.319 --> 00:05:42.240 an icy clutch factor that would become his trademark. 00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:44.779 Oh, yeah. In the gold medal game against Germany, 00:05:44.939 --> 00:05:48.160 the game went into overtime. Kaprizov didn't 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:51.240 defer to the veterans. He took control and scored 00:05:51.240 --> 00:05:54.019 the golden goal, securing Russia's first Olympic 00:05:54.019 --> 00:05:57.360 ice hockey gold medal since 1992. He delivered 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:59.680 a championship to a hockey -obsessed nation as 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:01.459 the youngest guy in the locker room. It's like 00:06:01.459 --> 00:06:03.339 something out of a movie. Fast forward a few 00:06:03.339 --> 00:06:05.500 years, and the anticipation for his arrival in 00:06:05.500 --> 00:06:08.139 North America had reached a fever pitch. She 00:06:08.139 --> 00:06:10.480 finally makes his highly anticipated NHL debut 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:13.819 on January 14th, 2021. Here's where it gets really 00:06:13.819 --> 00:06:16.100 interesting. Yeah. You hear about highly touted 00:06:16.100 --> 00:06:18.399 prospects struggling to adjust to the smaller 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:21.500 ice surface or the speed of the NHL. Kaprizov 00:06:21.500 --> 00:06:24.439 did the exact opposite. He really did. He became 00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:26.560 the first player in the entire history of the 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:29.180 NHL to score three points, including an overtime 00:06:29.180 --> 00:06:31.560 game winning goal in his very first game. He 00:06:31.560 --> 00:06:34.259 instantly transformed the identity of the Minnesota 00:06:34.259 --> 00:06:37.689 Wild. They went from a team searching for an 00:06:37.689 --> 00:06:40.790 offensive spark to a must -watch franchise overnight. 00:06:41.089 --> 00:06:43.029 Completely changed the vibe. Even though it was 00:06:43.029 --> 00:06:45.509 a shortened season, his production was relentless. 00:06:45.850 --> 00:06:48.430 He shattered Marion Gaborik's long -standing 00:06:48.430 --> 00:06:51.589 rookie franchise records, finishing with 27 goals 00:06:51.589 --> 00:06:54.990 and 51 points. It was just huge. The league recognized 00:06:54.990 --> 00:06:57.269 the magnitude of what he was doing immediately. 00:06:57.730 --> 00:07:00.189 He won the Colder Trophy, and the voting wasn't 00:07:00.189 --> 00:07:03.050 even close. Not at all. He received 99 out of 00:07:03.050 --> 00:07:06.050 100 first -place votes. That is the highest percentage 00:07:06.050 --> 00:07:08.589 of first -place votes for a rookie since Timu 00:07:08.589 --> 00:07:11.730 Salen's historic season back in 1993. Following 00:07:11.730 --> 00:07:13.730 that rookie campaign, the front office knew they 00:07:13.730 --> 00:07:16.170 had a foundational superstar. They signed him 00:07:16.170 --> 00:07:19.170 to a five -year, $45 million contract, which 00:07:19.170 --> 00:07:21.029 made him the highest -paid sophomore player in 00:07:21.029 --> 00:07:23.509 NHL history. Setting records on and off the ice. 00:07:23.949 --> 00:07:26.670 Exactly, and he immediately proved he was worth 00:07:26.670 --> 00:07:29.430 every penny. He started stringing together multiple 00:07:29.430 --> 00:07:33.730 40 -goal seasons. By the 2021 -2022 season, he 00:07:33.730 --> 00:07:35.889 had completely rewritten the franchise record 00:07:35.889 --> 00:07:39.009 books, putting up 108 points and 47 goals in 00:07:39.009 --> 00:07:42.029 a single year, blowing past Gabrick's old single 00:07:42.029 --> 00:07:44.189 -season marks. He was untouchable on the ice. 00:07:44.569 --> 00:07:46.790 performing at an MVP level night