Oleg Znarok is the most successful coach in the history of the KHL. He won two Gagarin Cups with Dynamo Moscow (2012, 2013), then a trophy with SKA (2017). Zinetula Bilyaletdinov has the same number of achievements – three cups. Although, if you look at the international level, Znarok and Bill won the World Championship, Oleg Valerievich at the same time won gold at the Pyeongchang Olympics.
It was very joyful to see Znarka participate in the charity “Match of the Year”. And of course, I rushed to him for an interview. The break in his coaching career was prolonged – Znarok led Ak Bars for the last time in December 2022, after which he left Kazan. But the team with Bill reached the seventh match of the playoff final. And then the Ak Bars management thanked Znark for his contribution to the common cause. They even said that they would put his name on the silver cup if they managed to defeat CSKA in the decisive match.
“The main thing for me is to return to coaching”
— Oleg Valerievich, we miss you very much! How did you feel when you took part in the “Match of the Year”? — I approached Znark in the locker room.
– Naturally, I received a lot of emotions. I saw all the guys with whom I went through very good, and maybe not always good, stages of their career. We have excellent relations with them. And now we were happy to see each other again.
Thank you very much for organizing such games. But this match was absolutely incredible! The Sports Palace is big and attracted many fans. At first I thought that the guys would play according to the score or according to some kind of playful game. But even compared to the “All-Star Game”, where it happens that people act foolish, this did not happen today. Especially in the first half, they played so well, they performed such combinations! Simply magnificent – I stood on the bench and enjoyed it.
— Is there a chance that Oleg Znarok, as a head coach, will return to the KHL?
— As I already said on , I haven’t closed the door yet. Certainly! I need another cup. Necessarily! And I think it’s quite possible…
—…will your return take place in the near future?
– Well, I don’t know how it will go. But I am ready to come and work at the KHL club.
— Are there any nuances? Maybe you don’t want to lead a weak team. Or you won’t go far in the regions.
– At the moment, for the time being, I have already tried everything that was there. And what you are talking about does not matter. The main thing is to return to coaching. I want to find the atmosphere and feel the buzz of work.
Znarok to Ovechkin: “Don’t dwell on Gretzky’s record!”
At that moment, Alexander Ovechkin approached us. I asked Znark: “Well, will Ovi break Wayne Gretzky’s record?”
– One hundred percent! — answered Oleg Valerievich.
– Valerich, okay, what are you starting! – Ovechkin exclaimed.
– Why are you bothering? Don’t focus on it and everything will be fine! – Znarok replied. – You still have it in your head!
“Come to our room,” Alexander pointed to the door at the back of the locker room, where many players and coaches had already gathered.
“I would also give Bobrovsky the Vezina Trophy”
— You came to New York and went to see NHL games. How does that enrich you? — I haven’t let Znarok go to the treasure room yet.
— Not only do I watch the games, but I also go to training. For a long time and often. It’s a very nice experience. I try to learn something new.
— Artemy Panarin said he was very grateful: he has a coach not only at the Rangers, but also at home. It helps him to be better. Do you give Panarin any advice? His statistics have jumped. And New York has gone far in the playoffs.
– If he says so, I probably help him. I’m glad that my conversations with him and the analysis of some matches are beneficial. It costs a lot. And not everyone has that in their life! But I’m happier with my two grandchildren…
– How are they?
— They are growing up to be hockey players. The youngest one is sleeping and eating. And the oldest one is already running with a stick in his hand. It’s clear that he’s going to be a good guy!
— Did you watch the Stanley Cup Final? “Florida” vs. “Edmonton” – the plot was incredible!
“I watched and supported Seryoga Bobrovsky. There was a turnaround: then Florida took a 3-0 lead in the series, and it seemed impossible to get out of it. But Edmonton won once – so, another turnaround. At 3-2 in the series, we started to get a little nervous. At 3-3, I was already starting to worry.
And you can’t call. I understand that it’s bad to be distracted at such a moment. But thank God, Seryoga coped with it, like the rest of “Florida” – and his dream came true. And our dream too is that he lifts the Stanley Cup above his head.
Overall, I would give him the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender. He had a wonderful regular season and simply dragged his team to the playoffs.
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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.
