Why Devils’ Arseny Gritsyuk Once ‘Hated’ Playing Alongside Egor Chinakhov
Way before New Jersey Devils forward Arseny Gritsyuk and fellow Russian Egor Chinakhov became NHL players, they couldn’t stand playing on the same line. But what began as a frustrating partnership between two teenagers ultimately became a helpful hurdle in both reaching hockey’s highest level.
In a recent interview with Tribuna’s YouTube channel, conducted in Russian and translated to English, Gritsyuk reflected on his longtime relationship with Chinakhov, dating back to their days in the Avangard Omsk youth system in Russia.
Llongtime youth coach Oleg Ugolnikov kept the two future NHL forwards stapled to the same line as they climbed through the organization’s junior ranks. Gritsyuk admitted that neither was exactly fond of the idea.
“Since we were 12, we basically always played together on the same line,” Gritsyuk said. “Even though we hated [playing with] each other, we still played together.”
The frustration, however, had nothing to do with their relationship off the ice. It was simply hockey-related. Both played a similar style, and their playstyles naturally clashed.
“We always treated each other well but it’s difficult when you’re competing for basically the same position,” Gritsyuk said. “He wanted to score, and I wanted to score…we were really ambitious kids.”
Eventually, the competition reached a breaking point: “I’d go into the coach’s office and say, ‘I can’t play with him,'” Gritsyuk recalled.
“‘Get out of here,'” he told Gritsyuk. “‘Chinakhov was in here five minutes ago saying the exact same thing. Go play together…'”
Rather than separating the two talented forwards, Ugolnikov never caved despite repeated requests: “‘You’re going to play together, even if you end up hating each other or fighting each other,'” the coach said.
Looking back now, Gritsyuk believes Ugolnikov recognized something the two young players couldn’t see at the time. Rather than separating two gifted scorers competing for the same opportunities, he challenged them to learn how to succeed together.
“Honestly, credit to him for putting up with us,” Gritsyuk said with a laugh.
It worked. As the years passed, the rivalry gradually evolved into chemistry. They’d spent so many years together that playing alongside one another became second nature. Coaches continued keeping them on the same line as they advanced to the MHL, where they combined for 132 points in the 2019-20 season.
Needless to say, both carried that momentum into becoming everyday NHLers.
“We changed the way we thought,” Gritsyuk said. “I realized he was a really good player for me, and I made him better too.”
Despite now playing for different NHL teams, Gritsyuk and Chinakhov remain close friends. They continue training together during the offseason, with Gritsyuk admitting Chinakhov’s work ethic has helped elevate his own preparation:
“I probably changed [for the better] because of training with Chinakhov,” Gritsyuk said in a separate interview with Russian media outlet SKLed. “I don’t really like forcing myself. I need to see someone working, and then I start working too.”
When the Devils visited the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, Chinakhov invited Gritsyuk over for dinner at his home. Gritsyuk later shared photos from the evening on his infamous Telegram channel.
Ugolnikov’s decision wasn’t easy for either player to accept at first, but years later, neither player looks back on it with frustration. Instead, Gritsyuk credits those formative years alongside Chinakhov as a key part of both players’ development.
The two friends are scheduled to meet four times this season when the Devils face the Pittsburgh Penguins: Dec. 5, Mar. 18, Mar. 25 and Apr. 10.