The Pittsburgh Penguins selected forward Mikhail Ilyin in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL admission draft. He didn’t get much coverage, but his progress was steady. He is working to establish his career highest with Severstal this season, with six goals and 21 assists in 56 regular season games after scoring 29 last season. Additionally, Severstal (one of the smallest budgets in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)) is considered a playoff location.
In this translator’s interview, Elyn talks about the season, his early years in hockey, his idol Evgeny Malkin, his plans for the future, and more.
**You can read his motherland Russian interview on vseprosport here**
Since the beginning of this year, Severstal has alternated between victory and loss. “Everything was good on the team,” Elynn said. “We all want to win. Our season has been a roller coaster – I don’t know why, but everyone is giving it all, fighting hard, and no one is indifferent. I hope we will power the playoffs.”
So far, Erin’s season
Could the young people on the team be a factor? “It’s a young team, only age; otherwise, everyone has experience,” he said. “Many people have played in the playoffs. There are also veteran players.”
Ilyn’s season also suffered disappointing losses. Against Avangard, they led 3-0 and 4-2 but ended up losing in the gunfight. “It’s disappointing,” he confirmed. “But not the worst. We didn’t stay focused until the end – we believed the victory was too early to let the game slip away.”
He explained that “those with big deficits” were worse. “It’s a shame before the fans, just like we lost 2-7 to Dynamo in Moscow. You just can’t play that way.” His coach Andrei Kozyrev allegedly had a good conversation with the team, but Ilyin wasn’t keen on sharing the details. “The coach said we’ll be preparing for the next game. But what’s going on in the locker room should be there.”
Elin often plays on Severstal’s top line with center Daniil Aimurzin and winger Kirill Pilipenko. These three did a great job. “Last season [forward Daniil] Vovchenko (with Metallurg now) was injured and I was placed on that line to replace him. “He recalled. “I played a game, and then [Hurricanes’ draftee] Timur Mukhanov moved there instead, and we later changed back. It seems that things start to click for us. When Vovchenko returns, he is first placed in the fourth line and then back on the first line, but this is not implemented. Finally, I went back to the first line and I’ve been playing since then. ”
Ranking number one in the KHL at 18 is a feat. “Yes, but I wouldn’t say it’s cool,” Elin said. “It’s more of a responsibility. You have to prove that you belong to the top line and don’t put it there by chance. At first, I wondered what I was even doing there. But then I realized that the coach not only had no reason to put me there-he must have seen something inside me. After that, I started playing better.”
Elin enjoys the freedom of the game
Their coach gave them freedom. “We really don’t have specific characters,” he explained. “My teammates scored higher, and I tried to set them up because the score wasn’t my strongest suit. Overall, our team didn’t have a strict distinction between the defender and the forward – anyone can play anywhere if needed.”
When asked who he was with, he said: “I think it’s Emrzin because we’re next to each other. I talked to Pilya (Pilipenko). I actually spent the most time with Mukhanov – we know each other since we played for the national team and have been friends for a longer time.”
Playing on the first line gave Erin confidence. However, he is still young and has room for improvement. “Yes, I’ve gained some confidence, but if I play two or three games without clicks, it’ll quickly go away. I feel like I’m doing the same thing, but nothing works. Then, if I have a good game, all of a sudden, I feel like I can do it again.”
The good thing is that his coach never forces them. “He asked us to play,” he said firmly. “He told us, ‘I’ll take responsibility for what you do.’ You’re not immediately put on hold for your mistakes. Instead, they’re just pointing out what’s next.”
Of course, let the Major League teach him valuable lessons. “Never turn around or you’ll get serious injuries and risk getting hurt. You have to stay focused. If you lowered once, you could be a big hit, missed half a season, and then good luck trying to get back into the roster.”
Earlier this season, Ilyin scored the fastest goal of the KHL season, seven seconds against Kunlun Red Star in November. “We had a show after the standoff and it worked well in the first attempt at one time. Later, in the third phase, we scored in exactly the same way.”
Elin’s early years
Like most professional players, Ilyin’s professional hockey journey has already begun. “I was taken to hockey when I was five,” he said. “I was still in kindergarten and I had a friend who always went to hockey during nap hours. I didn’t like napping there, so I wanted to go too. On my birthday, I got a pair of skates and a week later, I was already on the ice. At first we skated with small chairs to avoid falling. But I didn’t know, so I didn’t go out and fell immediately, crept up the goal line, and listened to the coach’s instructions. That was my first practice at the hockey school in Severstal. At that time, there was no extra skating class-anything-anything-anything-anything-anything-at any time, parents sent their kids for extra training. We had practice every day and we were off on the weekends.”
Surprisingly, even then, parents had time to take those extra skating classes. “I’ll go in the early morning or off days. I think the most important thing about childhood is that I’ll never get tired of hockey. If you have to go to extra meetings every morning at 7 a.m., you might start to hate it. But I’ve always loved it. Even now, I can’t do without hockey. I’m on a week off and I’ve wanted to go back to the ice.”
Young Elin is easily spotted in Severstal’s home game. “I think I started playing games at the age of six. At that time, I thought professional hockey was something outside of this world. Now, the arena in Cherepovets seemed small to me, but at that time, it felt big.”
Evgeni Malkin and Penguin
Irene has no doubt about his early idol. “Malkin,” he said. “I started to follow him when I started to learn about hockey better. In youth hockey, I wore #71 with his honor. I still keep up with him now.”
Then, he was selected by the penguin. “I was playing games for Almaz during the draft [Severstal’s junior team]. I remember sitting in the locker room with guys and some people say I’ll be selected in the fifth round, while others guess it’s Pittsburgh. That’s how it happens. We didn’t have internet reception in the locker room, so I walked outside and saw all the news that the penguin had drafted me. ”
“Of course, playing with him is a deep dream. But he is in an era where he might retire or return to Russia soon. I would love to play with him, but I don’t want to go beyond myself. I’m still in a stage where I might not be ready to go there.”
Elin’s contract with Severstal lasts until the end of the season. “That didn’t change anything. I don’t know what would happen. I just live in the moment and focus on this season.” He also admitted to staying in touch with the Penguins. “They checked me from time to time and asked about my condition. But we didn’t communicate continuously, and they wouldn’t bother me during the season.”
If Erin keeps improving, he may have a chance to meet his idol. He hasn’t become a regular NHL distance yet, and he might miss playing with Malkin, but the potential lies there.
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