Kovalenko Would Like To Stay in NHL, But What Has To Change Next Year With Sharks? (+)

In some ways, today was arguably the toughest day in Nikolai Kovalenko’s NHL career.

And we’re not talking about his on-ice performance.

The Russian winger had a 12-minute locker room interview in a language he’s still learning.

A true test for every non-native English speaker.

Especially for Kovalenko who had to address some tough topics related to his recent podcast appearance suggesting that head coach Ryan Warsofsky has a bias against using Russian players and his dad Andrei Kovalenko’s interview where he confirmed that his son was unhappy with the San Jose Sharks.

But while Kovalenko’s English is still somewhat limited, his outgoing personality shined through in every answer today.

And he clarified that his unhappiness in San Jose was just about his playing time.

So what happened with the San Jose Sharks this year? What does he enjoy about the city of San Jose? And what’s he working hard on off the ice?