We spoke with Igor Larionov after his Torpedo won a difficult victory in Mytishchi against Kunlun (3:2 OT).
We started the conversation with a very important and current topic. Last Saturday, former Pittsburgh forward Adam Johnson, who played in the British championship, died in a tragic accident – his throat was cut by an opponent’s skate.
This caused a chain reaction in the hockey world and North American junior leagues made neck protection mandatory. And veteran forward TJ Oshie entered the Washington game with such defense.
“” has already sent a request to the KHL: “Is the league considering making neck protection mandatory for players and how does this apply to the MHL, WHL and the VHL?
And I received a response from the press service of the league: “The rules of the hockey game stipulate that all hockey players under the age of 18, regardless of the competition or tournament in which they participate, are obliged to wear neck and throat protection. , as well as a full-face helmet.
However, the Kontinental Hockey League urges players to take care of their health and reminds that, according to the rules, wearing neck and throat protection is recommended for hockey players of all ages.
“Every match has an element of danger”
— Were you shocked by the story of former striker Adam Johnson, who died in the United Kingdom after having his throat cut with a skate? Well, is it time to introduce neck and throat protection for hockey players throughout Russia?
– I think the question needs to be asked more firmly here – it is not only necessary, but necessary! At one time, “visors” were introduced – glass on the helmet that protects the eyes. In colleges, we play with a protective mask. And today, all players from children’s hockey must continue to play with these masks. The whole question is to know until what age…
But the defense of hockey players changes every year. And I think it’s not a big problem to get used to the so-called “collars” to protect the throat of hockey players. Today, there are suitable technologies in the sports industry, and they make this element mandatory. Because children who later join the main teams must feel protected. These “collars” cannot be removed!
— Experienced players are unlikely to want to switch to it right away.
“But in the NHL, they did it gradually. It is necessary to introduce a rule so that hockey players born in 2004 play in “collars” all the time. And over time, this element of protection will become mandatory for everyone.
— Yes, like before, not everyone accepted “visors”. And now only six people play in the NHL without such eye protection, and all of them are veterans.
– It must be the right product that reliably protects the neck and throat. Everything must be done to avoid tragedies as terrible as those which occurred in England. But I’ll tell you honestly: in general, such things happen often.
– Often? We don’t see everything.
– Often, yes. Unfortunately. Every game has this element of danger. And here, it’s up to everyone’s luck. You can’t predict what a player who is near the goal will do in the next second. How will the goalkeeper or defender react to this attack. Who will fall, whose leg will fly up to the level of someone else’s head… The person falls and their skate spontaneously goes towards the face. These are scary things.
“Sharpie always wanted to be better and he didn’t need to be forced.”
— The attendance record for a hockey game was set in Detroit, where 105,000 spectators gathered at the football stadium. Now, in Nizhny Novgorod, on Christmas Day, 45,000 fans can gather for the Torpedo hockey match with Dynamo Minsk, if the plans are implemented. Will it be big?
“It’s very important to do everything right.” Because a hockey match in a football stadium in Nizhny Novgorod can have a fantastic effect. We understand that there are a lot of people in the city who want to go to hockey. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate everyone in our arena. But you can not only have an outdoor match, but make it a big event over the weekend, as is done in North America. Within the framework of this festival, not only the KHL club can play, but also the MHL team, student teams and the VHL team, as well as the Legends Match. This could be a global celebration of hockey. There should be such things. And if we manage to organize everything in Nizhny Novgorod, then I think it will be a brilliant event in terms of hockey and the popularization of the game. It can be a return to the roots that we sometimes lose. But hockey comes from the streets, from outdoor rinks. It would be great to get back into that atmosphere, to make these matches bright in their own way.
— Avangard defender Damir Sharipzyanov scored a hat-trick in the match against SKA. But you raised this player in his youth, you gave him a lot. Are you satisfied with his progress?
“Sharpie always wanted to improve and there was no need to force him.” When he came to my training camp in Detroit, he asked me to find him a coach who would help him improve his throwing. And I agreed with the Los Angeles Kings hockey player development coach. The training conditions in Detroit were fantastic and Sharpie worked with him twice a day for an hour and a half. All the while, he worked exclusively on his throwing.
These are the things that you want to do yourself and strive for – sooner or later they will bear fruit. And I’m very happy with Damir’s progress. Although he scored the decisive goal for us when we arrived in Omsk on Tuesday. And last season, at the end of February, we played at the Avangard – and then Sharpi also scored the winning goal for us, it was in overtime.
Why are many of our players suffering? This is the launching element. We move the puck too much, we take too long to prepare the shot. But those details then provide that pool of skills and those qualities that you need as a defender who can contribute to the team’s victory.
“The consistency with which Ovechkin has played for almost 20 seasons is admirable.”
— We watch as Alexander Ovechkin pursues Gretzky’s record. But few noticed that he was approaching 1,500 career points. What does this height represent for you?
“I don’t really try to focus on what’s happening overseas. But I imagine how difficult it is to score that many points. Of course, sporting longevity is important here. But what is also astonishing is the consistency with which Ovechkin has played year after year for almost 20 seasons. It’s incredible!
I have known Sasha since I was 14. And I want to wish him to continue to treat himself professionally. Everything is in his hands and in his power. And if he maintains his preparation and attitude at the highest level, Gretzky’s record will be broken even faster than expected.
— At Torpedo, you raise many young people who need international matches. Do you think the Russian team will be allowed to participate in the 2026 Olympics in Italy? The International Hockey Federation (IIHF) has not yet ruled out this option.
— It is now difficult to talk about what and how will happen in 2026. The Olympic Games will take place in three years and everything changes very quickly. Today we have boys playing Torpedo that no one knew a year ago – Artamonov, Atanasov, Silaev, Vinogradov…
The game becomes younger and faster. And let’s live a few more years to understand where we will be and where we will be allowed. We have talents who certainly delight us with their performance.
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.
