Adam Liska: “I want to achieve success with Severstal, that motivates me”
Severstal’s captain Adam Liska is preparing for his seventh season in Cherepovets. In an interview, the forward explained the reasons for his loyalty to Severstal and spoke about the qualities that help him fit into the system of any coach.
Last season left Liska with sad memories — the player missed the playoffs due to injury, and the team’s run ended quickly. The hockey player talked about his captain’s duties, his personal recipe for reaching peak form, studying the Russian language, and his hopes of getting past the first round in the new season.
Laska missed last year’s playoffs due to injury, but that didn’t prevent him from following the team. “I was with the guys in the locker room, present at team meetings and video sessions, I even traveled to games in Moscow,” the Slovak forward confirms. “It was very hard to watch from the sidelines, I really wanted to help the team on the ice. But at that moment it was impossible. It’s painful to remember that time. The only thing left for me was to support my teammates however I could, to talk with the guys.”
Moreover, if Severstal would advance, chances were good for Liska to return. “I was preparing, keeping myself in shape, working in the gym, but not skating. I don’t know how ready I would have been for the second round, but I think by the third round I would have recovered.”
In the playoffs, the Steelers faced Spartak, with the Muscovites taking the series 4-1. “In my opinion, the games against Spartak were even,” Liska says. “What we lacked was scoring goals. We created quite a lot of chances, but we didn’t always manage to finish them. I remember the third game — our first at home — we lost 0:1, but we were the better team. The last game in Moscow also stands out, the one we lost. We lost concentration for just a couple of minutes, but in the playoffs skillful opponents immediately capitalize on moments like that.”
For several seasons now Severstal has had the same situation, with the team playing confidently and consistently in the regular season, but in the playoffs seems to lack a bit of strength and emotion. “I don’t think it’s about fatigue or confusion,” the forward explains. “It’s just that in the playoffs you face teams that had a strong regular season and prepared very seriously for the elimination stage. The winner is determined by small things, details. Sometimes a loss of concentration for one or two shifts, as happened to us, leads to defeat. We are working to be even stronger this year.”
Andrei Kozyrev is beginning his third season as Severstal’s head coach. “There is a system we stick to,” Liska explains the reasoning behind the team’s game. “But there are also things and details that can change — depending on the game, on the team’s condition. Our coach’s foundation stays the same, but there are nuances that can be improved. We watch a lot of videos and try to achieve this in training.”
Teams are now gearing up for the upcoming campaign, with preseason tournaments being played. Severstal just won the Blinov Cup in Omsk in the finals against the hosts. “All the guys kept themselves in shape during the break,” the forward says. “We had a camp in Moscow, with tough training sessions. We practiced twice a day, spent a lot of time in the gym. The main thing was to get to know the new players and avoid injuries. The work continues. The volume of gym training is now a bit smaller, but still quite intense.”
“In Moscow, we played two scrimmages against each other, and also here in Cherepovets,” he continues. “We’re checking if we’ve already developed the game habits that we work on in training at high speed.”
The team has changed little if compared to the last season, and the fans can count on several well-oiled mechanisms. “We have new guys, and the coaches will find a place for them in the lineup,” Liska explains. “During the season everything can change anyway, because there are injuries and dips in form. Of course, it’s easier to play in combinations that are already worked out. When you and your partners understand each other and know exactly where your teammate is at any given moment, that helps a lot.”
He also claims to have his own recipe for reaching peak form by the start of the season. “After the season I rest for a while, then I start keeping myself in shape by training three times a week. In the summer I do three weeks of hard work in the gym, then I add ice — three times a week. That preparation plan allows me to feel good when I arrive at training camp in Cherepovets and immediately focus on on-ice practices and team play.”
