How are the Russian troops doing in the NHL?
For three weeks of the 101st season of the NHL, the players-leaders and those who remained "in the wings" have already been clearly identified. But what would be the interest in this if not for our new stars, such as Sergachev or the already familiar hockey players with Russian surnames, who "rebooted" after a not very successful season? The sports editorial office of Realnoe Vremya tells about those Russians in the NHL who have surpassed all expectations, and those from whom we expect more.
Sergei Bobrovsky, "Columbus"
Let's start with the last frontier. Moreover, this year we have two names at once in the "frame" of NHL teams, which we can be proud of. Columbus have long been known as a team of the eternal middle: neither you have big ambitions, nor trophies, but they are not such a hopeless outsider either. There are not many famous players here, however, they stop by in Ohio. And the most important figure of the last decade for Columbus is undoubtedly Sergei Bobrovsky. If he is not in the goal or he has a temporary recession, it means that the whole team is not good enough.
Perhaps the only game in which Sergey did not work out was the last one - against Los Angeles. It just so happened that the Kings had all the washers flying exactly where they needed to, so Bobrovsky's statistics in this match were spoiled great. But even after this disastrous game for the whole team, Bobrovsky has a rather impressive figure of 2.16 goals per game. And after all, even in a duel with the Kings, Bobrovsky created a local miracle, which will be remembered more than all the goals he missed. Just look:
Andrey Vasilevsky, Tampa Bay
The second goalkeeper, for whom one can rejoice, is the goalkeeper of the Russian NHL team itself, Andrei Vasilevsky.
Vasilevsky is currently the youngest first goalkeeper of the NHL team. Having squeezed Bishop out of Tampa, Andrey got all the cards in his hands in order to realize himself at the level of the goalkeeper of the league's favorite team. Now 23 years old, he is the most talked-about figure in goal in the entire NHL. Many are not yet fully convinced that Vasya is stable enough to defend the gates of the Stanley Cup contender.
But seven games out of eight! In so many matches, Vasilevsky emerged victorious along with his partners. The percentage of reflection of throws is kept at the level of 93.3%. In other words, such a gang has gathered in Tampa, against which it is simply enough for Vasilevsky not to make stupid mistakes, play at a good level and sometimes "drag" if the situation is critical, as, for example, here:
Vladimir Tarasenko, "St. Louis"
Back in the summer, the Siberian striker announced this season in the NHL as a decisive one for him. He said that he understood what to add, and began to prepare differently. Everyone believed, they expected Tarasenko to become the main Russian scoring player. Moreover, Ovechkin's last season did not work out at all.
But there is every reason to think that Tarasenko simply does not have partners of a sufficient level to become the best in the league. Vladimir sorely lacks strong central strikers who can steadily take him to shock positions. Already aging Paul Stiasny in his top three is no longer reaching the level. Vladimir Sobotka, who returned to the NHL, does not look like a super passer either.
Nevertheless, our striker is the main star of the bluesmen. He has a 19:43 lead time on the ice, so Mike Yeoh seems to be trying to build the game through a winger without having a strong center.
And yet Tarasenkovskaya 5 + 4 in nine matches is good, but nothing more. This is less than last year, and now Vladimir is not even the second after Ovechkin. We will follow how it goes on. The playoffs are still far away.
Artemy Panarin, Columbus
Although Khlebushek hasn't scored much yet, it assists a lot and gives out “bomb” interviews in which it refutes its “key addiction”. Artemiy has 1 + 8, (and twice he made assistant hat-tricks) in his new club, and it would be time for him to score himself to prove his theory.
One of Panarin's main problems at Columbus may be the rather dictatorial manner of management of coach John Tortorella. He does not like hockey players who work miracles only ahead, he also needs horses that work out in defense. It seems that Artemy Panarin is not yet very accustomed to the new conditions. But everything is ahead.
Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov, Tampa Bay
Simply the main star of the entire National Hockey League here and now is Nikita Kucherov, who tears absolutely everyone. He is not stopped by Pittsburgh, which the Floridians have smashed to pieces (although who is not blowing them now?), Having knocked the reigning champion several masterpiece goals, neither the Rangers, nor last year's finalist Nashville, nor the same St. Louis Vladimir Tarasenko.
