‘We talked to Hedman for 45 minutes after my trade to Utah’, Sergachev says

4 min read
Aug 5, 2024, 9:22 AM

Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev Credit: DIRK SHADD | Times

Mikhail Sergachev is preparing to move to Utah. In late June, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded the defenseman to the Utah hockey club, which does not yet have a name. The hockey player visited Salt Lake City in July, admiring the cleanliness of the streets and the people's responsiveness.

"I realized that Utah is super top," Sergachev told RG.org exclusively in early August. "I went there in early July, looked at the city and the arena, tried to find a house I could move into in September, and I really liked everything. The cleanliness of the streets especially struck me. You won't find this in New York or other big cities."

Sergachev spent part of the summer in Moscow, where he met with former Utah Jazz star Andrei Kirilenko, who played there from 2001 to 2011.

"He told me a lot about Utah and Salt Lake City," Sergachev said. "He advised me where to live and promised to send me a list of good restaurants. He said the club has a great owner who is always in touch with you. He told me many things."

What was Kirilenko's main piece of advice? "Don't have too many wives," Sergachev laughed.

Utah has yet to decide on a team name. The shortlist includes several options: Utah Yeti, Utah Hockey Club, Utah Outlaws, Utah Venom, Utah Mammoth, and Utah Blizzard.

"I like Blizzard the most," Sergachev said. "And not because it's a famous video game company, but because it has a double 'z' at the end, like the Jazz basketball club. I think it fits."

Sergachev spent seven seasons in Tampa Bay, winning the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021. The 26-year-old has grown into a leader in the Lightning's defense, so the trade was unexpected in any case.

"At first, it was a shock, but I kind of had a premonition," Sergachev said. "I thought they would trade either me or two other guys because they needed space under the salary cap. At first, I thought it was for Steven Stamkos, but it turned out it was for Jake Guentzel."

"My pride wasn't hurt because I don't get upset or cry after trades," Sergachev said. "I understand that the NHL is not about love or relationships. I know where I play. It's business, money, organizations. Clubs do what's convenient for them. It was convenient for Tampa to do it this way. But there are still advantages for me. I'm joining a team where I can become a leader. Overall, I'm happy. And it seems like Utah is happy too."

Sergachev said he spoke on the phone for 45 minutes with Victor Hedman immediately after the trade and then with Steven Stamkos.

"We remembered our victories and defeats and thought about the future. It was nice," Sergachev said.

However, it seems that the words that Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy said to him should not be discussed publicly.

"What they wrote to me cannot be talked about," Sergachev smiled. "They were very emotional, and their emotions still cannot be contained."

Sergachev will come to Tampa for the first time after the trade on March 27, 2025. He has to wait almost until the end of the regular season. NHL hockey players have a tradition of making a friendly bet on a match against their former teams. In case of victory, the money goes into the players' common pool and is spent on restaurants or other team needs.

"I still bet against Montreal; the older guys make me do it," said Sergachev, who was traded from the Canadiens to the Lightning in 2017. "I'll probably bet a lot against Tampa."

Sergey has been in sports journalism since 2007 as a reporter, editor, and manager. He has covered the Olympic Games, soccer World Cups, the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, the European championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, IOC events, and many others. Sergey interviewed the sport's greatest athletes, coaches, and executives. Since 2016, he has been an Independent Senior Editor of NHL.com/ru.

Interests:
NHL
EPL
FIFA
UCL
NFL
NBA
tennis
BWF
Hiking
Poker

More RG Exclusive Interviews

Our Authors

Paruyr Shahbazyan began his business career in 2000 as a private entrepreneur. Over thirteen years, he developed a deep understanding for business and leadership, laying a solid foundation for his professional journey.

In 2013, Paruyr stepped into the sports and betting industry as the founder and president of Bookmaker Rating. This online mass media platform, which he led until 2020, focused on providing in-depth analysis and insights in sports betting, earning a reputation for its quality content. 

Continuing his innovative approach in 2022, Paruyr co-founded Azuro, a decentralized betting protocol. This venture showcases his dedication to integrating advanced technology in the evolving landscape of sports betting. Through these diverse experiences, Paruyr has continuously influenced and shaped the betting industry, driving new trends and setting high standards.

 ExperienceYear
Engaged in private entrepreneurship2000-2013
Founder and President at Bookmaker Rating, an online platform focused on sports and betting2013-2020
Co-founder at Azuro, a decentralized betting protocol2022

"Innovation in sportsbetting comes from a deep understanding of both technology and the human element of sports." 

- Paruyr Shahbazyan, Founder, RG

 

Principles and Ethics

Paruyr Shahbazyan's core beliefs lie in the power of informed decision-making and integrity in the betting industry. He understands that the foundation of successful betting is not just about odds and predictions, but also about the trust and reliability of the information provided. Paruyr advocates for a betting environment where transparency and knowledge are paramount, ensuring that bettors are well-equipped with accurate data and insights.

Strategic Vision

Paruyr's vision is to revolutionize the sports betting industry through the integration of technology. He sees the future of betting as a blend of traditional sports knowledge with innovative tech solutions, like decentralized protocols, to enhance user experience and fairness. His aim is to create platforms that are not only user-friendly but also uphold the highest standards of ethical betting, contributing to a more responsible and enjoyable betting culture.

