Ilya Kovalchuk must be at his best if he decides to continue playing hockey, otherwise he could face a lot of criticism, says former Russian national team head coach Vyacheslav Bykov.
The 39-year-old hockey player has not played since leaving Avangard in the spring of 2021, and he has not announced his retirement from playing.
– Ilya can still decide to act as a hockey player. Only if he makes such a decision will he have to be on top again, be healthy and strong and ready for a new challenge. Otherwise, it risks being the subject of strong criticism.
Ending a professional career is a very difficult decision. You have to get there and be psychologically prepared. Because you will never feel such emotions when you play, win, score. He has devoted most of his life to hockey, and it will be very difficult to leave him. Even in the position of an official or hockey manager, it will be difficult to experience the emotions he felt while scoring goals.
Maybe he will play again, have fun and share it with the fans! And, of course, he will pass on his great experience of the championship to the young people! But the longer the break, the more “normal” family life envelops you and offers you new happy moments in life, tilting your thoughts towards the end of your career.
Each athlete has his own destiny, and it is good if he decides when to finish, and does not depend on the decisions of other people or health problems. Whatever his decision, I will always support him, he is a very strong personality. He has done a lot for our hockey and can still do a lot for the future development of our sport,” Bykov told Sport24.
sport24.ru
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
