“The FHR thinks Salavat Yulaev can be offended. But we will defend ourselves.” The general director of the Ufa club put our cards on the table

“We weren’t shown anything. What is the offence?

– Salavat Yulaev faces a fine of 500,000 rubles for working with an unaccredited agent. Do you understand why you have such serious complaints?

“Today there was just a discussion on this issue. This is due to the proposal of the FHR, which wants clubs, paying a salary to a hockey player, to immediately pay a commission to his agent.

We have now been disciplined based on the officer’s post. Why should the club be held responsible for this? We think this is wrong. If that’s how they try to fight, then that’s not a good example. Because nothing was presented to us, no material exposing our club in violation. The fact that an unaccredited agent is working with our players. So when we don’t know what it is? The agent posted something there. Let’s check his message first. Was she at all?

– So they just decided to give you a decent fine?

I don’t think that was the goal. On the contrary, the FHR has simply demonstrated that it has such a possibility. And the “Salavat Yulaev” club for her, apparently, is one who can be offended.

– Can you be offended?

– In the FHR, they think so. But we can take care of ourselves.

“There is an option to grow a second Vasilevsky”

– You have good young guys growing up in school. Why do you need five legionnaires? Or is their reduction a matter of principle?

– If we have five strong foreigners, to whom we have already accustomed the Ufa public, and 15 of our young students in the team, it is a good model.

– Is three instead of five not enough?

– You can live, but five is better. Immediately there is a problem – who to take? Defender, goalkeeper, striker? Fewer options.

– Semyon Vyazovoy grows in your house. Great keeper! We must give him a chance and raise a second Andrei Vasilevsky.

We are working on it, this option is not excluded. We remember how Andrey grew and progressed in our team. Then Semyon will quickly depart for Seattle.

– Is Shakir Mukhamadullin already leaving for New Jersey?

– Yes, if nothing happens outside of hockey, he will leave.

– Surely you are already thinking – who will replace him? If you can’t take a legionnaire, then you have to raise one more star?

– We already have. Alexander Komarov is a very good candidate for this role. He is a good defender, I think next year he will start to have more playing time, there will be confidence from the coaches and that will give him confidence. Then it will open.

‘Clubs secured will sign four foreigners’

– On the hockey side, the question now is: why is Kozlov not removed from Salavat? Have you had such a crazy idea?

— No, we have understood the nature of a slight recession in our team. But the team worked, there were no problems. Including in the relationship between the coach and the players. Everyone was equally worried. The coaching team analyzed little by little all the moments that prevented us from achieving the desired result. We know what we have to work on during the break. The injured will recover. Ho-Sang will return. But there is a long recovery period. We will announce specific dates soon.

– Was the fact that the Canadian striker broke down in the very first match of the championship a blow for the club?

“In such a situation, we consider finances as a last resort. If Joshua had been in the ranks, surely the result of the whole team would have been better. Such masters are the decoration of our hockey. Their appearance in the KHL is good for both the fans and the development of the league. We don’t have many of these players. And that’s not just our opinion. He made a very good impression on the pre-season specialists.

– Can you imagine what responsibility will fall next year to the person in charge who will select the legionnaires? You cannot miss here at all.

– All envy depends on who has what money, and what responsibility he bears for this money. If the liability is low, you can take a risk.

– You can sign four foreigners or even more. And rotate them into the play team.

We are also considering this option. It is clear that the club will have to spend more. But no one has written off the unexpected injuries. I think secure clubs will follow this option.