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Joffrey Lupul's Lockout Diary: Part 2 - AskMen © Valerii9166/Flickr

Joffrey Lupul's Lockout Diary: Part 2

What Joffrey Lupul Learned In Russia Joffrey Lupul


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Well, it’s been almost a month in Russia now, and it's safe to say the honeymoon phase has worn off. What was initially comical is now becoming a tad bit frustrating. I didn't imagine it being quite so difficult living in a different country for an extended period of time. I have always considered myself a traveler, and I have been all over the world, but there is no place you can truly compare to Mother Russia. It's just a different way of life. And the language barrier is just the first obstacle. I could write for hours, and you wouldn't be able to grasp it. You have to be here for an extended period of time to realize what a different world it is. I'm not complaining — I knew that I was in for a culture shock when I came here to play in the KHL because of the NHL lockout, and it has been all that and more.

To sum this up, I am having a hard time adapting to life in Russia. After being here for a month, I can tell you Russia is not Sweden, nor Finland, nor Germany. There are major cultural differences here. The experience has made me much more sympathetic to the Russian players who come over to North America. I have played with or against plenty who were supposed to take the NHL by storm and be instant superstars. I have, at times, been very critical of some of these players for many reasons, but now I

can imagine — and sympathize with — how the 18- or 19-year-old Russian kids feel.

They've never left Russia, besides to play hockey. There are countless players (Zherdev and Radulov, to name a couple) who came overseas and were expected to carry an NHL team. This is just not p

ossible (unless your name is Malkin or Ovechkin). It's different hockey and a completely different way of life. I understand this now, and I wish in the past I was more accommodating and helpful to some of these players.

Quick story: My first NHL road trip included stops in Dallas, Nashville and another city (a six- or seven-day trip). I spent hours packing, not knowing exactly what I should bring. I was a nervous wreck. I showed up at the airport for the charter, and Stanislav Chistov and Alexei Smirnov (two rookie Russian first-round picks) were there with only a shaving kit. I would assume that they had no idea that the trip was six days and lacked the English and/or confidence to ask anyone. The general response from the guys on the team was "what a couple of f*cking idiots," and they were chirped pretty much the whole time to Dallas, whereupon arrival they had to go shopping and buy a week's worth of clothing.

Neither of these "can't miss" prospects are in the NHL anymore, and it's not because they couldn't play hockey. They were ultra-skilled. But they were labeled busts three years later. They just couldn't adapt to a different world at age 19.

I get why now. I don't want this blog to be all doom and gloom. On a more positive note: Russian women are absolutely gorgeous. They're all tall, thin and, unfortunately, don't speak a word of English. You know that feeling you get in America when you see a beautiful woman with an unattractive man? Multiply it by 10, and that's what you see on every street corner here.

This may be even more frustrating than the language barrier...


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