Kostin brings light-hearted persona and provides depth for Red Wings

DETROIT – Klim Kostin is more than just a tough, physical presence for the Detroit Red Wings. In fact, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound forward provides comedic relief in Detroit’s dressing room.

“If I have a time to make some jokes, I’ll do it,” Kostin said Wednesday. “I just love to see the boys smiling and in a good mood.”

Kostin’s ability to keep things light on and off the ice is not going unnoticed.

“He’s a big strong guy who can really lay the body,” Joe Veleno said about Kostin on Wednesday. “We all get fired up when we see him doing that on the ice. But he’s a great kid off the ice too. A little bit more on the quiet side but coming over to North America, I get that it can be hard sometimes with the language barrier. But once you talk to him, he’s fun to be around.”

Kostin said playing physical is part of his overall game.

“My cousin was a professional boxer a long time ago,” Kostin said. “He was really good. I trained with him during the summers, but we didn’t really focus on boxing. More on working out because boxers have really good stamina.”

Originally selected 31st overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Kostin has played 103 NHL games with the Blues and Edmonton Oilers, as well as 207 American Hockey League contests for the San Antonio Rampage and Bakersfield Condors, since the 2019-20 season. Additionally, Kostin spent the 2020-21 campaign with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Penza, Russia, native signed a two-year contract with Detroit after being traded from Edmonton this offseason.

According to Kostin, his professional hockey career was kickstarted by his father, Sergei.

“My dad was a goalie for about 12 years, so he brought me into hockey,” Kostin said. “He always wanted me to be a professional player.”

Kostin recorded his first point with the Red Wings in the third period of Tuesday’s 5-3 loss at the New York Rangers, scoring his first goal of the season just 20 seconds after Michael Rasmussen found the back of the net. It marked the fastest pair of goals scored by Detroit this season.

“Probably now less pressure on myself,” Kostin said of his third-period goal. “I feel alive again. I hope we can play better (Thursday) and get a big two points. We really need it. We have been up and down, so we need to find our game and stick together.”

As Kostin continues to navigate his first campaign in Detroit, the young forward strives to improve the finer details of his offensive game.

“We have to grind and bring the puck to the net,” Kostin said. “Need to work down low and spend more time on offense. I’m trying to work on my skill and tactics.”