Alexander Radulov on What Still Drives Him at 40
The Lokomotiv forward says passion, not just routine, keeps him on the ice, admitting motivation has wavered but always returned during his long career.
Alexander Radulov, the 40-year-old Lokomotiv forward, has explained what still keeps him on the ice.
"Where does the motivation come from? It is not just playing hockey, it is a lot of work, constant training." "I have played this game since childhood, I like it, I still like it. As long as there is passion, I will play. Yes, it gets harder with time, we are not getting any younger. But the love for hockey, that passion, lives in me," said Radulov.
Asked whether that passion had ever faded, he said it had not stayed constant throughout his career. "There have been different situations, there were moments in my career when something went wrong, and I thought: forget it, I do not want this any more. Then time passes, you cool off, process it all, get back on the ice, and it all starts again. Hockey is a game where you can have a bad moment, a losing streak, but there is always a chance to put it right in the next shift or the next match. Even if there is some kind of pause, you get the chance to train, to get better. The main thing is desire, you need to strive for it and believe in what you are doing. You need to be honest, first of all with yourself, because you cannot fool yourself. If you want a result, you have to work, try, invest, and not give up when it is hard," he said.
Lokomotiv said this week it had rebuilt its roster to fix power-play flaws after a quarterfinal exit, while Russia's sports minister has vowed to intervene in a row over journalist accreditation at KHL matches.
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