Judge for yourself: Lightning played 9 matches from the start of the season, Kucherov has already scored 16 (10 + 6) points and caught up with Ovechkin in the number of goals scored. Now two Russians are heading the race for the top scorer of the Morris Richard Trophy.
This season, the 24-year-old Russian has grown to the status of a contender for the title of the best player in the league. What is Connor McDavid like when such a fast and smart Russian guy named Nikita is "roasting" in the South of the United States?
The second Russian, without whom Tampa would not be where we see it today, is Vladislav Namestnikov, who scored a good 10 (3 + 7) points. If Kucherov scores more goals, then Omestnikov assists him and Stamkos. Yes, the attention of the second of the four Russians "Tampa" receives much less than, however, only earns himself the status of the hidden hero of the team, regularly "wearing the piano." Although in this moment everything was the other way around.
Alexander Ovechkin, "Washington"
Either criticism of Alexander the Great for his uniform at his own wedding, or his own dissatisfaction with himself spurred "our all" to prepare for the season in a different way. Everyone remembers that last season was the worst for Ovechkin. So in the current one, he had to go according to one of two scenarios: either completely resign from the powers of the best shooter in the NHL and gradually go into the shadows, well, then along the route NHL - KHL - State Duma, or do something with yourself and return on the familiar track with 50+ goals in the regular season and the fight for the Stanley Cup.
As expected, Alexander chose the second path. For 9 games he has 10 goals, which means that he is still ahead of schedule! Moreover, Ovechkin has renewed the tradition of breaking numerous league records. Last week, for example, he scored the winning goal in NHL overtime for the 20th time in his career, beating the great Jaromir Jagr.
Ovechkin scored a huge number of goals in the NHL for a reason. He shoots better than anyone else in the league, ”Washington head coach Barry Troz admired his player's performance. - If you give Ovechkin enough opportunities, there will definitely be goals.
Nail Yakupov, Colorado
Yakupov's game in the NHL, according to the old tradition, cannot be called unambiguous. Colorado had a pretty quick start, winning four out of five matches and nearly jumping into the top three. Nail scored three goals and seemed to have found chemistry with Kerfoot and Matt Duchenne, making all opponents nervous in defense. The team breathed in a new way after last year's shame, looked fresh and light. And Yakupov himself said that everything in the new team suits him. It would seem, what else is needed to finally gain a foothold in the NHL?
However, soon Yakupov took up the old and simply stopped playing. In the lost match with St. Louis, Colorado head coach Jared Bednar put Nail on the bench in the second period and never let go.
“Today there were“ passengers ”in our composition, and Yakupov was one of them,” Bednar said. - When you play against the best team in the division, you can't act so stupid. Several mistakes, which we were not allowed to make, cost us the game. "
That's all you need to know about Yakupov's career overseas. There is still time for correction, but with each new season it becomes less and less.
Alexander Burmistrov, Vancouver
The Kazan hockey player is not doing any better in the NHL. According to statistics, everything is sad (1 + 3), and Alexander earned his first assistant points only last week, and his only goal was scored by not the brightest Ottawa. In the same game, Burmi also earned an assistant point for passing to Brock Boser, earning the title of the third star of the match.
But for a player who has such a chance "thanks" to the injuries of strikers Erickson and Sutter, Alexander would need to be much more active in order to get a stable place at least in the third link. Indeed, with such a game that he shows today, the returned leaders can put him in reserve for a long time or send him to the AHL.
Alexander Radulov, Dallas
So far, Alexander Radulov looks unimportant in his new Dallas Stars team. His start in Texas turned out to be much worse than last year's in Montreal. Only on October 18, Radulov scored his first and currently the only goal for Dallas. His statistics - 4 (1 + 3) points - will upset even his most ardent fans.
Alexander does not do without productive mistakes. For example, in a recent game against Nashville (1: 4), his loss turned into a third conceded puck, and the striker himself eventually earned -2 utility. With the longest time on the ice for a hitter, he landed just one shot. This is clearly not what is expected of a player who is given an average of 19 minutes of playing time.
The only thing that can be called mitigating is the fact that the whole Stars were moping for a long time. Only in the last four games did the Texans manage to turn the tide. We keep our fists so that Alex finds himself in the green team.