in and night 00:07:46.790 --> 00:07:50.750 out. But as we pivot to the 2022 offseason, the 00:07:50.750 --> 00:07:53.470 narrative takes a sharp, highly complex turn 00:07:53.470 --> 00:07:57.069 away from the rink. It does. This raises an important 00:07:57.069 --> 00:08:00.529 question. How do massive global conflicts impact 00:08:00.529 --> 00:08:02.850 the lives and careers of individual international 00:08:02.850 --> 00:08:05.829 athletes? We are going to look closely at the 00:08:05.829 --> 00:08:07.589 events of that summer. And to be clear, we are 00:08:07.589 --> 00:08:09.569 just conveying exactly what is reported in the 00:08:09.569 --> 00:08:12.110 Wikipedia sources without taking any size, maintaining 00:08:12.110 --> 00:08:14.430 a completely neutral look at a highly sensitive 00:08:14.430 --> 00:08:16.829 international situation. Right. During the 2022 00:08:16.829 --> 00:08:19.449 offseason, the Russo -Ukrainian war was actively 00:08:19.449 --> 00:08:22.089 ongoing. Because of the geopolitical instability, 00:08:22.470 --> 00:08:25.050 Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin strongly 00:08:25.050 --> 00:08:27.230 urged Kaprizov to remain in the United States 00:08:27.230 --> 00:08:30.259 for the summer. Just as a precaution. Yes. But 00:08:30.259 --> 00:08:33.000 despite those warnings, Kaprizov made the decision 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:35.840 to return to Russia. Shortly after his return, 00:08:36.120 --> 00:08:38.580 multiple Russian media outlets reported that 00:08:38.580 --> 00:08:41.340 Kaprizov was wanted by authorities for allegedly 00:08:41.340 --> 00:08:44.960 purchasing a fraudulent military ID back in 2017 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:48.480 in an attempt to evade mandatory military service. 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:51.340 The timing and context of those reports created 00:08:51.340 --> 00:08:53.980 a massive shockwave across the hockey world. 00:08:54.120 --> 00:08:57.220 I remember that. These allegations surfaced just 00:08:57.220 --> 00:09:00.120 days after Kaprizov's former teammate in Ufa, 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:03.379 goaltender Ivan Fedotov, was actually arrested 00:09:03.379 --> 00:09:05.679 in Russia under similar allegations of evading 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:07.899 military service. Which makes the situation so 00:09:07.899 --> 00:09:10.080 much more tense. The parallel between the two 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:13.559 situations caused intense concern. However, Kaprizov's 00:09:13.559 --> 00:09:15.639 father completely denied all the allegations 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:17.970 to the press. Okay. He stated that Kirill did 00:09:17.970 --> 00:09:20.509 not have a fraudulent ID and had no need for 00:09:20.509 --> 00:09:22.669 one because he was officially registered as a 00:09:22.669 --> 00:09:24.889 university student. Right, which legally delayed 00:09:24.889 --> 00:09:27.549 any mandatory military obligations. Exactly. 00:09:27.590 --> 00:09:30.169 What followed was an incredibly tense, chaotic, 00:09:30.230 --> 00:09:32.950 and cinematic series of travel attempts as Kaprizov 00:09:32.950 --> 00:09:34.870 tried to get back to North America to join his 00:09:34.870 --> 00:09:37.610 team. It sounded like a spy thriller. It really 00:09:37.610 --> 00:09:40.110 did. According to the timeline in our sources, 00:09:40.309 --> 00:09:42.649 he first tried to enter the United States by 00:09:42.649 --> 00:09:45.370 flying through Dubai. Okay. That attempt failed. 