Liska has been in Cherepovets since 2019. During this time, the team was coached by two very different specialists – Andrei Razin and Andrei Kozyrev. Both saw the Slovak as one of the team’s leaders, though not everyone managed to fit into their systems. He was one of those who succeeded. “I’m very glad it worked out that way. How did it happen? I always try to be honest both on and off the ice, and I give one hundred percent. Even if something doesn’t work out, I keep working. Andrei Razin knew that, and Andrei Kozyrev, I think, sees it too. That’s what helped me find my place in the team,” he says.
Liska has spent the past six years in Cherepovets. He’s been pretty loyal to Severstal, and his only other team in the KHL was HC Slovan Bratislava. “I want to achieve something big with this team, where I’m already in my seventh season,” Liska explains. “We haven’t been able to get past the first round of the playoffs for a long time, and I really want us to succeed. And not just the first round. That gives me huge motivation.”
The Slovak forward is currently Severstal’s captain. “I was appointed about halfway through the season before last,” he explains. “It was unexpected. We flew out for a game in Vladivostok, and before the match I just found the captain’s patch sewn onto my jersey. From that moment, I became captain. We haven’t discussed this topic yet for the coming season. In any case, whether I keep the “C” or not, I’ll always try to be a leader.”
Other than how to get in good shape for the new season, Liska seems to know also how to be a good captain. “I don’t like talking too much with referees during the game because it distracts me from playing,” he starts his explanation. “Of course, I’ll go over what’s necessary, but I don’t enjoy long conversations. In the locker room… I believe that being a good leader means setting the right example – always giving your all to the team and being open to talk with teammates about anything. It’s very important for everything in the locker room to function properly, because it shows on the ice. If any of the guys have a problem I can help with, I’m always happy to do so. The same goes for the younger players. Some may be shy to come up, but I’m always glad to approach them myself, ask how they’re feeling in the team.”
And as a real leader, he has “good relationships with all the guys. I’m friends with everyone; with the Russian guys we hang out, go out for dinner together. But I try to help the foreign players, since it’s hard to adapt without knowing the language. Right now, we’ve got a new Canadian – Thomas Gregoire. I’m trying to help him, show him around the city, things like that. I help Ioannis Kaldis too.”
Liska now feels very tied to the city. “I think I’m already half local,” he smiles. “I’ve seen and learned a lot. Over these years, Cherepovets has changed a lot – new things have been built. Sovetsky Prospekt in the city center looks different now. They built a riverfront promenade, a shopping mall… I really like the Health Trail not far from my home, I love walking there.”
He enjoys visiting Russia during his away games. “Every city has its own charm,” the forward admits. “There are the huge ones, the metropolises – Moscow and St. Petersburg. I really like Kazan, Vladivostok too. There are many beautiful cities. And I also feel good right at home, in Cherepovets.”
Liska didn’t have Russian lessons in school, yet he speaks the language very well. How did you learn the language? “When I came to Russia, I didn’t know any Russian at all. I couldn’t say a single word – not even “yes,” “no,” or “thank you.” My parents had studied Russian before, but we never had such classes. I came here together with Czech player Libor Sulak, and I talked with him. At first I didn’t really try, I thought knowing English would be enough. But then Sulak left the team, and I was the only foreigner left. I really wanted to talk with my teammates, otherwise it was very boring. I had a textbook and started learning the letters. Once I learned to read, I found a lot of similarities with Slovak. Of course there are many differences too, but the base is the same – Slavic. By the end of my first season in Russia, I was already able to communicate. Now I still have an accent, but I can talk about any topic. For Canadians or other foreigners it’s harder – their language is completely different.”
“I can read, and I can write too, but only on my phone,” he goes on. “Writing by hand in Russian is still a problem. On my phone I have Russian, Slovak, and English keyboards, I’m constantly switching between them. I love books, but for now I only read in Slovak.”
Cherepovets fans love Liska – that’s clear at every game. That aspect shows up in his day-to-day life as well- “Sometimes people recognize me at the mall or on the street,” the forward tells. “I can easily stop and chat for a minute or two, take a picture. I’m really happy that people in Cherepovets like me, I feel it. It gives me extra energy on the ice.”
