Bogdan Trineyev’s unexpected trip to the AHL: “There was no one to play! So they told me “You play!”

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Photo: Sport24

It was a whirlwind 2021-22 season for Washington Capitals forward Bogdan Trineyev, ending with an unexpected move to Hershey and an unexpected AHL debut. He will return to Dynamo in the KHL for a third season this fall, but is expected to potentially make the jump to North America for the 2023-24 season.

On May 2, Trineyev signed his first NHL contract with the Capitals and the next day he signed an amateur tryout deal with the Hershey Bears. Trineyev flew from Russia to Hershey via Georgia (the country) and Turkey in time for some practice. He made his AHL debut in the Bears’ must-see second game of their first-round series with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on May 8.

“I didn’t train at all for two weeks before coming to Hershey,” he said in a recent interview with Sport24.

traveler man

The process of restarting his 2021-22 season began by traveling to the United States. There is a lot of speculation and various reports about how easy or difficult it will be for Russian players to travel from Russia to the United States with the war in Ukraine and associated travel restrictions predominating in planning. Trineyev traveled through Turkey, but got his Georgia visa and did it in a week.

“It didn’t take long. With only one change – through Turkey. Pretty handy these days. As for the visa, I did it in Georgia, spent a week in a hotel,” Trineyev said. “I flew to Washington, and from there immediately to Hershey. And already there I met with Washington’s development coach.

Bogdan Trineyev: Annual review and forecasts for 2022

Upon arriving at Hershey, Trineyev was assessed and told he was not in his best shape. But why would it be? His season had ended weeks before his unplanned trip to America.

“They said I wasn’t in the best shape. That you need to work more on the “physics”. Farm club guys are usually taller than me. I tried to play well, for the team. They noticed it.

The plan was for Trineyev to get his feet wet, get to know Hershey and start to understand the American game. He wasn’t scheduled to play, let alone play in a post-season game. But as they say about the best plans…

“Initially, it was planned that I would just go to look around, to train. But it turns out that the team was covered by an epidemic of injuries. There was no one to play! So they said to me “you play.” I was delighted, of course, but it was unexpected for me.

Trineyev’s crash course in America was led by Belarusian Aliaksei Protas and fellow Russian Alex Alexeyev. They were basically responsible for looking after Trineyev and showing him the ropes.

“They were always with me! And they went to training and games. Practical guardians. They helped me with documents, food, materials. The guys there are like locals, they speak English calmly. I had the good fortune to meet them in Hershey.

As usual, any Russia Capitals prospect making his first trip to the United States is asked about meeting Alexander the Great. Trineyev was no different. He said he was nervous for the first time with Russian Capitals players.

“Before the repechage, I only saw him once, at the base in Novogorsk. Ovechkin was preparing for the season, and we were on the junior team. I asked him to take a photo. And the second time was after this season. I came to Washington and together we flew to Russia. We talked a bit. »

“When I was driving in Washington, I thought I had only seen Ovechkin, Orlov, Kuznetsov and Samsonov on TV. It made him a bit awkward. But Alexeyev reassured me. He said it was normal the first time, it happened to everyone. Relax, you’ll be fine. I tried to relax, but it wasn’t normal (laughs).

He remembers his first handshake with Alex Ovechkin.

“Shake, of course! (smile).

By Jon Sorensen

About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Center in 1974. His interest in the Caps grew over the decades, including being a season ticket holder. He was a reporter covering the team for over 10 years, focusing primarily on analysis, analysis and lead development.

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