Former Maple Leaf Kozun finds new hockey home in the KHL
HELSINKI— Brandon Kozun has a new lease on life. The one-time Maple Leaf has found a home in the KHL, with Finnish-based team Jokerit.
“I knew I wasn’t going to be back in Toronto,” said Kozun. “They wanted to go a different direction, start fresh. (Jokerit GM) Jari Kurri had talked to my agent, expressed interest, and kind of went over what it would be like for me.”
Kozun, who’d heard the horror stories about the Russian-based league, could have stayed in North America but worried his short time with the Leafs branded him as a fourth-liner who killed penalties. He’d been a scoring star in the WHL and believes he has more to offer.
“For me it was about coming over here and playing a lot and getting that confidence back,” said Kozun. “Toronto was great, and I owe them a lot for giving me the opportunity. At the same time I was playing six or seven minutes a night. It’s so hard to establish yourself in the NHL doing that.
“I felt I had a lot more to give. I felt the best way to prove that was to come over here and put up the numbers and tell everyone I am more than a six-minute guy who kills penalties.”
So far, so good. By the time the KHL resumed after the holiday break, Kozun was Jokerit’s leading scorer and Jokerit was one of the top team’s in the KHL’s Eastern Division.
Kozun came to the league with his eyes wide open. Some North American players have returned home with stories of not getting paid or being robbed after being paid in cash.
“I think people blow it out of proportion a little bit,” said Kozun. “You always hear the nightmares. There are going to be things that go wrong at times, maybe it isn’t as stable as the NHL.
“Some of the stuff about getting paid late, or the teams owing money, that’s the worst, because there’s nothing you can do. Russians are very impatient. For some players, they go there and it doesn’t exactly work, they move on quick. That’s part of it. You have to know what you’re getting into. Before you come over here, do your research.”
But even the NHL can be a risky proposition, says Kozun. Especially for players on the bubble, or players on teams with tight budgets.
“For me it was about coming over here and playing a lot and getting that confidence back.” EX-LEAF BRANDON KOZUN ON LIFE IN THE KHL
“You sign a deal and you think you’ll be in the NHL, then they send you down right away,” says Kozun. “That’s part of the business. Hockey is a business. These things happen.”
The worst experience for Kozun has been travel which, on a recent road trip, took him through seven time zones to Vladivostok, 50 kilometres from the North Korean border. It was a four-game trip. Jokerit won all four games, but it was an 11-hour flight home.
Jokerit, which has a rich history in producing the likes of Kurri and Teemu Selanne, is one of the jewels of the KHL.
“It’s been really good,” said Kozun. “They’ve done a great job in helping me adjust. It’s been awesome for me.”
Kozun, 25, played 20 games with the Maple Leafs last season, with two goals and two assists. For the most part, he was a minor leaguer since being drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 2009. He’s had his adjustments. Now, instead of going through the often rust-belt cities of the AHL, he’s seeing some historic cities in Eastern Europe.
“The No. 1 priority is hockey but at the same time it’s nice to get a chance to see some things you wouldn’t normally see,” says Kozun. “Like some of the places in Russia. No way you’d ever get there. Come with the right attitude. It’s a good experience to have. When you’re older it’s good to look back on. I’ll be able to tell a lot of stories.”