Three years in a row Alexei Yashin was elected captain during the Kontinental Hockey League’s All-Star matches. Even the NHL’s quickest goalkeepers proved helpless against Yashin’s game and leaders of the North American league have been left shaking in their skates. Alexei Yashin is the first Russian hockey player to be named captain in the NHL, world champion and to have received two medals in the Olympic Games. After a long wait, he has finally won a place in the hearts of Russian hockey fans. The “Captain of Russia” played 12 seasons with one of the most famous and prestigious hockey leagues in the world, playing first with the Ottawa Senators, and later with the New York Islanders. He dared to challenge the NHL system, and a season after such a tumultuous conflict, signed a record-breaking 10-year contract with the New York team. The international hockey star told host Natalya Krylova about his successes and triumphs, as well as about the tragic and depressing moments he has encountered during his impressive career.