New Icecast’s season – First guest: Darren Dietz
Icecast is back! The first guest of the new season of the official podcast of the Kontinental Hockey League is two-time Gagarin Cup champion, CSKA defenseman, Darren Dietz.
Darren Dietz had a conversation with the Icecast hosts, Oleg Morozov and Anna Andronova, and shared his experiences from his youth in the small Canadian town of Medicine Hat, his move to the KHL, the challenges of learning the complex Russian language, his love for sports cars, and much more.
The defenseman hails from Medicine Hat, and he wanted to talk about his hometown. “Oil and gas are the main industries there. My father works in this field, but I chose a different path. My father always wanted me to fully commit to hockey. However, when I was 15-16 years old, all my friends had already started earning money, and I also wanted to have a bit of money, so I decided to work with my father. He said to me, ‘Let’s do it!’ So I got the license to drive a tractor and went to work with him. In short, I sat in the tractor, and my task was to go forward-backward, forward-backward, forward-backward. After a month, I realized that it was better to just focus on practicing!”
Several high-profile players come from the Alberta town, like Curtis Valk, or former Olympic Games participant Trevor Linden. “The Medicine Hat Tigers, who play in the junior leagues, they have been playing successfully for many years,” Dietz explains. “But I didn’t play for them; I lined up for the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL. How did it happen? You’d have to ask the management! I wasn’t drafted into the WHL, but then I received an offer from Saskatoon. I gave it a try, and after the camp, they offered me a spot in their system. At first, it wasn’t a contract. But in the next season, I was already playing for them. My parents knew that it was my dream to become a professional hockey player.”
Valk and Dietz both hail from Medicine Hat and were born on the same year. “We used to play against each other all the time in our city league,” the defenseman recalls. “You could say we were fierce rivals (smiles). Then we played together, and it was much more enjoyable to play on the same team as him, rather than against him. Later on, he became the captain of the Medicine Hat Tigers, and I played for the Saskatoon Blades. I moved to the KHL first, played a season, and I enjoyed it. During the offseason back home, I met up with Curtis, and I told him that the KHL is a great league where you can play and develop.”
However, moving to the KHL was for Dietz himself a challenge. “Honestly, I didn’t know much about the league,” he admits. “But I talked to some guys, and there are always rumors in the locker room because some had played in the KHL. When I received an offer from Barys, I looked at the roster and saw players like Nigel Dawes, Kevin Dallman, and Dustin Boyd. I spoke with Nigel, who was the team captain at the time, and consulted with Jeff Glass, the goalie; they gave me a lot of information. How did my parents react to my decision to go to Kazakhstan? I’ll say it again, they always supported me. When I made this decision, I was 23 years old. Now it seems to me that I was just a boy, but back then, I thought I was already an adult and could make such a decision. And I went for it! When I got off the plane in the middle of the night, I saw a person wearing a Barys jacket. We got into a minivan and drove to the hotel, and I was looking at the city; it was very interesting.
His adaptation to his new reality wasn’t hard for the defenseman. “Probably, the size of the rink was the main difference,” Dietz says. “But adapting to Barys was easy because I played on a line with Daus, Dallman, Boyd, and I felt like I wasn’t a foreigner at all! We played our game, did our job. We lived in the same complex, went everywhere together. I am grateful to them for their help. Where to go in Astana? I really enjoyed walking in the park; I lived on the waterfront near the river, and it’s very beautiful and peaceful there.” It wasn’t hard to adapt to day-to-day life, even if in a new country, so different from his native one. “When I came to the KHL, my whole career was ahead of me, but I wanted to do more than just play hockey. I wanted to experience something different. Another culture, mentality, and much more. I wanted to discover a new world for myself. So, the move to the KHL was not just about hockey for me, not just about sports. This attitude helped me both on and off the ice.”
One of the biggest barriers for new import players in the league is the language one. And in Kazakhstan, not only Russian is spoken, but Kazakh as well. “My Kazakh is quite limited, I have to admit,” the blueliner says. “When I arrived in the KHL, I quickly realized that I didn’t understand anything. It’s tough to be part of a team when you can’t communicate with everyone! So, I immediately thought that learning the language was a priority. There were guys who spoke English quite well, and they helped me, like Maxim Semyonov and Konstantin Pushkaryov. But it’s not their job to be my translators! Once, I saw an advertisement for a language school near my home. I went in, learned more, and decided I needed to start. At first, I had lessons three times a week, but after a couple of months, it was clear that progress was slow. I still didn’t understand anything in the locker room, and it was tough. Then I got injured and decided I needed to find something positive in it. I couldn’t play, but I could study more! I practiced for two hours every day, did a lot of homework. After four months, I realized I was on the right path. There’s a basic level needed to work and feel comfortable. I wanted something more, so I continue on the path of learning the language. I can read Russian literature, but sometimes it’s still hard for me to understand the ideas.”
