Path to stardom: Igor Chernyshov
KHL.ru continues telling stories of those who showcased an exceptional level of playing despite their young age with Igor Chernyshov. The Dynamo Moscow’s forward established a record for the youngest player ever to debut in the KHL for the Blue-and-Whites and has already two solids seasons under his belt, despite being barely 18 years old.
Igor Chernyshov is the youngest debutant in Dynamo’s history in the Kontinental Hockey League. In less than a year, the forward went from his first game in the JHL all the way to the top. It only took Chernyshov three games to score his first tally at the pro level. The 2023-2024 season is the second for the young forward in the KHL. In it, he played 34 games in the regular season, with several appearances in the team’s top line.
Chernyshov was obviously very young at his debut in both the JHL and the KHL. “In my opinion, the progress of young players comes from the trust of the coaches and the team management,” the forward explains. “If they see talent in you, believe in you, you won’t even notice how you start to progress. When I got to the JHL, the coach saw something in me, put me on the second line, gave me playing time. From my first steps at the professional level, I gained tremendous experience playing with such players as Alexander Kisakov and Andrei Nikonov.”
As with many other high-level players, Chernyshov started playing quite early, in his native Penza. “My parents brought me when I was three years old,” the forward recalled. “When I arrived at the rink, kids my age were already skating well, both forwards and backwards, and performing some practices, while I started from scratch.” Hockey was his first love, although, like many other Russian players, he also practiced other sports. “In my childhood, I also did gymnastics, but it was more for overall development, to work different muscle groups and switch from one sport to another. Hockey was still my top priority. At that age, I didn’t think about the future at all; I just went and enjoyed it. I loved spending time with my teammates and chasing the puck. That’s all a kid needs to be happy.”
After his childhood in Penza, which is also home to other KHL players like Anton Slepyshev, Sergei Andronov, and Bogdan Konyushkov, the forward moved to the capital. “I moved to Moscow when I was 11, in November, and I turned 12 that same month,” Chernyshov recalls. “So after my family got the offer from Dynamo, we stayed in Penza for another year. At that time, the hockey school where I was training invited me to play with the older kids. I played with the older group for a year, then moved to Dynamo.”
Fast forward to 2022 – once again in November – when Dynamo Moscow faced Admiral Vladivostok. That night, Chernyshov had his debut in the KHL aged 16 years and 352 days. It was a record for the Blue-and-Whites, and the fourteenth player to debut in the league before turning 17. “You don’t feel it in the moment, because all the attention is focused on the excitement,” the forward says. “There are no thoughts like I’m so cool, that I’m making my debut at just 16. In my head I only had preparation, pre-match excitement, the game itself. You don’t think, ‘Wow, I’m trusted to play in the best league in Russia at the age of 16.’ Maybe after a week you realize your debut, you get warm emotions. After all, this is what you’ve been going for since you were a kid. Such events encourage you to keep working and improving.”
In his debut, Chernyshov only enjoyed thirty-six seconds on the ice being entrusted only one shift. He was ready for more, though. “Everything was new for me, I was getting used to, acclimating, and learning how everything worked. But it’s a common scenario for the first game” – he isn’t disappointed after all. “The main thing is that the ice time increases moving forward.”
He only played in the first period that night. “I definitely didn't resign myself. I tried to stay in shape: I did some squats, skated out to warm up during commercial breaks. I was waiting, preparing, and believing that there would be another shift, but the coaching staff knows best when to put players on the ice. I was satisfied with everything.”
Then, he netted his first in his third game against CSKA. He only had two shots in that game. Probably his deside to score was overwhelming. “I think that desire is paramount for every forward. In the first games, the main thing was to play correctly and follow the coach’s instructions. But a funny fact: if you analyze the situation with my goal, I actually played it wrong according to tactics and the coach’s assignment. But that move led to a goal for our team.”
Unfortunately for Chernyshov, however, the Blue-and-Whites lost that game (2:3). “It’s hard to say whether I was happier for my goal or angrier for the defeat,” he admits. “I hate losing. That day left a bit of a bad taste, but I tried to focus on the emotions from scoring. I understood that it happens only once in a lifetime, and defeats are part of the game; you have to handle them properly. So, that day, in the end, I felt more positive emotions than negative ones.”
Then, in a Dynamo Moscow’s win over Neftekhimik in December, the team picked him as the best player of the night. “I can’t give a definite answer on why I was picked,” Chernyshov says. “Dynamo has many experienced players who see how everyone works and performs. Apparently, someone liked my game, noticed that I was contributing, and decided to name me the best player. It was unexpected: we were standing in a circle, I was talking to someone and didn’t think they would name me. Then Nikita Gusev stands up and says he’s giving the best player award to me. It was nice, I remember it close to my heart.”
Another young and prominent player in Dynamo Moscow’s lineup is Yegor Rimashevsky, who was also born in 2005. The Belarusian-born forward contributed 14 (5+9) points this season. “I don’t really view it as a competition, who’s in the lineup instead of me, who was placed under the development rule, or which young player stood out,” Chernyshov explains about his ties with the other Dynamo’s rising star. “I have my own path, which consists solely of my actions and my game. I don’t think about it or get upset that Yegor plays more. I’m very happy that he’s doing well. I see it this way: it’s great that he’s in the lineup, but put me in too,” he smiles.
Many young players who have success at the JHL level find it hard to replicate such achievements at the pro level. Chernyshov, however, isn’t likely to find so many difficulties. But he has already identified what is the main difference. “Speed, the quickness of decision-making,” the forward firmly says. “The coach at Dynamo Academy, who later moved with us to the junior team, always said that pro players are pro because they make decisions quickly. In the KHL, everything is much faster, everything moves forward, no backward movements. You have to think and analyze much more quickly how and where to make each move.”
It has been a busy season for Chernyshov, who not only played in the KHL and the JHL, but also lined up at two All-Star Games and geared up for the national team. “I eat well, food saves me,” he laughs. “Joking aside, recovery plays a key role. These events give you a lot of positive emotions, which you draw strength from to perform and show your best.” Obviously, he isn’t disappointed by all this action. “Every call-up is a pleasure. It means they see something in me. When you find out about a tournament, you think, ‘Great, I’d love to go there.’ And when they tell you you've been called up, the emotions are even higher.”
He was a bit puzzled at first at the Challenge Cup and the Fonbet KHL All-Star Game. “Everything sounded a bit unusual, since it was all new to me. Initially, I thought it would be great to make it to the Challenge Cup, and from there to the All-Star Game. I’m happy we won in Tula because the West hadn’t won for a long time. I believe I showed myself as well as possible there.”
“In the NHL, I really like Sidney Crosby. He’s useful in any part of the ice at any time: power play, penalty kill, overtime, shootouts. He’s a versatile player who always makes the right play and contributes,” Chernyshov says about the players from whom he gets inspiration. “In the KHL, I would highlight Nikita Gusev. He’s a mentor for young players and often talks with us. When Gusev starts explaining the nuances and subtleties, you realize he’s a true professional, a master at his craft, and someone you want to learn from every minute.” And considering his progresses, it looks like Chernyshov did learn a lot from his mentor.