00:09:45.789 --> 00:09:48.090 And he was denied entry. He then flew back to 00:09:48.090 --> 00:09:51.029 Russia. Next, he attempted to enter the U .S. 00:09:51.029 --> 00:09:53.110 by flying through the Caribbean. And that second 00:09:53.110 --> 00:09:56.549 attempt also failed. Yes. He was forced to return 00:09:56.549 --> 00:09:59.990 to Russia yet again. Finally, after weeks of 00:09:59.990 --> 00:10:02.370 uncertainty, he successfully entered the United 00:10:02.370 --> 00:10:05.750 States by flying through Turkey in August of 00:10:05.750 --> 00:10:09.509 2022. The stress of that entire ordeal. I can't 00:10:09.509 --> 00:10:11.570 even imagine. Navigating international borders, 00:10:11.730 --> 00:10:14.049 facing severe allegations in his home country, 00:10:14.190 --> 00:10:16.970 dealing with visa rejections in multiple jurisdictions. 00:10:17.210 --> 00:10:20.929 It's unimaginable. Most athletes require highly 00:10:20.929 --> 00:10:23.049 structured off seasons to prepare their bodies 00:10:23.049 --> 00:10:26.730 and minds for an 82 game NHL schedule. And Kaprizov 00:10:26.730 --> 00:10:29.389 spent his summer caught in a geopolitical labyrinth. 00:10:29.490 --> 00:10:32.009 So after all that cinematic globetrotting chaos, 00:10:32.129 --> 00:10:33.850 just to get back into the U .S., you'd think 00:10:33.850 --> 00:10:36.730 he'd be entirely distracted on the ice. You would. 00:10:36.950 --> 00:10:39.490 But instead, his game actually went to another 00:10:39.490 --> 00:10:42.129 level. He pushed through significant physical 00:10:42.129 --> 00:10:46.029 challenges, including an incident in 2023 where 00:10:46.029 --> 00:10:49.269 the massive 6 '7 defenseman Logan Stanley fell 00:10:49.269 --> 00:10:51.769 on him, causing an injury. Oh, that was brutal. 00:10:52.149 --> 00:10:54.990 He also navigated minor on -ice controversies, 00:10:54.990 --> 00:10:57.610 like taking a match penalty for cross -checking 00:10:57.610 --> 00:10:59.820 Drew Doughty. Through all the physical punishment 00:10:59.820 --> 00:11:02.299 and the intense scrutiny, his offensive output 00:11:02.299 --> 00:11:05.419 never wavered. A perfect encapsulation of his 00:11:05.419 --> 00:11:08.320 unstoppable nature came during a wildly high 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:11.399 -scoring game on February 19, 2024 against the 00:11:11.399 --> 00:11:13.279 Vancouver Canucks. What a game that was. It was 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:16.120 an absolutely chaotic 10 -7 victory for Minnesota. 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:19.139 In the third period alone, both Kaprizov and 00:11:19.139 --> 00:11:21.480 his teammate Joel Erikssonik scored hat -tricks. 00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:23.879 Six goals between two guys in one period. Yeah. 00:11:24.139 --> 00:11:26.360 Kaprizov finished that single game with six points, 00:11:26.539 --> 00:11:28.220 tying the franchise record for the most... points 00:11:28.220 --> 00:11:30.980 by a player in one game. Even in a modern NHL 00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:33.899 era, defined by incredible skill, taking over 00:11:33.899 --> 00:11:36.980 a game to that extreme degree is rare. So what 00:11:36.980 --> 00:11:39.220 does this all mean? When you combine the historic 00:11:39.220 --> 00:11:42.000 rookie records, the unmatched point totals, the 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:44.519 ability to play through injuries, and the mental 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:46.820 fortitude to perform at an elite level despite 00:11:46.820 --> 00:11:49.659 international controversies, where does a franchise 00:11:49.659 --> 00:11:52.399 go from there? It culminated in the single biggest 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:54.519 financial commitment in the history of the sport. 00:11:54.860 --> 00:11:58.580 Unbelievable. In September 2025, Kirill Kaprizov 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:02.259 signed an eight -year, $136 million contract 00:12:02.259 --> 00:12:05.940 extension. $136 million. That deal officially 00:12:05.940 --> 00:12:08.200 made him the highest paid player in NHL history. 