Dmitry Isayev: “You never know what you can expect from Datsyuk on the ice”
In an interview, Avto’s top scorer Dmitry Isayev spoke about his breakout season, meeting Pavel Datsyuk, getting called up to the main team, and how his background in sambo helps him on the ice.
Dmitry Isayev is the first hockey player in his family, but not the only professional athlete. His father, Evgeny Isayev, is a four-time World Champion, six-time Russian Champion, and two-time European Champion in sambo – a martial art that is well known in Russia and neighborhood countries. Instead of belts and wrestling shoes, Dmitry chose skates and a stick.
As a child, he moved with his family from Togliatti to Perm, where he came up through the Molot hockey school. In 2020, he joined Avtomobilist. At 16, he played 19 games in the 2023–2024 JHL regular season, two in the play-in, and two more in the playoffs. The 2024–2025 season was his best yet: 49 points in 49 games, the title of Avto’s leading scorer, and three KHL appearances. The right-handed forward turned 18 this summer and now aims to earn a regular spot with Avtomobilist’s senior squad.
Isayev is currently getting ready to start the new season in the juniors again. “I’ve already completed my medical check-up with Avto,” he explains. “The team is off to Kamensk-Uralsky for our annual training camp. We’re starting our preseason prep.” He already had his chance to rest from the sport. “After the season I completely switched gears and focused on school — I was preparing for my exams. But I definitely started missing the game.” He took the Unified State Exam to graduate from high school. “I’ve had English, Social Studies, Russian, and advanced-level Math. Despite a busy schedule, I found time to work with tutors. I studied and prepared well, and in the end, I passed everything successfully. Social Studies was the toughest; math came easier,” he says about his studies.
He's now going to up his studies at the university. “I’m going to enroll on Business Administration or Public and Municipal Administration. I plan to enroll at the Ural State University of Economics. I realize it’ll be tough to juggle school and hockey during the season, but I think it will only make me stronger.”
He seems to understand the importance of keeping up his studies. “I want to get a solid education,” the forward says. “Hockey isn’t forever — anything can happen. School has always been important to me. I graduated high school without any low marks.”
Naturally, hockey in Yekaterinburg is synonymous with Pavel Datsyuk. Even in the less-expected moments. “I know that Pavel Datsyuk invests his money wisely, including in the development of Yekaterinburg,” Isayev explains. “He doesn’t waste his finances. Also, I’ve read t hat Cale Makar completed his university-level education before moving to the NHL — another sign that school is never a waste.” However, he’s yet to talk with the Olympic games’ gold medalist about money. “All my conversations with him are strictly about hockey,” he says. Datsyuk is now working with Avtomobilist’s junior players. “But honestly, I’d love to talk to him about everything. It’s great to learn from someone who’s reached such heights. There’s always something to take away from him. His advice always helps improve my game.”
He kept on highlighting the importance of good decisions. “It’s hard to imagine myself outside of the sport I’ve dedicated my whole life to, but life doesn’t end after a playing career. I’d probably have gone into management. I’ve always been interested in business and administration — those fields are in demand and well paid.”
Isayev hails from Togliatti, a city that produced many hockey greats and several Gagarin Cup champions, like Vasily Koshechkin, Igor Grigorenko, and Alexei Emelin. However, his career path was rather different, as he moved to Perm at a very young age. He still visits Togliatti in the summer, though. “Every summer, our family visits our hometown. It’s the perfect place to unwind emotionally, spend time with loved ones, and recharge before getting back to work.” His father helps him with his training. “We only practiced sambo together when I was a kid. These days, he’s more involved in helping with my physical training. After the season, he’s always happy to train with me using the individual workout plans we receive from Avto. Despite his age, he does his best to stay in shape.”
The forward also says that sambo plays a role in his game since his childhood, and not only in fights. “Muscle memory kicks in. During fights this season, I used some of those sambo skills — they gave me an edge, even when the other guy had a size advantage.” Some skills are useful not only in those moments, however. “When you're grappling, you need to be able to tense your whole body to stay strong and balanced. Thanks to sambo, I understand how to do that. The grappling techniques help me not just stay on my feet during fights, but also hold my ground better in puck battles.”
