May 11 at 5:05 p.m. on the “Match! Country”, you will watch the final match between the teams of Russia and Belarus as part of the “Grand Tour of the National Team Betting League”. It will be a live broadcast from Minsk. The Russians won four matches during this tour, beating Kazakhstan (1:0) and Belarus three times (4:0, 6:0, 6:2) And before Saturday’s match, we spoke with. Romain Rotenberg.
From this conversation you will learn:
“At SKA we traded for the future Nikita Gusev”
— SKA participated in a successful exchange with three clubs. Goalkeeper Sergei Ivanov went to Sochi on loan from you, and three young hockey players from Omsk ended up in St. Petersburg – goalkeeper Nikita Podlyagin, defender Timur Kol and forward Egor Privalov. What does this mean to you?
— A few years ago we made a similar exchange, when Dmitry Kagarlitsky was sent to Dynamo Moscow, receiving in return three young people – Pavel Mintyukov, Nikita Chibrikov and Daniil Lazutin.
— The first now plays in Anaheim, the second went to Winnipeg…
— The main thing is that Chibrikov won one for SKA-1946, and Lazutin won two Kharlamov Cups at once. Winning a cup twice in the MHL is very rare.
The three clubs benefit from this exchange. We have very strong guys. Our task is to win every year, including the Kharlamov Cup. These guys have great potential. It is important to implement it. Goalkeeper Podlyagin is very impressive, Col is a very good defender. Overall one of the best limiters in the KHL, in my opinion. Privalov is a very strong striker. At one point in Moscow he tore all the teams apart. I watched his matches when he was still performing in the capital. A striking, interesting and subtle player. The future Nikita Gusev, one could say.
We are very happy to have received such promising hockey players. At the same time, the guys who have now won the Kharlamov Cup are already playing for the Russian national team. Ivan Vydrenkov or Senya Koromyslov came with us on tour – unfortunately he was injured and could not play in Tula.
But these guys, who just yesterday played in the MHL for SKA-1946, are already beating the strongest national team of Belarus, whose hockey players play in the best clubs of the KHL. Young people are our future, we always work with such guys to develop everyone to the maximum. We will continue to fight for this, to win at every level. Look, Vydrenkov scored the winning goal in Tula. He improves with every match and this is just one example. But all the guys from SKA-1946 add: Grigory Osipov, Semyon Sinyatkin, Vladislav Romanov are with us. We continue to work with everyone, we look at them in the context of the national team. And they add more every day.
“Ovechkin got noticed by throwing the puck against the wall of his apartment”
— So you know well even 15-year-old hockey players in Russia, who is the strongest?
— I try to follow the evolution of hockey. It is important for me to understand how we work even with children who are now between 8 and 10 years old. I try to watch all the matches on time if possible. Although there is a championship under the auspices of the Moscow Hockey Federation. Considering his age, this is a strong tournament. Watching children’s games in St. Petersburg. Or just now we were in Omsk and also working with the guys from Avangard Academy. And there are some very strong guys there, I tell you. Young hockey players are developed very well there.
We came to Kazakhstan – there is a different approach to youth development. They play technically, skate well and hold the puck. But in the Tula region there is the “Mikhailov Academy” – it is immediately obvious that they have a different approach to the training process. The children here have a strong character, are well developed physically, but in terms of technique they are not at the same level as in Omsk. I won’t say they play worse. They can win through their character and dedication.
But everything must be developed as a whole. We can joke about “tiki-taka”, but in hockey, you have to play with the puck, open up to each other. It’s “tiki-taka” when you act collectively. And for that, we have to work on developing technical skills so that guys are good at skating, handling the puck and using a stick. Everything must be developed 100 percent.
And this is the result of the work of each coach, since childhood. There are no miracles – you know the story of Connor McDavid. We all studied how he trained and developed from childhood, playing various coordination sports. And he became the best player in the world. There are examples in other sports where children are properly developed and trained from childhood and then become top stars.
The same Alexander Ovechkin. He made himself. His father told me – may he rest in heaven – how Sasha practiced his throws at home, in the apartment. He just threw it against the wall a thousand times a day. The neighbors complained, but Ovechkin became one of the greatest hockey players. He scored more than anyone in the world. Yes, he is still second, but he will always pass Gretzky. Why did this happen? Because Ovechkin trained his throw correctly – at home, in his apartment. He really wanted to score. That is, not only the work of coaches is important, but also the desire of each player.
“The little Kazakh defenders look like Cale Makar”
— “” broadcasts the World Hockey Championship. Are you interested in this tournament?
— I am always interested in following the development of hockey. There are no politics for me. I just watch, for example, how teams leave the zone, how they cross the middle zone, how they behave in attack. I look at some players who impress me. Because I’m interested in how they are developing, how they are performing now compared to last season. I communicate with many coaches. I am not the inventor of the bicycle. I have many colleagues in Canada with whom I have been in contact for a very long time. We exchange opinions on how to develop hockey in general. No politics! I try to learn every day. And when we were in Astana, I even learned a lot of things while coaching the kids. Because the guys who trained with us in Kazakhstan played very interestingly. Technically, the little Kazakhs, at the time of writing, look a lot like Keil Makar. They have very interesting young right-handed defenders who ride on a “boat”, in motion. Therefore, study and study!
— The FHR will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision that we were fined one million Swiss francs for the fact that Ivan Fedotov played for CSKA. What is your personal reaction?
—A very difficult question, actually. First of all, from a legal point of view. Because from the lawyers’ point of view, the Russian Hockey Federation is responsible for all decisions regarding hockey in Russia. Well, the FHR is a member of the International Hockey Federation (IIHF). And for all decisions, even if they are not made by the FHR, the FHR remains responsible. So this is the work of lawyers and I have nothing else to add.
— Which team is the most interesting for you in the Stanley Cup?
– There is no favorite. But I like the New York Rangers. I follow this club because Igor Shesterkin and Artemy Panarin perform there. I’m interested in how they play as a team.
Carolina’s system is also interesting. It’s a very solid and hard-working team. They play well under pressure. In fact, everything in this series is so close that there are very few scoring opportunities. Both teams look great, even though the series is 3-0 in favor of the Rangers.
— There is a dogma that no KHL club would beat an NHL club. Do you agree that even Metallurg wouldn’t have defeated San Jose?
“You have to play first to say that.” I think the KHL champion could make the NHL playoffs. Of course, with the good work of the technical staff and the selection of players. Everything is possible. The KHL club would easily qualify for the Stanley Cup. There’s nothing complicated about it.
You know, the NHL is more of a media story. Each match is filmed by a large number of cameras, microphones on the sides, snow-white ice, everything is beautiful. But it’s the same hockey. The presentation is just different. But NHL players play with the same puck on the same ice.
— Do you have any idea who will win the Champions League final?
— Whoever plays the strongest on offense will win. Maybe Real Madrid have more chances and a more powerful squad. But Borussia Dortmund is also a strong team with an impressive fan base. Both clubs are very impressive. I have no personal predilection for anyone. It will be interesting football. But I think Real Madrid have a better chance. However, there is a story of victories and self-confidence after the comeback in the last match (two goals in the last minutes in the semi-final with Bayern). So yes, I believe in Spanish.
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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.