Kirill Marchenko a breath of fresh air for Columbus Blue Jackets

It became the most commonly asked question in the Blue Jackets' locker room.

“How do you like playing with ‘Marchy?’”

That, or some variation of it, became a daily expectation for a while during media scrums, always asked by a long-haired, smiling, bearded Russian wearing ice skates and extending a sports drink container as a “microphone.”

The answers were just as entertaining, but none topped this one: “I’d like it better if he passed me the puck."

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The interviewer, of course, was none other than “Marchy” himself, a jovial breath of fresh air whose actual name is Kirill Marchenko — owner of a shot that's tough to defend and disposition that's impossible to dislike.

Since making his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets on Dec. 5 in Pittsburgh, Marchenko has wowed his teammates with 21 goals in 56 games, setting a new franchise record for rookies. He also makes them smile daily despite a frustrating, injury-plagued season.

It hasn't been easy, but the Blue Jackets have maintained a positive vibe. They also got a mid-season morale boost from a Russian rookie whose English is improving at almost the same clip as his goal-scoring prowess.

'Meticulous' Kirill Marchenko has passion for hockey

Having Marchenko around is refreshing. He's like a real-life version of Danny Rojas from the television program "Ted Lasso," except on skates.

Ultra-talented. Driven to succeed. Eternally happy. Also, yes, hockey is life.

Marchenko does everything with a smile, as Blue Jackets season ticket holders have learned while lining the team’s path to the ice. Most players wear “game faces” and stare straight ahead, but Marchenko doles out high-fives and smiles while heading into NHL games.

The guy lives for this stuff.

“I don’t know his ceiling,” Blue Jackets associate coach Pascal Vincent said. “I really don’t. He’s going to be good, because to me … if we talk about skills, I think one of the skills that we don’t talk enough about, and it’s the foundation of all highly successful people, it’s the passion for what you do. And that skill, he has. He’s passionate about hockey.”

It doesn't stop when games end. Marchenko loves to practice, working on specific moves or shots before and after the team portion.

Teammate Kent Johnson is like that, too, which explains why those two sometimes draw a crowd working with skills coaches Kenny McCudden and Jared Boll. Vincent recalled a practice when Marchenko wanted to work on toe-dragging the puck into shots from different angles, which attracted center Cole Sillinger and Johnson.

“That’s what he does,” Vincent said. “He’s very meticulous about developing his own skills, and he doesn’t do it for any attention. That’s just who he is. He’s a great guy."

NHL 'style' suits Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Kirill Marchenk

A year ago, Marchenko wasn’t having much fun.

After informing his KHL team he wouldn’t re-sign, his role diminished. He was even assigned to Russia’s version of the AHL for a stint. Marchenko stayed resolute and followed his NHL dream to Columbus last summer for development camp.

He and his wife, Viktoria, haven’t left since.

She’s fluent in English and helps Marchenko learn a new language while living on a different continent. Teammates have also helped, both the Blue Jackets and Cleveland Monsters. Marchenko, meanwhile, has taken it all in with a positive attitude.

He wasn't crushed to start out in the AHL, where he adapted to a faster playing style on smaller rinks. He and Viktoria enjoyed living in Cleveland, even taking in a Cleveland Cavaliers NBA game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

Now that he’s in the NHL, Marchenko marvels a bit that he's played at hockey palaces such as Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Bell Centre in Montreal and Madison Square Garden in New York. And that’s not to mention the star players he's faced ― including Russian icons like Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov and New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, a former Blue Jacket.

He’s also scoring goals at an impressive rate. Over a full 82-game season, Marchenko’s .375 per game scoring rate works out to 31 goals, which would lead all NHL rookies.

“I don’t know how, but I score (goals), and it’s really fun,” Marchenko said. “It’s a good time and I have good confidence. The guys have helped me. All the coaches, too, just with details for me in my first season.”

Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Kirill Marchenko and the future

It’s been quite a ride for Marchenko and his wife.

Like the rest of the Blue Jackets, they’ll be happy to get a break from hockey after the season ends Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. Marchenko, however, started thinking about his offseason plan to improve two months ago.

“I think about the summer and how will I get better?” he said. “What will I do for next season? I like the (NHL) style, but I’ll have more time after the season to think about this first season. That’s why I’m excited for summer, because I know what I need to do better.”

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How much better can he get?

According to Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen, Marchenko can get a lot better — and not just with his interviewing skills. Defensive improvements are necessary, puck decisions can be sharpened and he should be better prepared next season for the taxing grind of playing 82 games.

Larsen has learned a lot about the dynamic rookie, though, including something that makes him confident Marchenko will improve by leaps and bounds.

“He doesn’t just sit on (the) goals and pat himself on the back,” Larsen said. “He’s so inquisitive about the game in all three zones. He’s got a bright future just because his hockey acumen is very good, but I think the way he puts the work in behind it, he could be a real special player.”

Assuming that's what happens, Marchenko might have a question for Blue Jackets fans:

How do you like watching “Marchy?”

bhedger@dispatch.com

@BrianHedger

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Kirill Marchenko enjoying NHL ride