Barys American defenseman Ian McCoshen is spending his second season with the Astana-based club. During his time in Kazakhstan, he has had the chance to discover the distinctive character of Kazakhstani hockey, explore the local cuisine, and experience the warmth of the fans. Following Barys’ game against Admiral in the Kontinental Hockey League regular season, we spoke with him about a demanding road trip, changes within the team, and life in Astana.
Reflecting on the 4–2 home victory over the team from Vladivostok, McCoshen admitted that it had been far from an easy game. According to the defenseman, Barys struggled to find its rhythm early on, and conceding two goals late in the first period forced the team to work even harder to turn the game around.
“It was a bit of a roller coaster. I think we started pretty slowly, then scored the first goal, but allowed them to score twice toward the end of the first period. That wasn't what we wanted. After that, we had to work really hard to get ourselves back into the game,” the defenseman said.
Another major topic was Barys’ extended road trip, which saw the team play nine consecutive games away from Astana. Such a demanding schedule tests not only physical endurance but also mental resilience. McCoshen divided the trip into three stages. The first six games went reasonably well, with Barys securing three victories, while the final three proved much more disappointing.
“We couldn't get a win in our last three games, and that was frustrating. We had some good chances to win the away game against Admiral. But in professional hockey, every game matters. It doesn't matter where you are or how long you've been away from home. Our job is always to go out on the ice and win,” Ian explained.
Long flights and changing time zones present additional challenges for players. Trips to the Russian Far East require extra time for adjustment and recovery. According to McCoshen, the most important thing is to take every opportunity to sleep.
“We try to get as much sleep as possible on flights. Once we arrive, we have to adjust to the local time. Sometimes that means staying awake until four or five in the morning before finally getting some rest. The key is to adapt to the time zone as much as possible and get sleep whenever you can. That really helps with recovery,” he said.
Discussing his second season with Barys, McCoshen highlighted several positive changes in the team's performance. Above all, he believes the Astana club has become more dangerous offensively. While converting scoring opportunities was a challenge last season, Barys is now creating more chances and making better use of them. The team's defensive play is also gradually improving.
“I think we've become a little stronger offensively. We're creating more scoring chances and opportunities, and we're doing a better job of finishing them. That was something we struggled with last season. Defensively, we're improving as well, becoming more organized and structured. Everyone understands what they need to do to help the team win,” Ian said.
Barys made a relatively strong start to the current season, although games against Eastern Conference opponents have often been particularly intense. With the standings so tightly contested, every point carries significant weight. The American defenseman acknowledged that some newcomers to the league did not initially appreciate just how important these matchups were, but the team has gradually developed a better understanding of their significance.
“As the season has gone on, we've realized how important these games are, especially with how tight our conference is. Today, we played a pretty organized game and earned an important win against a conference opponent. That gives us confidence heading into the next games,” McCoshen emphasized.
Another area Barys needs to continue working on is special teams, particularly the penalty kill. The team's penalty-killing percentage has not yet reached a level that would allow the players to feel entirely comfortable in these situations. McCoshen believes the key factors are concentration and consistency.
“We've had some difficulties lately. Especially during our last road trip, it felt like we were giving up at least one power-play goal almost every game. We know we're capable of playing better and being more consistent. A lot of it comes down to focus, energy, and having the right mindset. With extra work in practice and confidence in ourselves, we can get back to the level we showed last season,” the defenseman said.
However, our conversation with McCoshen was not limited to hockey. His second season in Kazakhstan has given him a chance to become more familiar with Astana and its people. When asked what he likes most about the capital, the American answered almost without hesitation: the fans and the local community.
“The fans and the people. They're incredibly welcoming, open, and kindhearted. They treat foreign players with so much warmth. I really appreciate that,” he said.
Naturally, the conversation also turned to Kazakh cuisine. As it turns out, Ian has already sampled several traditional dishes. Lagman has become a particular favorite, although he is somewhat more selective when it comes to horse meat.
“I've tried beshbarmak and lagman. I really like lagman. As for horse meat, it's not one of my favorites, but I have tried it. I prefer leaner cuts of meat. Overall, the local Kazakh food is good. I've also tried kumis, but that depends on what kind of mood I'm in,” McCoshen admitted with a smile.
To wrap up the interview, we put the defenseman through a quick-fire round, asking him to choose between several options. He picked winter over summer, explaining that winter is hockey season. Given the choice between tea and coffee, Ian prefers coffee. He would rather watch a comedy than an action movie and chooses home-cooked meals over dining out. The Barys defenseman would also rather go to the beach than the mountains, and, as it turns out, he prefers being active early in the morning rather than late at night. Asked to describe Astana in one word, Ian answered “beautiful” — in Russian. When it came to describing himself, he chose “teddy bear.” And when asked to name one thing he couldn't live without, McCoshen picked his phone.
