Alexey Svetilov: “Management’s Trust is Great Motivation for Next Season”

In an interview with KHL.ru, Alexey Svetilov shared his thoughts on the most memorable events of the past season, his long path to the KHL, and the specifics of working in the KHL 3×3 Championship.

Svetilov became a main referee in 2013 but didn`t debut in the KHL until 2023, meaning it took him 10 years to reach the country`s top league. “At some point, I started to feel discouraged,” he recalled. “I thought, well, they didn`t even invite me to the training camp this offseason. Maybe it`s just not meant to be.” Despite this, Alexey continued to work hard, proving his capability in the MHL and VHL, and eventually made it to the highest level. Last season, already in his second year of KHL refereeing and on a two-way contract – a very rare case – he officiated a playoff game.

“News About Working the Playoffs Was a Complete Surprise”

“Naturally, that`s the main thing I remember from last season,” he said. “The news that I was included in the list of referees for Gagarin Cup games was a complete surprise. I saw an email from our Officiating Department. Even though I only worked one game, it means a lot. After all, I`ve only been in the League for two years. Thank you to the management. This trust will be great motivation for me next season.”

What else stands out?
“For me, this season was very busy. I officiated 20 KHL games and 42 in the VHL – 62 games in total. It was the first time I faced such a workload. Specifically, the game between Torpedo and Ak Bars stands out; it was my first KHL game of that championship. You can see a segment about that game on a TV show. It was a very intense, emotional, and exciting match. And, of course, I can`t not mention that playoff game between CSKA and Dinamo Minsk.”

Did the playoff game feel different from regular season matches?
“The emotional intensity is higher in the playoffs. But personally, I try not to differentiate between regular season games and Gagarin Cup matches. During any game, you need to work with full concentration and responsibility. Referees shouldn`t have `easy` games regardless of the opponents or the status of the match. If you show weakness, expect trouble. That`s why for us, it`s always like the playoffs – every game is decisive, and every mistake lowers your rating. Plus, you can`t give in to emotions. Being overly excited is another sure path to errors.”

How did you cope with the workload?
“The main thing is to stay in shape. If possible, go to the gym – ride a bike, do recovery workouts. Physically, I didn`t feel any `dips` last season. So, I handled the workload well. I enjoyed working in such an intense mode.”

Given that the championship lasted a month longer, will your preparation for the next season change significantly?
“Not significantly. I don`t see any problems with the vacation being shorter. Quite the opposite. Before, it was too long – May, June. Now we work in May, and June is enough for rest. For me, vacation isn`t lying on the beach, but simply changing the type of activity. For example, in 2017, I got a hobby – I started gardening and planted a blueberry patch at my dacha. It`s already yielding fruit – our whole family regularly eats fresh berries. And I`ll start preparing in July. A month is quite sufficient time to get ready for training camps.”

What do you focus on during preparation?
“Running – training endurance. Plus the gym – various exercises. Referee training sessions also take place at the Moscow Hockey Federation base. Three on-ice sessions a week and two off-ice. We gather with the guys, skate, play soccer, socialize.”

“Father`s Support Helped Me Break Into the KHL”

How did you get into hockey?
“My classmate played hockey. Since practices were right after general school classes, he often brought his gear bag to lessons and showed his equipment – skates, gloves, stick. I really liked all of that, and I also decided to sign up for the section in Maryino. But I started late – I first put on skates at 9 years old. The guys at that time had already been skating for two or three years and, naturally, were stronger than me. I finished school and ended my playing career there. My father, Igor Valeryevich Svetilov, worked as a refereeing specialist for the Moscow Hockey Federation. He suggested I try becoming an arbitrator. He started involving me in this activity from the age of 16. I remember sitting at the table with the crew. But at 18, my life entered a period of military service.”

How did you end up there? Did it interrupt your training?
“By that time, I had finished medical college. I did my practical training at the main military hospital of the internal troops. Then they offered me a contract with that organization and, accordingly, to serve there. I decided it wasn`t the worst option – I could go home every evening, work in a specialty with which I thought I would connect my life at the time. In the end, I spent three years at the hospital. But I decided to leave that profession because it required continued education, and I was developing a serious relationship with a girl; we were planning to get married. Besides, the work of a doctor is difficult both psychologically and physically. Plus, I was still drawn to hockey. I hadn`t left it completely. I worked at the hospital and continued to referee as a linesman. Ultimately, in 2012, I left medicine and focused on refereeing.”

When I first started refereeing, to be honest, I didn`t like it much. But gradually, goal-setting came, an element of competition with colleagues, which spurred me to work more and better. I worked two seasons as a linesman in the MHL, after which I realized I couldn`t make a career in that role – my anthropometric data were small, and a linesman`s height is usually from 185 cm to effectively break up fights. So I decided not to waste time and move into being a main referee. I was almost 22 at the time.

As a main referee in the KHL, you officiated for the first time at 32. Do you have an answer as to why it took so long to reach the highest level? Did you feel like giving up?
“I felt like giving up every year. But what could I do? Only work harder.”

What gave you strength and motivation?
“My father`s support. He is my main mentor; he invested a lot of effort into me, encouraged me, and told me, `You will prove everything to everyone.` And he was right. My dad actually trained many referees. Several of his protégés are now refereeing in the KHL. Regarding myself, at the initial stage of my development, well-known referees Sergey Anatolievich Karabanov and Alexander Robertovich Cherenkov, who are unfortunately no longer with us, took an active part.”

“The KHL 3×3 Championship Should Continue”

You regularly worked matches in the KHL 3×3 Championship. What are the specifics of this hockey variation for referees?
“The rules are slightly different. For example, if the puck hits the protective netting, the game doesn`t stop. The goaltender doesn`t freeze the puck but must continue the game. Basically, these are purely technical points. You quickly get used to it. Although at first, after the puck ended up with the goalie or flew out of bounds, we sometimes instinctively blew the whistle. We had to apologize and say it was an accident.”

Overall, hockey is hockey. It can be noted that in 3×3 play, there are fewer physical hits and, consequently, fewer disputed situations, and practically no `dirt` at all.

What about methodology?
“We had to adjust slightly. We are used to certain movements and positioning, but in 3×3 hockey, something different is needed – the rink dimensions are different, after all. In regular hockey, during a team`s positional attack, the referees are positioned in the corners near the boards. But in 3×3 hockey, the corners are cut off. As a result, after almost any shot and rebound off the boards, the puck flies at you. Therefore, you need to stand higher.”

In your opinion, does this type of tournament have prospects?
“I like this format. It`s interesting to watch and to referee 3×3 games. The games are very lively, dynamic, with a large number of goals scored. Only the first season is behind us. I think in the future, hockey of this format will see even greater development, an increase in the number of teams. My opinion is that this tournament should continue.”

What goals do you set for the next championship and for your entire refereeing career?
“For the next season, I would like to get a one-way contract and reach the second round of the playoffs. Of course, it would be desirable to work in the final, but I understand that refereeing the decisive Gagarin Cup series in only the third season is probably too early. That`s more of a strategic goal. I also think about an international career. I would like to reach that level. But everything will depend on the global situation.”