Igor Larionov is revolutionizing our hockey. His team is the second youngest in the KHL. The average age is 24 years old. Only Severstal (23.57) is younger, where Larionov’s teammate from last year, Andrey Kozyrev, works.
Torpedo is also one of the most oversized clubs. The average weight is 81.94 kg, and only Severstal is lighter (80.73 kg). Average height – 183.97 cm Below only Avtomobilist (183.77), Vityaz (183.74), Spartak (183.72), Dynamo Minsk (182.56) and Severstal (178.80).
Even such data suggests that Larionov has a very young team. But at the same time, Torpedo takes first place in the KHL championship standings.
According to media reports, the professor’s salary amounts to 17 million rubles per year. I inquired. In fact, Igor Larionov receives a relatively modest amount for a top-level KHL coach. But you need to understand that he signed a two-year contract a season ago, when he was a coach with no experience in the KHL. And “Torpedo” had a budget of only 295 million rubles with a salary cap of 900 million.
Few people imagined that cooperation would be so effective. And now Torpedo really wants to keep Larionov – and I am confident that he will receive a more lucrative offer in further negotiations.
After one of the matches, I talked with the head coach of Torpedo about his working principles.
“We want to revive the lost traditions of hockey”
“Torpedo plays magnificent, sparkling hockey. The great Scotty Bowman recently turned 90. Can you say hello to him? Nizhny Novgorod residents paint combinations on ice in the spirit of the Russian Five.
— Scotty is a man who leaves a big mark on hockey. And beauty brings joy to the game. Of course, we try to implement the points of the Russian Five that you mentioned. So that the guys enjoy the process.
The result is nice when we win and the team climbs high in the rankings. But when you play correctly, you show creativity and make the game more effective.
Of course, game master Bowman’s influence on Torpedo is there. And so far it is in perfect condition. I spoke to him the other day. And I’m happy that Scotty Bowman found the opportunity to follow Torpedo.
— Recently, the Nizhny Novgorod club signed a contract with an entire hockey school in Podolsk. Does this mean that young people want to learn Larionov’s style?
— Our general director Maxim Gafurov spoke about this cooperation. I believe we are also working to bring back our lost traditions in hockey. And for the boys who watch the game on TV or come to watch the games live and read on Torpedo, we try to make sure they have a dream…
– Which?
— Return not to work or routine, but to play. This also applies to young coaches who work with boys. Their pedagogy, their influence on these guys is enormous. So we are happy to monitor this school. In fact, some very good players come out of it, who get lost somewhere when they leave childhood, when they move on to the youth level, and then take the plunge into adult hockey.
We’re going to watch and attract the guys. And it will give us the opportunity to receive talents that someone else might not have noticed.
“Our guys should reach out to stars like McDavid”
— The NHL is a youth league. Connor Bédard has yet to play a single game and is already considered a major superstar. Can the KHL become a youth league? Here, in Torpedo, you do not hesitate to release two “masks” onto the ice: they are Anton Silaev and Nikita Artamonov, 17 years old.
– It’s a double-edged sword. It must be said that there is a certain risk that a coach or a team takes. On the other hand, you understand that the guys have a certain talent. And there’s the hockey information they have.
You mentioned Silaev and Artamonov, but we will also bring in one or two players from Chaika, who we liked during the summer training camp. Of course, hockey is getting younger. Naturally, you need to have young players in the team, but besides them there should be more experienced players who can help them develop. This is what makes the development of a player much faster than keeping him on the bench for a whole year, two, three… As a result, guys lose valuable time in development.
And we try to make sure they become adults as quickly as possible. We take our time, but at the same time we push them to become more responsible and relaxed in their game. Because it is very important for them to gain confidence and become hockey players who are in no way inferior, and sometimes even superior to more experienced guys.
So young people have to play, find a place in the team – and we don’t do it because we want to stand out. But because they are very good players. And they send a message to other young people: “If we can, why can’t others? »
— The NHL season starts soon. Which plot interests you the most? Will Ovechkin surpass Gretzky in goals? Will Detroit be cool again? Will Carolina win the playoffs?
— For now, I’m trying not to pay attention to what’s happening in the NHL. I take a brief look at the training camps. Because this story is familiar to me from watching different players. I won’t say I’m expecting anything phenomenal right now.
In detail, I would like Detroit to already start being Detroit, which has had solid performances in our time. Hopefully Red Wings general manager Stevie Yzerman can make sure the team starts to add up and make the playoffs. And of course, when we study NHL teams, we look at new trends and trends…
— Are you adopting any new NHL products in Torpedo?
– Why not? Certainly! Let’s say that the play of Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid in Edmonton has always impressed me. We’ll go from there, because they’re actually fantastic players. Or the same “Colorado”, where MacKinnon, Landeskog, Rantanen, Makar play – you can learn hockey from these people.
All doors are open to us. And we try to play hockey in such a way that our guys reach the level of world stars and reach out to them – to be no worse, and maybe even better in some respects.
Watch Fonbet matches of the KHL championship on the channels of the Match holding company, as well as on the sites matchtv.ru and sportbox.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.
