“SKA has become very strong, but the team still needs to be united”
– What is your impression after the CSKA holidays, where the team welcomed its fans?
– I am happy that my club, CSKA, where I played for 21 years, shows again and again that it works successfully, pleases the fans with its game. There are traditions in the club, and becoming the playoff champion for two consecutive years, after winning the Gagarin Cup, is worth a lot. It’s hard to win the league in principle. But when two seasons in a row… This suggests that a great team and coaches were able to rally him. And it is important that CSKA has achieved the goal set for the team.
– At the same time, SKA is getting stronger. You were the initiator of the cross playoffs. Everything going for the SKA – CSKA final?
– Now out of season, everything intensifies. But SKA stands out in this regard, of course. Even now, Boris Petrovich Mikhailov and I sat side by side at the CSKA gala evening. He asks me, “What do you think of how the SKA is getting stronger?” “Good, OK. But we still have to rally the team.
Because it’s one thing to invite all the stars to a good club. But it’s another matter to cement them together, so that it’s really a team that really follows all the instructions of the coach and goes to victory.
“I correspond with Bobrovsky, but I do not wish him victories”
— Sergei Bobrovsky from Florida will make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. His opponent is not the most famous guard in Vegas, Edin Hill, who took the courage. What are the chances of the Russian goalkeeper?
– Bobrovsky was waiting for his moment to prove that he really was Bobrovsky. He was not immediately released in this playoff, but Florida is already in the final. I really like this goalkeeper, I always send him a message…
– Do you text?
– Yes. I never wish victory, only good luck. Because I am a superstitious person, there is no need to wish for victory. I always write to Bobrovsky: “Bravo!” And he answers: “I try, thank you very much.”
For me, it is precious, because we are both goalkeepers. And I remember how Sergey played for the Russian national team. It was amazing. It is also important that Bobrovsky is not only a good goalkeeper, but also a good person. This is also very important.
“We want to invite the Chinese team to the tournament in Moscow”
– The Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RHF) released a statement that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) will again consider the possibility of bringing the national teams of Russia and Belarus back to international tournaments in March 2024. Y is there a chance that we will participate in the olympics in 2026?
– We hope. Hope always dies last. But there is hope that we will return to the international family and go to the Olympics. Let’s hope and prepare.
– Will Russia have to go through the Olympic qualification selection?
– No. The Belarusians need it, but the Russian team does not need it. We remain third in the international IIHF rankings.
– And who will decide on the admission of the Russian team to Milan 2026? International Olympic Committee (IOC) or IIHF?
– In fact, the decision is taken by the IOC, but in agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation.
– Tatyana Tarasova said that if Russia is not allowed to participate in the Olympics, an alternative Olympics should be held. We are talking about the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. But is this true in hockey?
Not in hockey. Unfortunately, our choice is limited. In addition to Belarusians, there is also Kazakhstan. The rest of the teams are not so strong. We don’t have anyone to play with in the alternate tournament. It is complicated. We must do everything that depends on us so that the Olympics take place with our participation. In any case, sport is the ambassador of peace. This slogan must be written everywhere in large letters. And we need to remove politics from sport. It is the most important.
– In May, the Russian team played a series of matches with the Belarusians, once played with the Kazakhstan team. Is it possible to expand this geography in December at the home tournament in Moscow?
It could also be China. We negotiate. Why not? If they are ready, we want them to join us too.
– “Kunlun” how will the Chinese team be prepared for the December tournament?
— We are going to invite the Chinese team. Whether they agree or not, we’ll see.
“The level of the World Cup could be higher”
– What impression did the World Championship, which recently ended in Finland and Latvia, leave on you?
– You know, you still have to congratulate everyone. Once again, Team Canada became champions. Canadians are Canadians, regardless of their composition. They may lose in the group at first, but then they prove that they are the strongest here and now.
I liked the American team. In principle, there are only a dozen NHL players, the rest come from universities and the AHL. A lot of young guys, and by the way, the American team hasn’t lost a single game in regulation time…
– Yes, the Americans lost in overtime in the semi-finals with the Germans and in the bronze medal game with the Latvians (both times the score was 3:4).
– That’s how it is, and in the end they ended up without a medal. However, they played well. And Germany won silver, Latvia won bronze. The Finns and Swedes disappointed, the best players did not come to the Czechs. And those who came did not show the hockey that was expected of them.
And in general, I think the level of hockey at this world championship should have been higher. This is not the level we expected from the 2023 World Cup initially.
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.
