Yakupov reveals why he didn't take part in any games during Omsk's postseason run to Gagarin Cup

Former first-overall NHL draft pick Nail Yakupov has spent the last three years in his home country of Russia playing in the KHL. After playing his final NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche in 2018, Yakupov signed with SKA St. Petersburg, where he played for two seasons. He began last season with Khabarovsk Amur, but was traded at the deadline to Avangard Omsk, the team that won the Gagarin Cup. However, Yakupov did not take part in any of the playoff games during the team's Cup run and he's finally revealing why after keeping quiet up until now.

In an interview with KHL reporter Gillian Kemmerer, Yakupov said after playing the final 10 games of the regular season with Omsk, he was ready to go in the playoffs. Then he received a call from the team's doctor.

"We had just come back from Chelyabinsk and underwent some medical tests. That night, I got a call from the doctor and he asked me if everything was okay. I was like, 'Yeah—why are you asking me this?' And he said, 'Are you nervous, or is something going on with your family?' I didn't know why he was asking me that, and it got under my skin. He told me that my results weren't that good, and it seemed like I was anxious. The next day, I went to be checked again and we were supposed to go on the road. A few days later, I was packing for the trip and got another call from the doctor. He said, 'You're not going. You need to be checked at the hospital.'"

Yakupov had tested positive for COVID-19 and, despite not feeling symptoms of the disease, he was struggling during fitness tests.

"I didn't feel anything. It was strange. I didn't go on the road and stayed in Moscow. I went to see all of the doctors and have the medical tests again—I even went to Europe. I didn't go to the rink for a month and my schedule was basically home, hospital, home. After a month, my tests started getting better and I started to train. I skated with the backup and injured players because I thought I would be ready for the second round against Magnitogorsk. I went for another checkup and they said, 'You cannot skate.'"

"I knew it was going to go away, but you just need some time. They told me this is a problem now for some athletes—like soccer and hockey players—if they contract COVID-19. You can't push with it because it's so dangerous, and you just need time."

Yakupov would end up watching his team - which included Ilya Kovalchuk, Klim Kostin, Reid Boucher, and others - win the Gagarin Cup from the stands.

"I tried to be so close to the team. I knew that I was not going to play, but I was flying with the team anyway. I wasn't nervous about my situation—I was nervous about the way we'd play," he joked. "I kind of became a fan for a couple of months, the big kid cheering for his team for the last twenty years. That's how deep it was."

Yakupov stated in the interview that he was offered more money from other KHL teams, but decided to re-sign with Omsk to see if the club could make it two in a row.

"I had a few offers where the money was better than Avangard, but I have enough to live. It's my job, and you have got to enjoy your work," he said. "I think a large percentage of people in the world are not happy about what they do, but I think it's double exciting when you have your favorite thing to do. Even before I knew my medical results, the team had already offered me a contract. I didn't click the button right away, but in my head, I knew that I was going to stay for sure."

Source: KHL.ru

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