Kirill Marchenko Dodges Media Questions About Columbus Future, inc. Hilarious Answer

Friday, September 18, 2026
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Just one day in, and it's already been a noteworthy Blue Jackets camp. Star center Adam Fantilli is absent in a contract dispute, and head coach Rick Bowness is already in 'rant mode', ripping two players for their lack of conditioning.

Today, Kirill Marchenko took the spotlight. The pending UFA sniper is rumored to be uninterested in re-upping with Columbus at the end of his deal after this season, and trade rumors followed him around all summer. His meeting with the media on Friday began in a stunning way, with a hilarious answer about his hockey-playing future:

"Where do you want to play hockey?" he was asked.  

"On the ice," was the quick-witted reply from the Russian forward.

He actually began his media scrum by announcing while a smile that he forgets how to speak English. "I know only words about hockey right now." On the ice. 

When pressed a bit further, he said "Business side, it's on [Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell] and [agent] Dan [Milstein], and they figure out everything. My goal [is] to be ready, on the ice."

It got a little more serious, and he was then asked yet again, "You get to decide where you want to play. Is this where you want to be?"

But once again, he completely evaded the question, not giving Blue Jackets fans even the slightest glimmer of hope that he might want to extend there. 

"Oh, it's too many good questions right now. I want to play hockey. That's what I can say right now, and I don't want to give you guys a lot of things. I just love [my] teammates, I love to enjoy the practices and enjoy the hockey. It's my favorite thing in the world, and I just do my job."

None of that will make Blue Jackets fans the least bit confident that Marchenko will be staying with the team much longer. 

The 26-year-old posted another 27-goal season last year, following a 31-goal campaign the year before. He's playing out the final year of his contract at a $3.85 million cap hit. 


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