Eric Dobrolyubov
Today, January 13, the famous Russian hockey player Nikolai Khabibulin turns 41. The site recalls some of the best Russian goalkeepers who played in the NHL.
NIKOLAY KHABIBULIN
After playing three years at CSKA, Khabibulin decided to leave for the NHL. In 1992 he was drafted 204 by Winnipeg for a total of two seasons. Khabibulin became, in fact, the first goalkeeper in the NHL who could become the first number in his team. Those who played in parallel with Nikolai Trefilov and Shtalenkov did not achieve significant success in the best league in the world.
In less than 20 years in the NHL, Nikolai changed five teams. In the service list of Khabibulin "Phoenix" (1996 - 1999), "Tampa Bay" (2001 - 2004), Chicago (2005 - 2009, 2013 - present), "Edmonton" (2009 - 2013). In total, Khabibulin played about 800 games in the NHL. The goalkeeper's highest achievement is the 2004 Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay, where Nikolai was the main goalkeeper. The trophy he won was the first Stanley Cup for the Russian goalkeeper.
In 2002, Khabibulin was the main goalkeeper of the Russian national team at the Salt Lake City Olympics and was recognized as the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Russia then won bronze medals.
For his reliable play he received the nickname "Bulin Wall" from the Americans.
SEMEN VARLAMOV
Varlamov was drafted by Washington in 2006, but his NHL debut took place only a couple of years later in the match against Montreal. Washington won (2: 1), and Varlamov, reflecting 32 shots, was recognized as the first star of the match. Despite a successful game in his first matches overseas, in the future Varlamov was not involved in games for Washington for a long time, continuing to play in the Hershey farm club. Only in February 2009, the Russian was again summoned to Washington, where he took the place of Jose Theodore's replacement, Brent Johnson, who received a thigh injury.
Varlamov was a substitute goalkeeper for a long time, having played only six matches until the end of the season, and also produced an excellent end to the season at Hershey, where he showed a result of 19-7-1 in 27 games. During the first round of the 2008/2009 NHL playoffs against the New York Rangers, Varlamov became the main goalkeeper after Jose Theodor conceded 4 goals in the first match of the series, 3-4 lost by Washington.
On July 1, 2011, Varlamov was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. The next day, the club signed a three-year contract with them in the amount of 8.5 million dollars. In the new team, Semyon got the first number.
Season 2013-2014 Varlamov started brilliantly and more than once received compliments of the highest dignity from the head coach of Colorado, the great goalkeeper Patrick Roy in the past: “Varley deserves a lot of kind words for what is happening now both with the team and with him. And this has been the case since the first day that goalkeeping coach François Aller met him in Switzerland. They did a great job - and, which is very important, Varlamov listens extremely attentively to everything that Francois teaches him. He's perfect!".
Varlamov himself has repeatedly stated that he had the great honor of working with such legends and professionals in their field as Roy and Aller.
Varlamov is considered the main contender to become the first number of the Russian national team at the Sochi Olympics.
ILYA BYZGALOV
In the 2000 NHL Draft, Ilya was selected in the second round under the overall 44th overall number by Anaheim. In America, Bryzgalov could not immediately start playing and for four seasons, including the lockout, he played in a farm club from Cincinnati. In the seasons 2005/06 and 2006/07, the goalkeeper spent 31 and 27 games in Anaheim, respectively, but at the same time remained second behind Zhiger. Nevertheless, in 2007 Bryzgalov became the owner of the Stanley Cup championship ring.
In November, Bryzgalov was put on a bounce draft and moved to Phoenix, where he was the main goalkeeper for four years and made two playoffs with the team after an eight-year hiatus.
In the 2009/2010 season, Ilya was nominated for the Vezina Trophy, the best goalkeeper in the NHL club general manager's opinion, but the Buffalo Sabers goalkeeper Ryan Miller was chosen as the best.
In 2011, a month before the expiration of his contract, Bryzgalov was traded by Phoenix to Philadelphia. In return, the Flyers were given striker Matt Clarkson and two picks in the 2012 draft. Signed a contract with Philadelphia for a period of years and the amount of 51.5 million dollars. Bryzgalov's further career did not work out. Ilya had a bad season at Philadelphia, missing a lot and occasionally losing his place in the first team.