Now Isayev is starting his season with Avto, but he’s expected to go up as the season goes on. Last year, the forward had three appearances with Avtomobilist. “I was told that during preseason, I’ll be training with my teammates also at the VHL and KHL levels. Now we wait for our opportunity to prove ourselves. I understand that playing in the KHL will require me to work significantly harder. I’m preparing for a completely different workload at camp compared to what I’m used to now.”
In his very first full JHL season, the Togliatti native recorded an impressive 49 points in 49 games. That’s quite a good loot for a 17-years-old. “After my first season, I got used to the pace and level of the JHL. And of course, I worked really hard — there’s no success in sports without that. I set high goals for myself and kept raising the bar,” he says.
Last year, moreover, Avtomobilist moved to the brand new UGMK Arena. Before the KHL game, Avto had a JHL game going on at the arena, where Isayev took part. “I didn’t feel any stress,” the forward admits. “By that time, I’d already played in the KHL in front of a packed house at the old Uralets. Everyone on Avto took the announcement about the game in a positive way. You always want to play in front of a full arena with that kind of energy from the fans. I really enjoyed playing at UGMK Arena. In that game against Tolpar, we lacked finishing and discipline. We couldn’t capitalize when it mattered, so we had to chase the game.”
Of course, Datsyuk helped the guys in their practice during the season. “He took part in some drills, and it was impossible to take your eyes off him,” he says with admiration. “A player of his caliber can do absolutely anything with the puck. You never know what to expect. He shared small insights and details with us — the kind of things he once learned himself. Despite how much hockey has evolved, those fundamentals still work. In my opinion, Datsyuk’s advice will always be relevant.
Last season, Isayev was called up to Avtomobilist for the first time. “I had just come back from the Future Cup, and on the second day of practice with Avto, the head coach told me I was being called up,” he recalls. “I had a practice with Avtomobilist, and the very next day I made my KHL debut. During that first shift, there was a flood of emotions, but I managed to stay calm. I knew there was no time to ease into it — I had to prove from the very first second that I was ready for KHL-level hockey. My top goal for the 2025–2026 season is to secure a spot with Avtomobilist.” He was impressed with the game. “The first thing that stood out was how quickly players make decisions. The KHL is filled with elite players, and young guys need to learn to think at their speed — or even faster if possible.”
Integration into the locker room alongside experienced players is never easy for players that young. “At first, I was shy about talking casually with players of that level, but the guys helped me settle in quickly. I was lucky to have two fellow Perm natives in the team — Anatoly Golyshev and Evgeny Alikin. I also got along really well with Nikita Tryamkin and Stephane Da Costa — they were very welcoming.” He had no problems communicating with the Frenchman, who will soon be entering his eleventh season in the league, six of which spent in Yekaterinburg. “Sometimes I’d ask for help with a word or phrase or wouldn’t fully understand something. But overall, I can speak and understand English, so there weren’t really any issues.”
Despite he was a sambo fighter, Isayev’s dad brought him to hockey as a kid. “In the sports complex where he practiced sambo, there was also a hockey team. I guess that influenced his decision,” Isayev says. However, sambo could have a chance. “I liked hockey right away, so I never seriously thought about sambo. My parents told me I always loved skating — that’s why the coach in the beginner group gave me the nickname ‘little wind.’ I think if I hadn’t enjoyed hockey, I would’ve gone into wrestling and tried to succeed there.”
Since he likes skating, however, the higher speeds of the KHL weren’t a problem to Isayev. “I really didn’t have issues adapting to the speed, but I know I still have to keep working on every part of my game — both my strengths and weaknesses.” He knows where his soft spots are. “There were moments where I got hit pretty hard. But I believe I can make up for my lack of size with grit and character. One example in front of me is Anatoly Golyshev — he doesn’t have extraordinary physical tools, but he’s a team leader. He’s someone to look up to — and even try to surpass.”
When asked if he wanted to meet with any person he liked, his reply was not that surprising. “Alexander Ovechkin,” he firmly says. “I’d just want to spend some time with this great man and talk to him about his emotions, how he adapted to hockey overseas, and other aspects of his career. Alexander Mikhailovich was my first idol — my number one since childhood. I’ll always root for him. Beating his goal-scoring record will be incredibly difficult.”
KHL.ru dossier
Dmitry Isayev
Born on June 26, 2007, in Togliatti.
Playing career: 2023-today, Avto; 2024-today, Avtomobilist.
