Artyom Gonchar: “My goal for the season is to play for Metallurg in Russia’s top league”
Interview with Metallurg junior team’s top scorer from the blueline.
When choosing a sport, Artyom Gonchar followed in the footsteps of his older brother Mikhail and uncle Sergei, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and the record holder among Russian defensemen for both games played (1,301) and points scored (811) in the NHL. The young blueliner showcased his offensive potential in just his second season in the OLIMPBET JHL, recording 25 points (7 goals, 18 assists) in 50 regular-season games in 2024-2025, becoming the top-scoring defenseman for Stalnye Lisy – Metallurg’s farm team. Now, the 18-year-old has big goals ahead — one of which is to play in the KHL under Andrei Razin, who has consistently developed young players at the highest level for several years. In this interview, Artyom Gonchar reflects on the past season, advice from his legendary uncle, and being a gentleman on the ice.
This is that moment of the year when hockey players have a chance to rest. “After the season, I took a short break and visited my parents in Chelyabinsk,” Gonchar confirms. “I mostly just stayed home and spent time with my family. At the end of June, I resumed training and started preparing for the next season.”
He could have rested a bit more, after all there are still two good months before the season starts again, but opted not to do so. “I have weaknesses I need to work on to become better and stronger,” he explains. “Now, I’m mostly focused on physical training — I spend a lot of time in the gym. Right now, I’m 184 cm tall and weigh 72 kg. During the 2024-2025 season, I gained seven kilograms of muscle, but I want to reach 82 kg, which I believe is optimal. I like a physical style of hockey — I enjoy hitting and closing in on opponents. I know how to deliver body checks even without a lot of weight, but I always act according to the situation. The main thing is to keep possession of the puck.”
Last year, Gonchar became his team’s top scorer from the blue line. “I had a good season,” he confirms. “I played the right way on the ice and contributed to the team’s success, and my teammates helped me put up points.” He then went on adding: “Throughout the season, I spoke with the coaches, and I was also in daily contact with my uncle. He shared his experience and gave me advice, which I listened to and tried to absorb the best parts of. Also, during the summer, defense coach Viktor Postnikov spent extra time with me working on my shot — how to shoot properly and the right timing. That gave me confidence, and those practices really helped during the season.”
The young defenseman only had two penalty minutes the entire regular season — the best record on the team. It’s interesting how could he manage to play so cleanly over such a long stretch. “First of all, I’m a gentleman: by playing the right way and positioning myself correctly, I try to make optimal decisions — that helps me avoid breaking the rules.” He does remember how he got those two PIMs, however. “It was in a game against Snezhnye Barsy, I went to the crease after taking a shot and got into a scuffle with one of their players, so we were both called for roughing. So, I guess I’m not such a gentleman after all,” he says with a laugh.
It wasn’t an easy season for the Stalnye Lisy, though. “We had both good moments and not-so-positive ones,” he says. “We won the play-in and made it to the playoffs, where things didn’t quite go our way. It was really upsetting to end the season in the first round, especially in such a long and exhausting game.”
The deciding game against Mamonty Yugry ended in triple overtime, where Gonchar had 42 shifts (34 minutes) on the ice. “It was really tough in the third overtime,” Gonchar recalls. “We really wanted to win, but it didn’t happen. When we conceded the game-winning goal in the 116th minute, no one had any emotions left — there was dead silence on the bench.”
“I heard the opponent’s celebration and couldn’t take it calmly,” he goes on. “The only thoughts in my head were, ‘How did this happen? Why did it turn out this way?’ In the locker room, I felt completely empty — I couldn’t believe our season was over. Everyone on the team wanted to keep fighting for the Kharlamov Cup. But it happened the way it happened. Every loss makes us stronger. We’ll be wiser going forward. In the summer, new young players will join Stalnye Lisy who will learn and help us win. We, the more experienced guys, will guide and support them. I understand that the younger players will be watching me, so I have to show my best hockey to help them gain confidence and understand: ‘If he can do it, so can I.’ I’ll support the newcomers in every way I can — on the ice, in the locker room, and in everyday life. I believe we’ll make it past the first round of the playoffs in the 2025-2026 season.”
The defenseman remarkably missed at least one game in the play-in or playoff series for two years in a row. “That’s the coach’s decision,” he says. “I had a bad game in the play-in, and because of that, the coaches decided to leave me off the roster for the second game against Molot and the first one against Mamonty Yugry. After that, they put me back in the lineup.”
Watching the team’s most important games from the stands was hard for Gonchar. “I really wanted to play, but it was the staff’s decision. I completely followed the coaches’ instructions and did what was asked of me.”
Gonchar’s uncle is the famous Sergei, who won the Stanley Cup in the past and was a medalist at the Olympic Games, and is currently working for the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. Time difference isnt’ a matter for them, the blueliner says. “We’d call after each of my games and go over my mistakes: what I did well and what I didn’t,” he explains. “My uncle helps me get stronger. I’d usually call him in the evening around ten in Magnitogorsk time, with a difference in twelve hours. Ever since I joined Stalnye Lisy, we started talking more about my game. My uncle always supports me and says he sees potential in me. He never puts any limits on me. The fact that such a great figure in the hockey world praises my game really boosts my confidence.”
The young defenseman has now a clear goal in mind: debut in the KHL. “I was called up to practice with Metallurg about six times. Right away, I noticed the differences in experience, speed, and physicality — it wasn’t easy. I was curious about what first-team players do off the ice: how they warm up and cool down, what routines they have. I wanted to debut in the KHL, but I also understood that my main goal was to help Stalnye Lisy. Still, towards the end of the season, I couldn’t help thinking I might get a chance with the first team. I knew everything depended on how I performed in practice. The coaches from the junior team talk with us a lot outside the rink, and they gave me tips on what I needed to improve to make it to the KHL. One of my goals for next season is to play for Metallurg in Russia’s top league.”
Despite his success in the league, several players would not define Andrei Razin as an easy coach to work with. However, Gonchar had no problems in working with the specialist, who led Metallurg to the Gagarin Cup in 2024. “I had no problems whatsoever with him, but on the very first practice there was this moment: I started doing a drill in the same direction as the forwards. I realized I was going the wrong way, looked up, and saw him watching me like I was a very strange boy. He showed me how I should have approached it and which way I should’ve gone.”
Even if he’s a professional hockey player in the making, Gonchar still enjoys his free time. “I like hanging out with the guys,” he says when asked about his hobbies. “We’ve got a new, awesome park here called Prityazhenie. I also play video games — Counter-Strike is my favorite.” Gonchar is playing with the jersey #9, and it’s his favorite number. “My older brother played for Metallurg wearing number 9, and as a kid I liked Ivan Provorov, who also wore number 9.”
And when asked about any person he’d be interested in meeting, he has no doubts. “Cristiano Ronaldo,” he says firmly. “He’s an incredibly strong person who works unbelievably hard. I’d love to hear about his journey and ask where he finds his motivation. And I’d also ask him how he came up with his goal celebration.” And perhaps, if he keeps on playing that way, Gonchar is going to celebrate in the KHL quite soon. Maybe not in Cristiano Ronaldo’s style, but for the local fans – and his coach – it wouldn’t matter that much.
