{"id":200371,"date":"2025-09-04T19:53:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T19:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/200371\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T19:53:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T19:53:11","slug":"kostin-says-red-wings-only-wanted-him-to-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/200371\/","title":{"rendered":"Kostin Says Red Wings Only Wanted Him To Fight"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the calendar turning to September and NHL training camps looming closer, former Detroit<\/a> Red Wings forward Klim Kostin<\/a> is still without a contract.<\/p>\n

He believes that his reputation as a player has suffered. And he\u2019s blaming the Wings for initiating that change in opinion.<\/p>\n

The Red Wings acquired the 2017 NHL first-round draft pick in a 2023 trade with the Edmonton Oilers. Kostin insists that he was given implicit instructions by the team\u2019s brass to operate as an enforcer<\/a> on the ice.<\/p>\n

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Klim Kostin is slapped with a 10-minute misconduct after he tries shoving Connor Murphy’s face into the ice. #Blackhawks<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/MQF8WcbEeI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 1, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI was counting on a different role,\u201d Kostin explained in an interview with writer Alexey Shevchenko of the Russian website Sport-Express<\/a>. \u201cI signed the contract hoping to play, but after my arrival, they made it clear: your task is to fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a shock for me. They left no room for maneuver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kostin Says Red Wings Pulled a Bait And Switch<\/p>\n

Kostin insists that what Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman told him they were looking for as his contribution to the club was completely different than what they were demanding of him once the season began.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was talking to (Detroit GM) Steve Yzerman, they explained to me a completely different role,\u201d Kostin said. \u201cI thought there would be room to play, a chance to prove myself. But in the end, they immediately made it clear: a fight was needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was shocked, but there was nowhere to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

In 33 games with Detroit, the 6-foot-4, 232-pound Kostin fought twice. He tangled with Erik Gudbranson<\/a> of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Nicolas Deslauriers of the Philadelphia Flyers. He also scored three goals. The Red Wings dealt Kostin to the San Jose Sharks at the 2023-24 NHL deadline.<\/p>\n

Kostin was also making it abundantly clear that he isn\u2019t anti-fighting. His only stance is against choreographed fights that don\u2019t follow the natural flow of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you can secure a place in the lineup, but what\u2019s the point if you\u2019re going out on the ice for a fight?\u201d he asked. \u201cI\u2019ve always said: if emotions run high, I can fight. But fighting specifically when that\u2019s all that\u2019s expected of me is not my thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not someone who only goes out to fight. I can be aggressive, tough, but I am a forward, and I want to play with the puck, score, be useful with my efficiency, not with my fists.\u201d<\/p>\n

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