Nashville Predators Andrei Kostitsyn wants to see Lockout Continue -NHL Special
Revealing a totally different side of the story from his own point of view, veteran member of the Nashville Predators club, Andrei Kostitsyn, is actually hoping that the lockout will actually continue for the whole season, by terming it to be “better for
the player”.
Talking with a Russian newspaper, Sport-Express, during his time in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) as the lockout currently persists in the National Hockey League (NHL) of North America, Kostitsyn described how gloomy of a situation it really was.
“Let’s put it this way – it would be better (for the players) if the lockout continues,” Kostitsyn said.
He also added his views on American culture by saying that it was totally different compared to what Russian players are generally used to and that the lockout situation is far worse than fans and the media conceive it to be. There are still many complications
that both sides need to work out in order for there to be peace and harmony and hockey again, but according to Kostitsyn, that is not going to happen any time soon.
“Couldn’t get used to (American) mentality. They are totally different people from us,” Kostitsyn added.
Being one of the top players of the Nashville Predators, it is certainly disturbing for fans to hear this kind of point of view from someone who has such a high standings amongst colleagues. He was drafted 10th overall by the Montreal Canadiens
back in 2003 and did not have the best time there due to the lack of consistency.
Kostitsyn joined the Nashville club during a trade in the 2011-2012 NHL regular season and has 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in the 19 games he played along with 10 minutes in penalty time. In a total of 398 games played in up until now, Kostitsyn has 222
points (103 goals, 119 assists) and 181 penalty minutes with an accumulated plus-minus rating of 15.
For him, the regular season is entirely gone if the NHL continues to play their cards the way they have been doing recently. There is not a definitive answer from their side, Kostitsyn believes, and that is the only major aspect which is holding them back
from achieving a major milestone.
"Players want a definite answer. If the NHL season is lost — let it be that way," according to the report. "I would then play in Russia for the whole season."
At the moment, Kostitsyn is just a free spirit as he is one of the few big name players without a contract for the next season and ended his one-year deal in July of this year, which was a one-year, $3.25 million one.
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