This season, Vityaz, where he works igor Varitsky, has become one of the KHL’s most pleasant surprises. With a small budget, the club from the Moscow region managed to secure contracts with strong legionnaires, raise the youngsters to their level and finish the regular season in sixth place in the Western Conference, then in the first round of the Gagarin Cup give a real fight to the venerable and powerful Lokomotiv.
The combat composition with a modest budget immediately speaks of the cool work of the manager. But will Varitsky stay with Vityaz? Which player would he like to keep in the team? And how often does he communicate with his son-in-law Kirill Marchenko, who is spending his first season in the NHL? About all this – in an interview on “” with a well-known specialist.
“Only Roy has been re-signed, we are negotiating with Wilson”
“We are satisfied with the season,” summed up Vityaz’s performance in the season, Varitsky. – First of all, how was the regular season. And it’s good that we arrived at Lokomotiv in the Gagarin Cup – we gained a lot of experience playing in the playoffs. Because more than half of our guys have been in cup matches for the first time. The matches with Yaroslavl showed that we have learned to endure.
– Do you think Lokomotiv can win the trophy?
– Lokomotiv can definitely win the Gagarin Cup. They’re a solid, consistent team with a lot of playoff experience, both for coaches and players.
“They say you can find good legionnaires even where there are none. “Vityaz” really signs strong foreigners every year. What can you say about the current Canadian trio in your team?
Very happy with (Jeremy) Roy. Especially the fact that he is as good at playing in attack as in defense. His +22 utility meter simply indicates that this offensive defender is working well on his objective.
Has unsuccessfully trained the season in Graovac. A solid central striker, but the injury has taken him down very seriously. Tyler was treated for a long time and then also recovered for a long time. But if the centre-forward doesn’t play, then it’s hard for the extreme forwards in this trio to prove themselves.
According to Wilson, we are also generally satisfied. As expected, 20 matches were spent on adaptation, since the guy had never played before, not only in Russia, but also in Europe. In addition, Scott arrived just before the start of the championship, he did not prepare with the team, so he did not immediately win 100%. Nevertheless, he became our team’s top scorer (20 goals + 19 assists – editor’s note)
– Will you let the Canadians in the team?
– So far, only Roy has been re-signed. We will not renew the contract with Graovac, we are looking for a new centre. We are currently negotiating with Wilson. If we agree, he will stay at Vityaz. We would like to see him in the team.
“The North Americans in the KHL adapt easily”
– Are the legionnaires getting rid of the fear linked to the international situation?
— I would divide foreign players into North Americans and Europeans. Because Europe is closer to us and there is a lot of propaganda going on there. And guys from North America have always had a simpler attitude to living conditions, and in general. Canadians adapt easily to us. Here the Swedes, let’s say, are more capricious. Although they are also all individually, a lot depends on the person. And North Americans always have hockey first. Those who passed the AHL are used to traveling by bus across the country, they are not afraid of the living conditions. It is the proximity to Moscow that seduces.
– In the NHL, players receive money and solve their housing problems themselves. Do you rent apartments for legionaries in your club?
No, we never had that. Foreigners themselves rent accommodation, hire a driver to move around the city or use a taxi. Everything is like in America. The man pays himself.
“How did you manage to save Roy before the deadline?” After all, he has been claimed by several top clubs.
– No, there was no such request for Roy. And then we agreed with the guys. This year we have a crazy team, honor and congratulations to the guys they managed to unite so much. We all went together from start to finish. In general, there were no preconditions for someone to leave.
– What do you think of reducing the limit of Legionnaires to three people in the application for the match?
– We work by the rules. The reduction in foreigners gives our young VHL players a chance to prove themselves, to take a place in the workforce. We will always help them in this. The main thing is that there is a return from them.
“Soon it will be possible to get the Gagarin Cup”
– What does the club’s management think of Vyacheslav Butsaev’s work? Are you going to renew the contract with the head coach?
– Until we summarize the results, we have not met with the senior management of the club. Question about the coaching staff [висит] in the air, it was not even discussed. We’ll talk about that soon.
– Do you already know your future? According to the experts, you are one of the three best general managers in the KHL. And where they just don’t marry you! In the same Avangard, which is now looking for such a specialist.
My contract is also ending. Therefore, we will now meet with management and discuss our future actions.
– Did the players pay bonuses for the first round or not?
– All individual bonuses for reaching the playoffs, which are spelled out in the contracts, the guys will receive.
Was the move from Podolsk to Balashikha effective?
– Judging by the result, then yes. Before that, we hadn’t made the playoffs for two years. And there, for the first time in the history of the club, they started from sixth place in the West. Balashikha is a place of prayer, here the Gagarin Cup was won and many finals were held.
— Is the logistics more convenient?
– It is impossible to answer without ambiguity. For example, it was closer to Domodedovo airport, which we use, from Podolsk. But there, the palace does not quite meet the requirements of the KHL. You have to tidy up a bit. And in Balashikha the arena is newer, after Omsk it is on the move. more modern conditions.
– This season, the low-budget clubs have done very well – Vityaz, Severstal, Torpedo, Admiral… Does that give you optimism for the future?
– Certainly. The championship has definitely become more interesting. I have always said that hockey is not played by names, but by living people. Of course, when there is free money, it is easier to negotiate and invite players. God forbid there will be further progress in the price / quality ratio. Then it will be possible to get the Gagarin Cup. But nobody thought before the season that Torpedo would pass the first round.
“I hope my advice to Kirill in the NHL will help”
– Your son-in-law Kirill Marchenko (Columbus forward – editor’s note) fits perfectly into the NHL. In an interview with , he said he keeps in touch with you all the time. Do you suggest anything to him?
– Yes, we call each other, but not every day, always different time zones. And I don’t want to distract Cyril with my words. But if he asks questions, I always answer. I watch his matches and try to notice different moments. Because hockey in the NHL is different from ours. I hope my advice to Cyril will help you.
– Visually, has Marchenko improved a lot over the past year?
“Yes, Cyril has become more powerful. He did well to stay in America when he received his visa and immediately began preparing for the season, starting in July. Went through development camp and became physically stronger. With psychology, he was already in order.
– With such a stepfather, Kirill will always have a good contract in the KHL. Does that confidence in a reliable full-back help him feel more comfortable abroad?
– We immediately agreed with him that Cyril would take a one-way ticket. We are expecting them on vacation, but when it comes to hockey, we have to prepare so that there is no turning back. I hope he does well in the NHL. You have to work on it every day, because the competition is strong, and Kirill has already felt it himself.
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.
