On December 1, VDNKh organized the opening ceremony of the All-Russian Hockey Day with the participation of legends, managers and players of HC CSKA. The event took place in the presence of Pavel Bure, Sergei Fedorov and other representatives of the Moscow army.
“” spoke with CSKA honorary president Boris Mikhailov about the fight for the Gagarin Cup, Russia’s suspension and Alexander Ovechkin’s goal-scoring race in the NHL.
— Isn’t it great that Russia has two days of hockey at once? December 1 is All-Russian Hockey Day, and December 22 is National Hockey Day.
– Yet the wording is a little different, and these days are not repeated. But if our hockey has three days at a time where we can talk about it, I won’t be upset at all.
— It is clear that it is difficult for CSKA to win the Gagarin Cup for the third time in a row. Today, the army team is only sixth in the West. Does this worry you personally?
— Winning a title for the first time is difficult. The second time was even harder, and the third time in a row was even harder than the second time. Because you reach such a level that all rival teams, regardless of class, target you with vengeance. It all depends on the psychology of the Gagarin Cup winners. Our hockey players have won it twice. They woke up, went on vacation, came out in the new season – and everyone thinks they are doubles and someone will take their hat off to them. And they must prove once again that they were stronger not yesterday, but today. It’s the hardest thing. And this psychology leads to games that no one likes. People just don’t show the skills they are capable of.
They lose the feeling of conquerors. Because they are very well trained against them. And they think they will quietly achieve victory after victory. But this doesn’t always work.
— Yes, CSKA fans are worried.
— And the team occupies an unusually low place in the table. This is not the level of CSKA. Being somewhere in the top three, I would always understand it. And when half a season has already passed, but the team lags from sixth to eighth place in the conference, I believe that a real champion has no right to play like that. It’s my point of view.
– But CSKA has young players who are shining.
– Why did they appear? Why did the same goalkeeper Dmitry Gamzin shoot? Why are five or six kids playing in the lineup at the same time? Because the main hockey players of the team have a lot of injuries. You have to play. But such a coincidence of circumstances. If two goalkeepers – Ivan Fedotov and Alexander Sharychenkov – had played consistently, I doubt Gamzin would have appeared in the starting lineup.
But there is instability among the best goalkeepers. There is also no stability in the main team. That’s why everything happens like this.
— You worked at the World Cup in 1996, leading the Russian team. What do you think about the fact that the NHL plans to organize an international tournament in 2025 without the participation of the Russians?
– Let’s think: are those who want to organize the World Cup now friendly towards us? No. It’s a political question. Until this year, I thought the NHL was an independent organization. She was considered that way all over the world. And now I come to the conclusion that the NHL is also politicized.
I will say this: hockey without the Russian national team is an average tournament. This is how the world championships, world cups and Olympics are held without us. The Russian national team is strong and important. Like it or not, the pinnacle of world hockey is the matches between Russia and the Canadians. They are two great hockey powers.
Yes, there were merits from the Czechs, and later from the Swedes and Finns. World hockey is therefore based on the confrontation between Russia and Canada.
— Alexander Ovechkin in the next game could score the 1500th point of his career in regular NHL championships. Do you consider this a huge success for all of Russian hockey?
— Ovechkin has not personally reached this height. He plays on a team in Washington. His comrades helped him. But Alexander is our Soviet and Russian hockey player. He represents our country in the NHL. Of course, we’re proud when he scores 1,500 NHL points or ties Wayne Gretzky in goals.
Gretzky is great, but Ovechkin is also great. And when he surpasses Gretzky, he will become the greatest.
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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.
