Nashville Predators winger Sergei Kostitsyn has been playing for Avangard Omsk—a KHL hockey team from Omsk, a Russian city located in Siberia—while he waits for the NHL to end its lockout. Don't feel bad for Kostitsyn though; he seems to be enjoying himself in Omsk. From Reuters:
"Let's put it this way — it would be better (for the players) if the lockout continues," Kostitsyn was quoted as saying by Russian daily Sport-Express on Monday.
"Players want a definite answer. If the NHL season is lost — let it be that way. I would then play in Russia for the whole season."
Not only does Kostitsyn want to stay there for professional reasons, he also prefers life in Omsk to life in one of America's finest Rust Belt cities:
Kostitsyn, 25, who joined the Predators from the Montreal Canadiens in June 2010, also said he hated life in North America and labelled Columbus "the gloomiest" city in the States.
Ouch. It's never a good sign when a guy who lives in a part of the world that is most commonly associated with gulags thinks your city is gloomy. But we shouldn't rush to judge Columbus too harshly. Maybe Omsk is a vibrant metropolis that rivals even the finest American cities. What say you, weird website about Omsk? Do you have any pictures of Omsk to show us?
Yeah, OK, that looks way nicer than Columbus.
Ice hockey-Nashville's Kostitsyn hopes lockout wipes NHL season [Reuters]