Hockey

“This Is a Different Level”: Kirill Kirsanov on Signing with LA Kings

Published: Jun 11, 2025, 11:00 AM
6 min read
Updated: Jul 8, 2025, 11:45 AM
Kirill Kirsanov #20

Kirill Kirsanov #20 (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Kings have signed 22-year-old Russian defenseman Kirill Kirsanov to a two-year entry-level contract through the 2026–27 season on June 1. Kirsanov spent the 2024–25 campaign with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL, where he tallied 3 goals and 7 points in 34 games, along with a +5 rating and 8 penalty minutes.

In an exclusive interview with RG, Kirsanov said his decision to join the Kings was heavily influenced by his visit to their development camp last summer.

“I realized I liked everything — the atmosphere, the way they communicate. The Kings are an incredible organization. There are so many small details that show it’s a whole different level. I saw their training facility — they’ve got three rinks, a great gym, everything’s top-notch. Nutrition, workouts — everything’s taken care of. I’m happy to be joining such a club,” he said.

According to Kirsanov, the Kings were in regular contact with him throughout the season.

“They made it clear they were interested. We kept in touch during the year, and by the end, I felt ready to take this step.”

Preparing for North America

After a short five-day vacation in Turkey, Kirsanov flies to New York on June 11 to begin offseason training at his agent’s camp. He plans to remain in the U.S. to get ready for the season.

“I think I’ll stay in the U.S. for my prep. Not sure yet when exactly I’ll fly to LA,” he said.

Kirsanov already had a chance to visit Los Angeles and said he and his wife were impressed.

“They say it’s a city of contrasts, and it really is. We loved the weather. People talk a lot about homelessness and drugs, but we didn’t see anything like that. We went to the beach, Beverly Hills, Hollywood — it was great.”

The Kings selected Kirsanov in the third round (84th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft. Since then, the organization has kept a close eye on his development.

“They came to Finland to watch my games when Jokerit was in the KHL. And they have a scout in Russia — Yuri Kovalev — who came to my games regularly,” Kirsanov explained.

He’s realistic about the challenge ahead and understands there will be strong competition for a roster spot.

“I’ll need to adapt to the North American style — the pace, the physicality. If the AHL helps me get comfortable, that’s totally fine.”

His contract includes an option to return to the KHL, if necessary.

“It’s just a fallback, in case something doesn’t work out on either side.”

Kirsanov hasn’t yet discussed his role with Kings coaches.

“If they want me to be aggressive offensively, I’ll gladly do it. If I need to focus on defense, play on the penalty kill, or take on other roles — I’ll do what’s asked. It’s all about what the team needs.”

Overcoming Injuries and Winning a Title

Kirsanov has played five KHL seasons with SKA St. Petersburg, Vityaz Podolsk, and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, totaling 5 goals and 19 points in 120 games. This spring, he helped Torpedo’s affiliate team Torpedo-Gorky win the VHL Championship, contributing 5 points in 19 playoff games.

“This was my first full season in a while — and that’s what matters. The last two years were tough with injuries: shoulder, knee… It feels good to finally be healthy.”

He detailed the injuries he dealt with.

“First, I tore my meniscus in training. Then tore it again. Later, I dislocated my shoulder during a game. But I’ve recovered completely now.”

Discipline and Larionov’s Influence

During his time in Torpedo, Kirsanov worked under head coach Igor Larionov — a three-time Stanley Cup champion — who was dismissed after a first-round playoff exit.

“My decision to go to the NHL has nothing to do with Larionov leaving, but I was surprised. The team played well, made the playoffs every year. Just didn’t get the result against Lokomotiv.”

Larionov often spoke about Kirsanov’s transformation. When he joined the team, he weighed close to 100 kg (220 lbs), and by April had dropped to 89 kg (196 lbs) — a big step for a 6’2” defenseman.

“It wasn’t exactly 105 like people said, but I was near 100. I just became more disciplined, changed my attitude toward my diet and training. I realized I needed to become faster and more mobile. Once I made the change, I felt better — on and off the ice.”

Larionov played a key role in that shift.

“We spoke almost every day — about meals, workouts, everything. After I got injured two months into joining the team, he told me, ‘Don’t let yourself go.’ I used that time to really focus on my nutrition and discipline. I’m very thankful to him for that.”

His diet wasn’t complicated: “No sugar, no junk food, no soda, no alcohol. I started the season at 91–92 kg and kept it there the whole year.”

Meeting Drew Doughty and Favorite Defensemen

Kirsanov said he’s looking forward to meeting Drew Doughty — a two-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the faces of the Kings franchise.

“He’s a legend of the Kings and the league. I can’t wait to meet him and hopefully play alongside him. Slava Voynov told me a lot about how things were when he played with Doughty in LA.”

Kirsanov follows the NHL closely and listed his favorite defensemen.

“I always say: Provorov, Orlov, Makar. Great skaters, can join the rush, but also play solid defense. I’d also mention Gavrikov — I watched his highlights and really liked what I saw. Would love to play a similar style in LA.”

Hockey Reporter
Daria Tuboltseva has been reporting on hockey since 2016, covering some of the sport’s biggest stages, including the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, the IIHF World Championships, and the KHL Gagarin Cup Finals. Over the past decade, her work has appeared in major outlets like Championat.com, Sport24, and the official websites of both the KHL and WHL. Along the way, she’s interviewed some of the game’s top stars, including Alex Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr, Kirill Kaprizov, and Sergei Bobrovsky.
Interests:
NHL
Nutrition
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James Murphy
James Murphy
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James Murphy is a veteran sports journalist covering the NHL, NCAA and CHL hockey for RG.

With 25 years of experience covering the Bruins, the NHL, NCAA, CHL and more, Murphy has seen it all when it comes to hockey. His hockey black book is filled with Hall of Famers, current players, coaches, management, scouts and a diverse array of hockey media personalities who have lived and worked in and around the game. Murphy also currently co-hosts The Eye Test podcast with Pierre McGuire and, along with McGuire, interviews NHL owners and executives, as well as NHL and NCAA head coaches and players daily.

The Arlington, Massachusetts, native began his writing career in hockey in 2001, when the Boston Bruins raised one of his childhood idols, Ray Bourque’s No. 77, to the rafters before their 2001–02 season opener. For 22 of his 25 years as a hockey reporter, Murphy covered the Bruins daily, including their victorious 2011 Stanley Cup run and their runs to the 2013 and 2019 Finals, multiple NHL drafts and countless Stanley Cup playoffs. He did all that for the Boston Metro, NHL.com, NESN.com and ESPN Boston.

In addition to his print work covering the Bruins, Murphy also made regular TV appearances on NESN, Fox 25 Boston, ESPN and NHL Network. From 2008 to 2012, Murphy hosted The Hockey Primetime Show on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and made numerous appearances on national and international radio shows.

Ironically, his three years not covering the Bruins were spent covering their archrivals, the Montreal Canadiens. From 2012 to 2015, Murphy was based in Montreal and covered the Canadiens for NHL.com and TSN.ca. He also appeared regularly on TSN 690 radio and CTV.

Murphy returned to Boston in 2015 and left the media business to work in sales and marketing for LiveBarn, a Montreal-based sports streaming company, for four years. In 2019, Murphy once again became a Bruins beat reporter, this time writing for Boston Hockey Now. He spent four seasons working for BHN before arriving at RG in 2024 and also dedicated more time to The Eye Test podcast.

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