Spartak coach Alexey Kovalev believes that hockey today has become simpler than before.
Kovalev played 1,316 games in the regular NHL championships, scoring 1,029 (430+599) points. He won the Stanley Cup in 1994, becoming the first Russian to achieve this feat. Kovalev now works as a coach at Spartak Moscow.
— As a personal trainer, you worked with Martin Necas, who became Carolina’s leading scorer last season. How are NHL forwards fundamentally different from KHL forwards?
— We still have Finnish sites in the KHL, which offer more space. But in general, NHL players think faster during a game. This year I will also work remotely with Martin. He also has to learn a lot to be a regular player. And it’s not easy to take it and shoot it in one season. It must be maintained at this level.
But in general, hockey has become fast, many rules have changed. And many players currently can’t keep up with their pace. The legs run fast, but the arms lag behind in the movement. We need to get back to hockey when you can slow down in some places and speed up in others. But that also left the NHL. There the player ran away – and that’s it. Even if there is nowhere to go in front of the blue line, the person will not slow down, even if it would be possible to involve partners of the second echelon.
Everything happens, the puck goes to the corner, and from there to the goal. He pushes back and rushes. Hockey has become something like that. We want to bring back Soviet hockey, when there was a combination game. When you yourself are satisfied with having played the match and feeling the buzz from it. And it’s very important for the public to see this,” Kovalev told .
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.
