Brent Sopel: I can’t pronounce ‘Metallurg Novokuznetsk’ yet

Metallurg Novokuznetsk new signing, defenceman Brent Sopel has spoken about the reasons behind his decision to join a KHL club and admitted he is still unable to read aloud the name of his new team.

«No. I’m not going to try it yet (laughs).»

«I enjoyed the fans [in Montreal]. They’re very passionate about hockey and their team, and I hope they appreciated that every night I worked as hard as I could to try to help the team win.»

«I was going to take league minimum or take a pay cut from what I was making to stay in the NHL. But those opportunities [here or elsewhere] weren’t there. Then the [KHL] offer came up very quickly and I jumped all over it.»

«This wasn’t a surprise to Kelly. When I told my kids, they said: ‘Dad, you’re going where?!’ They’re very supportive and they understand a business that’s been a part of their whole lives. It was a bit of a shock when I first told them, but we’ve got the technology now that makes things a lot easier – Skype, email and phone. We’ll stay connected, they’ll come to visit when I’m settled and I’ll be home for five days in December and during a couple other breaks along the way.»

«No question, this is about the life experience. I’m excited to see a different style of hockey and a part of the world I’ve never seen before. My family feels the same thing – it’s a chance for all of us to see Europe and they’re excited for me to play where I’m appreciated for what I do and what I’ve done in the past. I’m looking forward to embracing the city and the culture. And I want to try to push this team further than they’ve been, make the playoffs and make some noise,» Sopel said in an interview with The Montreal Gazette.