Marchenko Dodges Questions on His Future With Blue Jackets

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko kept things vague when the media pressed him on his long-term future with the team, repeatedly steering the conversation back to hockey. It was clear he didn’t want to talk about it, nor did he want to say anything that would be miscommunicated or taken out of context.

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But the dodging and weaving in and of itself said a lot.

Asked directly if he enjoys playing in Columbus, Marchenko laughed off the follow-up. “Yeah, I love to play hockey,” he said, before responding, “Haha, it’s a good question,” when asked to clarify if that included Columbus specifically.

The comments come after his agent, Dan Milstein, told ESPN and NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes that Marchenko does not plan to stay in Columbus beyond his current contract. Marchenko said he hadn’t seen those remarks and distanced himself from the business side of things entirely.

“I didn’t see that. Oh, guys, it’s… I don’t know, right? I can talk only about hockey. It’s not my side, the business side, it’s on Don Waddell and Dan, and they figure out everything. My goal is to be ready on the ice,” he said.

When asked plainly if he wants to play in Columbus, Marchenko offered little more: “I want to play hockey. It’s all I can say right now.”

Another report said Marchenko told his GM, Don Waddell, that he would work his “butt off” while he was on the team. When asked whether that quote was accurate, he said he doesn’t know where the media gets it from, and he doesn’t have a social media account, so he doesn’t see those types of write-ups. He didn’t exactly deny saying it, but he seemed to dodge that question like he dodged many of the others.

The media was really pressing him for a comment on his future in Columbus. They didn’t exactly get what they wanted — a definitive statement one way or another.

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