Double Olympic champion Vyacheslav Fetisov in an interview with , he said he did not understand why the Admiral’s rivals expressed their dissatisfaction with long-distance flights to matches against the Far East side.
Admiral is based in Vladivostok and has been playing in the KHL since 2013. On Saturday in the sixth match, the Far Eastern club beat Salavat Yulaev (3:2) and ended the first-round series with a score of 4- 2, reaching the second round of the Gagarin Cup for the first time in its history.
– How do you react when an opponent starts complaining about the distance factor: “You will go crazy flying in Vladivostok! Especially twice in a series…”?
– That they don’t steal! Let them stay home. Our country is so huge. What can we do about it? Need to rejoice!
I consider it a shame that a football team was abolished in Vladivostok, for which a full stadium was underway. Yes, they fly in the NHL too. Imagine, for example, a flight from Miami to Vancouver. And no one complains. You are a professional person and this is your job.
But the most interesting thing is that people are offended when such conversations occur: we have a long flight, so let’s kick them out of the pro league. You can not do this. It’s a shame, I think. Therefore, let hockey players better prepare. Can you imagine what it’s like to fly every time for the guys performing in Vladivostok? I understand the problems of adaptation and acclimatization. Has anyone asked for his opinion? They are also in the most difficult conditions.
We have a huge country, and the KHL is an international league, in which European clubs first played. And they learned what Vladivostok is, where it is. The decision I made is also important from a geopolitical point of view. It was justified and correct,” Fetisov told .
The next rival of the Admiral will be the winner of the pair Ak Bars – Neftekhimik.
Watch live broadcasts of KHL matches on the federal channel , thematic channels of the holding, as well as on the sites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
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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.
