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Tom Banks
October 30, 2025  (1:38 PM)

Former Washington Capitals star Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Photo credit: The Hockey News

Evgeny Kuznetsov returned to the KHL this year after a lack of interest from the NHL, and now he’s shown a true lack of class with his latest act.

This summer, much was made about the future of veteran Evgeny Kuznetsov, with many believing that he would return to the NHL as a free agent after spending 2024/25 with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL.

However, a lack of interest sent him back to Russia this season when he joined Metallurg, and after the almost point-per-game production he had a year ago, the hope was that he could be a very productive player once more.

Kuznetsov Disrespects His Coach With Ridiculous Display

Early on in his career there though, things aren’t going too well, as the veteran winger showed immense disrespect towards Head Coach Andrei Razin during the team’s latest game.

After getting just five minutes of ice time through the first parts of the game, Kuznetsov clearly felt disrespected, so instead of discussing this with the coach, he went to the locker room, returned in street clothes and simply watched the remainder of the game.

Just a few games into the year, it’s unclear exactly what’s been happening behind the scenes between these two, but clearly, a veteran player like this wouldn’t do this at the first sign of disrespect, and now, he’s made a big show of a clear rift between the player and the coach already.

Only time will tell whether or not the two parties can get back on the same page and help this team as they chase the title once again in 2025/26, but from acts like this and a lack of early production in the season, it’s very easy to see why Kuznetsov was unable to get another NHL contract this summer.

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Evgeny Kuznetzov Shows True Lack of Class in KHL Game, Disrespects Head Coach

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