Future Perspectives

Looking towards the future, Paruyr envisions a betting landscape that is more inclusive, technologically advanced, and globally connected. He anticipates a significant shift towards more decentralized and transparent betting systems, driven by blockchain technology. Paruyr is committed to being at the forefront of this change, continuously exploring new possibilities and innovations that can redefine what it means to engage in sports betting in a digital world. His focus is on building systems that prioritize user empowerment, fairness, and the global growth of the sports betting community.

 

Sol Fayerman-Hansen
Sol Fayerman-Hansen
Editor-in-Chief

Sol has over 20 years of experience in writing for diverse industries including sports, gambling, regulation, technology, and startups. As the Editor-in-Chief at RG, Sol brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role, focusing on delivering transparent, evidence-based content grounded in thorough research. Sol's mission is to empower readers to enjoy gambling responsibly and make informed decisions, enhancing their overall experience through insightful and engaging content. Under Sol's leadership, RG prioritizes the highest standards of integrity and reliability, ensuring that all information provided is accurate and trustworthy. Sol's dedication to transparency and research-based writing helps create a responsible gambling environment where readers can truly benefit from the content. This commitment to excellence has positioned RG as a leading source of information in the gambling industry.

Experience:

  • Over 20 years in writing and editing across multiple industries
  • Former head of regional innovation at BMO Financial Group
  • Senior Writer, Online Casino Reports
Cristina Varela Galan
Cristina Varela Galan
Problem Gambling Expert

Cristina used to work as a Psychology Assistant in the Bizkaia Pathological and Risky Gamblers Association. She was also part of a research team in Deusto University, specializing in pathological gambling area. While working there, she managed to develop her own project 

 “Exploring the association between emotional regulation, alexithymia, stressful life events and gambling in adolescent and young adult women”.

Nick Ashbourne
Nick Ashbourne
Senior Writer

Nick has been fascinated with sports since he was first taken to a Toronto Maple Leafs game back in 1998, and he's written about them professionally since 2014.

Nick has covered baseball and hockey for outlets like The Athletic, Sportsnet, and Yahoo Sports, and his sports betting expertise has grown since its legalization in Ontario in 2022. 

Between 2022 and 2023 he worked for a betting startup called NorthStar Bets, and in 2024 he contributed to Oddspedia before joining the Responsible Gambler team.

Sergey Demidov
Sergey Demidov
Head of News Department

Sergey has been in sports journalism since 2007 as a reporter, editor, and manager. He has covered the Olympic Games, soccer World Cups, the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, the European championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, IOC events, and many others. Sergey interviewed the sport's greatest athletes, coaches, and executives. Since 2016, he has been an Independent Senior Editor of NHL.com/ru.

Anna Kravtcova
Anna Kravtcova
Problem Gambling Expert

Ph.D. in organizational psychology, an internationally certified psychologist (EuroPsy 2022, Cognitive behavioural therapy of mindfulness 2020, International Society for Emotional Intelligence 2017, Russian Psychological society 2014, American Psychological Association(Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologist) 2011), speaker of many international conferences (USA, Brazil, Portugal, Czech Republic, Russia, etc.). TEDx speaker.

Mark Medina
Mark Medina
NBA Reporter

Mark Medina is a longtime NBA reporter that includes stints as a Lakers blogger with The Los Angeles Times (2010-12), Lakers beat writer with the Los Angeles Daily News (2012-17), Warriors beat writer with Bay Area News Group (2017-19) as well as an NBA reporter/columnist for USA Today (2019-21) and NBA.com (2021-23). Medina is also an NBA insider with Fox Sports Radio and frequent contributor to CBSLA's SportsCentralLA with Jim Hill and with Spectrum Sportsnet.

Daria Tuboltseva
Daria Tuboltseva
Hockey Reporter

Daria went to St. Petersburg State University and earned a bachelor of international journalism. Working as a sports journalist from 2014, from 2016 as a hockey journalist. Covered 5 World Championships, 2022 Winter Olympics, 2020 World Juniors, 6 Gagarin Cup Finals. 

Owner of a telegram channel Coolest Game on Earth.

Integrative nutritionist specializing on sports nutritionology.

Paul M. Banks
Paul M. Banks
Sports Reporter

Paul M. Banks is a professional Content Creator whose career has seen bylines in numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Yahoo, MSN, FOX Sports and Sports Illustrated.

Banks has made scores of guest appearances on live radio and television, featuring regularly on NTD News, WGN-TV, CCTV, ESPN Radio, the History Channel, SiriusXM and CBS Sports Radio.

He is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank.net, which has been featured and linked in hundreds of leading media outlets all across the world.

He has also authored two books, one of which, "No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in Sports Media," became an assigned textbook in journalism courses at State University New York-Oneonta.

Marco D'Amico
Marco D'Amico
Hockey Reporter

Marco D'Amico is a beat reporter covering the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL Draft, while also being a recurring guest on TSN690 and BPM Sports. His work primarily on NHL CBA breakdowns and prospect analysis, all while covering the Montreal Canadiens on a day-to-day basis.

Show More