Not long ago, Kunlun Hongxing captain Ye Jinguang scored the 100th point of his Kunlun Hongxing career in the match against Sochi, and became the first player in team history to score more than 100 points. To this end, KHL reporter Gillian Kemmerer conducted a special interview with Ye Jinguang. In the interview, Ye Jinguang expressed his views on the coach and his expectations for the Winter Olympics. Come and see!
Q: What kind of coach do you think Saneta is?
Ye Jinguang: Saneta is a very good coach. He brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the players. He was born in Canada and played for the Italian national team in 1992. He has coached in several different leagues and is very familiar with KHL and Russian ice hockey styles. He knows exactly what needs to be done to win the game and we have a lot of trust in him!
Q: Is Saneta's tactical strategy more inclined to the North American style of hockey?
Ye Jinguang: He is a coach with a variety of technical and tactical styles. He laid out a number of different frontcourt blocking tactics for us, while using a 1-3-1 formation that had never been used before. It's a more defensive system in the midfield.
At the same time, Saneta also asked us to strengthen the front grab in the offensive zone. This fierce defensive strategy makes it easier for us to make mistakes and regain the ball. At the same time, Saneta also made the players pay more attention to the details of the game on the field. Overall, this tactic works well, but it puts the execution of players on the field to a certain test.
Q: Not long ago you became the first 100-point player in the history of kunlun hongxing. How do you feel about that?
Ye Jinguang: This is a good question. Honestly, I don't usually look at data much. I also knew about the 100% thing on kunlun hongxing team social media. In the game, I just do what I'm supposed to do and do my best to help the team win in any way possible.
But if you ask about memorable moments... Jian'an helped me take the ice ball off the field after I scored the 100th goal and told me after the game: "Your first goal against Sochi was scored against Sochi, and then your 100th score in Kunlun Hongxing was again when you played Sochi. "With that, he gave me the ball.
Q: As the captain of the team, how did you encourage your teammates when Kunlun Hongxing was in trouble this season?
Ye Jinguang: There is no doubt that our performance this season has been as ups and downs as a roller coaster ride. Every time I tell people, we need to play harder. We can't focus too much on the immediate results, but on the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. We're always experimenting with different lineups and tactical strategies. We've been playing together for so long, and I think we're going to have a good chemistry. I hope we can play the usual training stuff in the game.
Q: This season's Kunlun Hongxing squad has seen some Chinese players who are not very familiar to KHL fans.
Ye Jinguang: We've been training with them for a few years, so I've known them for a while. During the daily training process, I also teach everyone something, which feels really good. In fact, you can see that in the past few months, new players have really improved their level in training. I think they will bring us a lot of surprises at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Q: What far-reaching significance does the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics have for the development of Ice Hockey in China?
Ye Jinguang: Personally, it is an honor to represent the Chinese team in the Winter Olympics. In addition, China's participation in the Winter Olympics is important for the future of Chinese ice hockey. For example, twenty years later, when I turn on the TV, I'm likely to see that the Chinese team no longer relies solely on its status as host to play in the Winter Olympics.
At the same time, maybe one day a Chinese player is selected for the top league, and when someone asks why he plays ice hockey, he may answer, "In 2022, when I was five years old, I witnessed the Chinese team compete in the Winter Olympics." If that does happen, I think that's what each of us wants to achieve after constant effort.
Q: What are some of the memorable "guides" in your professional experience?
Ye Jinguang: If I go back to college, I think it will be my coach Jack Parker, who taught me a lot of things, and it is because of him that I can become such a professional hockey player as I am today. In addition to that, after entering the NHL, my captains Ford and Webb helped me a lot and they taught me how to be a team leader.
Ye Jinguang's mentor at Boston University, Jack Parker
Q: What other hobbies do you have besides playing?
Ye Jinguang: I like to read. I play golf when the weather is nice outside. I like to do simple things with my friends, such as going to lunch or dinner after training.
Q: Fook recently posted a video of bungee jumping in Sochi on his social platform and @@you. The accompanying text reads: "When your captain convinces you to jump off the bridge, you're sure to jump." ”
Ye Jinguang: This is a joke between the two of us, and I often convince him on some things. I've played bungee jumping in sochi Sky Park before, so this time I especially wanted to persuade Fukasa to feel it too. I told him that bungee jumping was bound to be an interesting experience in his life and well worth the challenge. At first he refused, saying he certainly wouldn't do it. Hey, but in the end I managed to convince him, and he felt good after bungee jumping and thanked me.