00:12:08.419 --> 00:12:11.340 The Minnesota Wild front office essentially decided 00:12:11.340 --> 00:12:14.019 that this player was the singular cornerstone 00:12:14.019 --> 00:12:17.100 of their franchise's future, worthy of a cap 00:12:17.100 --> 00:12:19.320 hit that reshaped the financial landscape of 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:21.779 the league. They went all in. And he wasted absolutely 00:12:21.779 --> 00:12:24.519 no time proving them right. Just two days ago, 00:12:24.620 --> 00:12:27.759 on March 1st, 2026, he cemented his legacy even 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:30.320 further by tying Marion Gaborik's all -time franchise 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:33.159 record for total career goals at 219. When you 00:12:33.159 --> 00:12:35.679 zoom out and look at the sheer scope of this 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.259 journey, it is almost difficult to comprehend. 00:12:39.149 --> 00:12:41.149 We are looking at a career that started with 00:12:41.149 --> 00:12:44.289 a four -year -old child commuting 60 miles through 00:12:44.289 --> 00:12:47.009 the freezing Siberian wilderness just to practice. 00:12:47.230 --> 00:12:50.009 Right. A career that was almost entirely missed 00:12:50.009 --> 00:12:53.590 by NHL scouts, saved only by a cloud of smog 00:12:53.590 --> 00:12:56.190 from a California wildfire grounding a commercial 00:12:56.190 --> 00:12:58.850 flight. It's poetic, really. A career that survived 00:12:58.850 --> 00:13:01.649 intense geopolitical tension and chaotic border 00:13:01.649 --> 00:13:05.509 crossings, ultimately leading to a $136 million 00:13:05.509 --> 00:13:08.389 contract that permanently altered the economy. 00:13:09.289 --> 00:13:12.190 The contrast between his public profile and his 00:13:12.190 --> 00:13:14.950 private life provides a really fascinating final 00:13:14.950 --> 00:13:18.149 layer to this story. You look at a player commanding 00:13:18.149 --> 00:13:21.690 a $136 million spotlight, navigating international 00:13:21.690 --> 00:13:24.250 incidents and rewriting record books on a nightly 00:13:24.250 --> 00:13:26.669 basis. You'd expect a certain lifestyle. Exactly. 00:13:26.809 --> 00:13:29.070 Yet, according to the personal life section of 00:13:29.070 --> 00:13:32.309 his biography, his off -ice existence is incredibly 00:13:32.309 --> 00:13:35.029 grounded. How so? Well, he is an Orthodox Christian. 00:13:35.190 --> 00:13:37.809 He serves as the godfather to his former teammate's 00:13:37.809 --> 00:13:40.940 son. When he has free time, he isn't seeking 00:13:40.940 --> 00:13:43.399 out the glitz and glamour associated with massive 00:13:43.399 --> 00:13:45.779 wealth. What does he do? He prefers playing video 00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:48.500 games like Counter -Strike and Dota, and he loves 00:13:48.500 --> 00:13:50.860 going back to Novokuznetsk to go fishing. It 00:13:50.860 --> 00:13:53.269 makes you wonder. In an era where professional 00:13:53.269 --> 00:13:56.830 athletes are under constant, intense global scrutiny, 00:13:57.049 --> 00:13:59.870 does holding on to those simple small town roots 00:13:59.870 --> 00:14:02.289 and quiet hobbies serve as the ultimate shield? 00:14:02.570 --> 00:14:04.629 That's a great point. Can a passion for fishing 00:14:04.629 --> 00:14:06.870 and video games provide the necessary grounding 00:14:06.870 --> 00:14:10.610 to survive the crushing pressure of $136 million 00:14:10.610 --> 00:14:13.690 expectation? Thank you for joining us on this 00:14:13.690 --> 00:14:15.649 deep dive. Take that question with you and we'll 00:14:15.649 --> 00:14:16.269 catch you next time.