Before “Torpedo” Nikolai Kovalenko told Metaratings.ru that he was glad to work with the head coach of the Nizhny Novgorod hockey club, Igor Larionov, who created a healthy atmosphere in the team.
– With the advent of Igor Larionov, Torpedo made a leap in sports results. Was it planned for you personally?
– Igor Nikolaevich made a great revolution in Russian hockey. What Larionov did in Torpedo has been talked about by many, but it was Igor Nikolayevich who did it. It is clear that all coaches work for the result and everyone cares about their job. Sometimes it can be on high tones. But personally, the team explained more to us, and didn’t scold us for the times we made mistakes on the ice.
Igor Nikolayevich has never raised his voice at us all season. It was new for me that a head coach with such a mentality finds an approach to the team. He always explained theoretically, individually, and such moments should be enjoyed as they are.
I am happy, for example, for the young boys who come to Torpedo to have such a coach from the start of their career who gives them every opportunity and points them in the right direction. I kindly envy them for having the opportunity to enter the KHL in this way, because the first step in life is important. For young people, the atmosphere in Torpedo is great. There would be more coaches like Larionov.
Throughout the season, some sort of oversight was expected of us, starting with the pre-season training camp. From the start, we believed in the system put in place by Larionov. For me personally, his formation seemed a little strange at first. In the sense that they are really modern, not stereotyped, like most. Usually you die in training camp, you can’t walk, but in Torpedo you’re still fit. Last season was probably the best for me. Not so much because of the points scored, but in terms of physical stability. Throughout the season, I felt very good. This, in my opinion, gave its result, – said Kovalenko.
“Torpedo” under the leadership of Larionov took fourth place in the Western Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, the team beat Dynamo Moscow (4-2 in the series), then lost in the second round to SKA (0-4).
Metaratings.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.
