Dmitri Volkov

In Moscow, hockey is practically a birthright — I was on skates before I could properly read, and winters revolved around the KHL and the dream of the big international tournaments. As I grew up the game pulled me from the ice to the analysis, and I became fascinated by how much hidden structure sits beneath a sport most fans only judge by the final horn. I build my predictions around the quiet deciders: goaltending form, the state of the special teams, shot quality, and the way a relentless travel schedule grinds teams down across a long season. Expected goals and possession numbers tell a steadier story than a hot or cold week on the scoreboard, especially in a sport this prone to bounces. Nine years in, I respect how volatile hockey is. A goaltender can stand on his head and steal a game no model foresaw. So I lean on sound process, calibrated expectations, and explaining the reasoning behind a goal line rather than promising certainty. — Dmitri Volkov