Photo: Fedor Uspensky

Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov gave an extensive interview with Mikhail Zislis of Sports Express on September 8, 2019. The interview covered a wide range of topics, including the Capitals early exit from the playoffs last season, winning the Stanley Cup, Barry Trotz, Todd Reirden, and his good friend Evegeny Kuznetsov.

“Kuznetsov made a mistake. Sad, sad, but life does not end. I did not know about Kuznetsov and cocaine. That was a surprise.’”

The interviewer asked Orlov whether he was surprised about Kuznetsov being suspended from IIHF international competition due to testing positive for cocaine.

Orlov answered, “Of course, I’m surprised. Evgeny is my good friend, a wonderful hockey player. He made a mistake.”  Orlov continued, saying, “In his current situation, Kuznetsov still needs to be supported. Life does not end, although what happened is very sad. But he remains a man. He has a family. God willing, he can remain at the same level as a player and even become the best in the NHL.

The interviewer asked Orlov if he knew that Kuznetsov had a problem with cocaine. “…For me, the news of Kuznetsov was as much of a surprise for me as it was for everyone else.”

“He needs to learn from this mistake. Let’s see how the NHL will react – will he be suspended or not. I do not know what will happen, since I myself am only following the situation on the news. I talked with Zhenya, but we did not discuss any details. I just supported him.”

Link to Article in Sports Express