Robert Nardella opens up on life at Torpedo
Torpedo defenceman Robert Nardella says the language barrier is still his biggest challenge in Russia, though he is enjoying learning Russian in his second KHL season.
Robert Nardella has settled into his second season with Torpedo, and by his own account the language barrier remains the toughest part of living in Russia.
"I like it in Russia, I feel comfortable. This is my second season here and I really enjoy this time. The hardest thing is the language barrier, but I like the experience of getting to know a new culture," he said.
"I've started learning Russian, but I only know a few words so far. I just like reading them," he added.
The 30-year-old defenceman has 46 points — 2 goals and 44 assists — in 83 KHL matches for the Nizhny Novgorod side. Torpedo extended his contract in February through May 2027.
Nardella's side beat Ak Bars Kazan at home in the regular season, with Daniil Seroukh, Igor Geraskin and Vladimir Tkachev on the scoresheet and Yegor Vinogradov setting up two of the goals.
He is not the only import to flag the same difficulty this season: Kevin LaBanc, an American forward with KHL side Shanghai Dragons, recently spoke about the challenges of settling in Russia, saying he had needed to set up his phone from scratch — maps, local apps and all.
About this article
Prepared by the editorial team with the help of algorithms, based on the sources listed