Felicia Keller
Dmitry Orlov and Macklin Celebrini remember each other well.
Celebrini almost managed a dangle on Orlov, then with the Carolina Hurricanes, last season. They’ve laughed about it already.
“He tried to dangle me behind my stick and get away from me, but I stopped him a little bit short,” the 34-year-old defenseman said on Thursday. “When you play against good skill players, you’ll have to always be aware of what they’re doing, make sure they’re not past you.”
The left-hander, who signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the San Jose Sharks this past off-season, will be expected to take on a major role in the team’s defense. He and his family are also looking forward to the new start moving across the country from Carolina after spending his entire career on the East Coast.
Orlov spoke on how moving to San Jose has gone, his thoughts on new teammates Celebrini and Shakir Mukhamadullin, and what the San Jose Sharks need to improve upon this year.
On when he got to San Jose and first impressions…
Like two weeks. It’s been good, nice weather, and I’ve been enjoying every day right now. It was kind of a tough move. All the luggage come from Raleigh to here, and it’s unpacking. It’s always not easy. Me and my wife [have] been working for one week, so a lot of garbage, a lot of old stuff since Washington and Carolina, and it’s been 14 years I live in US and have to throw stuff away because something broke and something gets just too old and you’re not using it.
But in the hockey perspective, it’s a great facility, brand new, and just right now you try to meet the guys. Today is a first day of the camp, meet the system, meet the coaches. It’s three weeks probably, till the season starting. Right now, everybody is focused on what we need to do and being a good team and get better…[Management tried] to bring a little bit older guys, and last year young guys already played NHL. They know how hard it is, and everybody’s competitive, and you don’t want to be in last place.
On the biggest thing to improve for the San Jose Sharks…
I read some news when I signed, what’s going on with San Jose. Last year, the biggest problem (was) close the games. Tight games or one-goal games, it always sucks when you lose it, or the team ties and then you lost in OT or something. So I think it’s most important. It’s coming from experience. It’s why management [brought] the older guys, and it’s all little things, all details [that] come into the game from defense to offense, especially how you manage the puck and bluelines and how you communicate on the ice. And how you work hard on ice, how you play for each other. It’s all little things [that] help to win the games, and I think it’s going to be our main focus since day one in the camp and till the end of season, make sure we keep pushing at the practices together…to be better. Work hard, and then it’s going to help us to find a good way and be better in the standings next season.
On Macklin Celebrini…
You can see in the practice a lot of skill for the young kid, and you can feel it even last year when you play against them. And we actually have a little laugh when I came here in the shower, just talking about and with each other. And he said, ‘Do you remember I tried to dangle you one-on-one when we’re playing in Raleigh?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I remember that moment.’ So I didn’t give to him, but I know what he was doing, he tried to embarrass me, but not there yet. (laughs) But his IQ, his speed, skill, and he’s going to be great player for this organization for a long time.
I’ve been in Washington for so many years and I see different superstars there coming along. And it’s amazing when all organization, community [helps] kids they draft first-overall, high overall pick, and try to build a team around them. It’s important, and I think it’s a good organization here to make it happen.
On Shakir Mukhamadullin…
He’s a Russian teammate, so it’s always nice to see Russian guys around the team. It’s all my career I almost have them, only in the Boston, a short time, I didn’t have anybody, but most of the time I have my brothers from my country who I can speak with in the locker room. He’s a good-skill player, and he’s still a lot of room to grow, but I think he is, for sure, an NHL player, and he’s going to be good player for us.
On changing teams and conferences and a fresh start…
With San Jose it’s going to be different conference, different flights, just different world for me, totally. It’s going to be like I’m in [my] rookie season. It’s just going to be interesting. I’ve been 14 years already in the NHL playing in one conference. It’s just something new for me, going to be for my family, and I want to have a fresh start and just enjoy hockey, enjoy being a player. I love this game, and I want to play much as I can, and so it’s going to be important for me. I’ve been enjoying every day here right now and try to be doing my best for my new teammates and play hard.