This week, What Chaos! released their interview with Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko, and it was certainly a great listen.
Here are five things we learned about Marchenko from the interview.
1. He Doesn't Listen To Music
Believe it or not, Marchenko doesn't have a subscription to Apple Music or Spotify. He said he doesn't listen to the music in the locker room and it doesn't matter to him if they play it.
Kirill Marchenko has no time for music pic.twitter.com/idOfozx07u
— What Chaos! (@WhatChaosShow) January 10, 2024
While he doesn't listen to music, Marchenko does a lot of karaoke in Russia.
2. He Grew Up Idolizing Alex Ovechkin, But Has A New Favorite Player
Marchenko said Ovechkin was every Russian's favorite player growing up, including his, but now, his favorite player is Nikita Kucherov, and also likes watching Kirill Kaprizov. However, Kucherov is not the reason he wears No. 86.
He said that in his first season with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, he wore No. 34 because of Auston Matthews, but because Marchenko had a bad season, he switched to No. 86, which was an open number.
3. His Favorite Animal Is The Red Panda
Marchenko loves the Columbus Zoo. He said he and his wife love animals and they've gone two or three times this season. He said he likes to walk around because it's relaxing and he can think about things other than hockey. His favorite animal there is the red panda.
"It's really cool," Marchenko said of the animal. "They look like cats."
4. He's Not The Best Translator
This season, Marchenko has served as a translator for his linemates, Yegor Chinakhov and Dmitri Voronkov. When translating for Voronkov, Marchenko said that he sometimes tells Voronkov to just say yes because Marchenko doesn't understand the question being asked. He'd also like to be paid for his work as a translator.
Kirill Marchenko is crushing two jobs at once pic.twitter.com/Ks5cKtpaya
— What Chaos! (@WhatChaosShow) January 11, 2024
Marchenko told a funny story about a time on the bench when his skate laces broke and he needed scissors but didn't know the word, so Voronkov told Marchenko what the word was, so he does know a little bit of English.
5. He loves the French Language
Marchenko said he's been learning some French from his French teammate, Alexandre Texier, including the phrase "Je suis perdu," which translates to "I'm lost."
"It's a really beautiful language," Marchenko said. "When I listen to it, it's really good."
This season, Marchenko has posted 13-9--22 in 40 games after scoring 21-4--25 in 59 games as a rookie. As prolific of a goal-scorer as he is on the ice, he's an even better personality. It's good to see that be publicized for the people who don't have the pleasure of being around him daily.
