CEO Russian Hockey Federation Dmitry Kurbatov says that KHL cannot exist without the federation and the Russian hockey system as a whole.
In accordance with the Sports Law, the FHR delegates to the KHL the right to host the Russian Championship.
— From the point of view of relations between the league and the federation, we can first read criticism of both organizations in the press. Journalists often associate this with personalities, with misunderstandings between people. In fact, initially the league and the federation have completely different tasks. And the contradictions were inherent from the start. The task of the federation is to develop hockey, prepare teams and ensure their good performance. The league in federation is less interested because it brings together the cream of the crop: the best players, the best coaches, the best referees. This is probably how it should be: the best should play with the best.
Contradictions in goals and objectives exist objectively; there is no escaping it. This is not a Russian particularity: the situation is the same in European countries. It’s pretty much the same everywhere. The league and the clubs are a world apart.
It is impossible to create some sort of league that would exist apart from the rest of hockey in the near future. We are therefore dedicated to cooperation. Neither the league can survive without the rest of hockey, nor hockey can develop without the KHL. Reasonable people must find a compromise. The league uses the best players and coaches, where do they come from? This is the preparation of the Russian hockey system. If there weren’t 100,000 people involved, there wouldn’t be such a wonderful league where we see wonderful matches. Yes, the FHR wants more time to train the players. But we cannot spoil the product – the national hockey season, to go to May and win against everyone there, we cannot have a base club for the national team, like CSKA in the USSR. So the KHL championship is an important element for the FHR,” Kurbatov said, according to correspondent.
Source : MatchTV
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