My wife is a philologist,” he goes on. “And here’s an interesting story: she was my first and only teacher! Was it love at first sight? Maybe from my side! We worked together for four years, but she didn’t even look at me! Just work. I tried (laughs). Then she moved to another country, worked there, and when she returned to Astana, I told her, ‘We’ve been working together for four years, you know everything about me, but I know nothing about you.’ And she said, ‘You never asked!’ So, I, somewhat modestly, said, ‘Maybe for dinner?’ She agreed. That’s how it happened,” he recalls with a smile.
At the 2020 KHL All-Star Game, Dietz showcased a colorful Alexander Pushkin costume. “A day before the game, I’ve been told, ‘Darren, we have this idea, can you do it?’ I didn’t know if I could! On the plane, I tried to learn, read, and repeat. I thought that if I failed, everyone would understand that I was a foreigner. I was a bit worried, but again, if you want to explore a new world, you have to do things that make you uncomfortable. I’m glad I made the effort back then and took a step forward in terms of the language. Speaking of Russian classics, I’m currently listening to an audiobook. Chekhov’s ‘The Cherry Orchard.’ The title is a bit heavy for me! I listen and if there’s something I don’t understand, I replay it. It does require a lot of attention.”
After five years in Astana, Dietz was moved at the 2021-2022 deadline to CSKA . “It was truly amazing. In CSKA, the club’s mission is crystal clear, with only one goal every year. It was inspiring. When you’re in the locker room and all the guys are so focused on it, along with the coaching staff. The club has experience, having been in the finals many times. It pushes you to reach a different level. It’s one thing to be a good player, and another to be a champion. I learned that in the CSKA locker room. What’s impressive about Sergei Fedorov is that he walks like a champion. His words, his presence – he always resembles a champion! He has won at different levels, as a coach, as a player, with a wealth of experience. I want to be a sponge and absorb all that. His calmness and confidence are contagious to us, the players.”
In last year’s game seven against Ak Bars, Dietz got a late penalty and was forced to watch the end of the third period from the sin bin. “I was in shock!” he says. “I’m ready to argue about that penalty, but let’s leave it in the past (smiles). I was more nervous than ever, but I knew the guys were ready to stand their ground. It looks funny on the video – we won, and I come out of the penalty box. It was a very tough journey. We gave it our all. The series against Ak Bars was very challenging. It was one of the toughest series I ever had. We were happy with the victory, but not for long – we were very tired. A long playoff, with games every other day. It wasn’t easy with Severstal in the first round – there was a lot of noise and talk about us breezing through. But no, they’re a good team, they played freely, without pressure. The pressure was on us, and we felt it. Ultimately, the experience from that series helped us.”
CSKA has naturally a local rivalry with other Moscow-based clubs. However, many wonder whether other teams are pumped to face the Gagarin Cup champions. “And who’d not be a significant opponent?” Dietz asks with a smile. “I get that feeling after two consecutive Gagarin Cups. Even when I played for Barys, I circled the game against CSKA on my calendar. I’m sure everyone wants to beat us, to show their best game. So, every match is significant. From the fans’ perspective, there are significant rivals – Spartak, Dynamo, and SKA. It’s a lot of fun to play in these derbies! There’s a different atmosphere, and I enjoy these games. Spartak recently defeated us, and it didn’t taste good. I’m looking forward to the next meeting!”
Other than hockey, Darren Dietz is known for his love for drag racing. “It all started with my father,” he explains. “He has been involved in racing since childhood. When I started playing hockey as a kid, I stole some of his time and resources, so he couldn’t race while managing my activities. But now that I’ve grown up, he’s returned to it and is into drag racing, quarter-mile races. He does it all – he drives and does the repairs as a mechanic. He’s a master. I don’t have those skills, but I can drive pretty well, and we make a good team in that sense. I haven’t participated in races in the last few years, but I miss it! My father owns a Mustang – his first car that he bought for $500 when he was young. That car is over forty years old, and my father always repairs it himself, investing in it. It’s his pride, and I’m proud of it too. Do I watch other races? I watch Formula 1. I’m a big fan of Lewis Hamilton! The number 44, just like mine! I also like Max Verstappen – when you’ve driven and raced yourself, you respect what drivers do in those cars. It’s incredibly challenging. I once bought tickets for the Monaco Grand Prix, and then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. I never got to go. But it’s definitely on my to-do list.”
In Dietz’s free time, however, there’s not only racing. “My wife loves art, and I’m just a regular guy from Medicine Hat. We didn’t have a theater there,” the defenseman explains. “This is also a new world for me, and she helps me discover it, explains, and gives me tips. It’s also personal growth for myself not only as a player but as a person. We enjoy these moments together. Time is especially limited, but we managed to go to the Bolshoi Theatre! It was a ballet, but don’t ask me for the name (laughs). We went to the theater a couple of times in St. Petersburg. It’s cool. If you’re a happy person, you work better. And I’m very happy now!”