On June 26, Bryzgalov's contract was redeemed, he became an unlimited free agent. On November 8, 2013, the player signed a contract with the Edmonton Oilers. In December, he began to gain shape and play matches for the main squad of the oilmen, but was injured and out of action. In early January, he presented to the public his new mask, which was dedicated to the Sochi Olympics.
Bryzgalov won the second longest dry streak in Stanley Cup history - 249 minutes 15 seconds. In addition, Ilya holds the Phoenix (Winnipeg) club record: 42 wins in the 2009/10 championship.
EVGENY NABOKOV
In 1999, Nabokov moved to the NHL, where he played for the San Jose Sharks for over ten years. At first, Nabokov was considered the second and even the third goalkeeper. However, in 2000, the main Sharks goalkeeper Steve Shields was injured and Nabokov had a chance, which he used in full - becoming the number one "Sharks" for the next nine years.
During this time, "San Jose" only once failed to reach the playoffs or only once failed to overcome the first round. In the 2000-2001 season, Nabokov received the NHL Rookie Award.
Nabokov is currently the best Russian goalkeeper in the NHL in terms of wins (335) and clean sheets (55). Moreover, according to these indicators, he is among the top 20 goalkeepers in the entire history of the NHL.
On January 21, 2011, Eugene signed a contract with the Detroit Red Wings until the end of the season and, in accordance with the NHL regulations, was put on a draft waivers, from where the goalkeeper was taken by the New York Islanders, but Eugene refused to play for the Islanders. In turn, the Islanders management blocked Nabokov's contract and in order to continue playing in the NHL, he had to work out this contract. Yevgeny began the 2011/12 season with the Islanders, and during the season he extended his contract with the team for another year, gaining a foothold in the squad as the main goalkeeper. In July 2013, the New York Islanders renewed their contract with Nabokov for a year.
Until the last moment, Nabokov was considered a candidate for a trip to the Games in Sochi as part of the Russian national team, but he was injured and automatically dropped out of the list of applicants.
During the ten years that Nabokov played for San Jose, the club has never been able to win the main trophy - the Stanley Cup, and Evgeny himself has a reputation as a strong, but non-kubkov goalkeeper.
SERGEY BOBROVSKY
It may seem that the inclusion of Bobrovsky in this list is an advance. However, it took Sergei only three incomplete seasons overseas to receive the prize for the best NHL goalkeeper - "Vezina Trophy", which the Russians had not previously won.
Bobrovsky moved to the NHL from Metallurg Novokuznetsk and spent two seasons at Philadelphia. In 2010, he signed a three-year contract with the Flyers, but the purchase of Ilya Bryzgalov for a lot of money in 2011 sent Bobrovsky to Columbus, where Sergey received a prestigious award, simultaneously setting a record series for the club with scores (no losses during regular time).
Bobrovsky was included in the list of hockey players who will go to the Olympics in Sochi and will certainly compete for the right to be the first number of the team with Semyon Varlamov.
Last weekend, Nikolai Khabibulin played his first match this season. His team, the Edmonton Oilers, lost, but the Russian goalkeeper became the second star of the meeting, reflecting 28 shots. Khabibulin was the sixth domestic goalkeeper to enter the NHL in the season. Marking this event, Lenta.ru decided to see how successfully Russian goalkeepers conquer North America.
Year after year, fewer and fewer Russian players go to the NHL - if five or six years ago young people were striving for North America, even without really playing in Russia, now many remain in the KHL for several seasons. Some of the players who nevertheless decided to move, after two or three years of (not) successful performances in America, begin to miss their homeland so much that they leave the strongest league in the world and get a job in the KHL, especially since salaries on both sides of the Atlantic are comparable.
It is all the more surprising that the number of goalkeepers from Russia in the NHL is not decreasing. On the contrary, if in the mid-2000s in North America only three stably performed - Nikolai Khabibulin, Evgeny Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov, now several more hockey players have joined them, and it is likely that one of them will take a place in the gates of the Olympic team.
Formally, the record was set last season, when six goalkeepers played in the NHL: in addition to the already named three, these are Semyon Varlamov, Sergei Bobrovsky and Anton Khudobin. However, the word “played” is hardly applicable to the latter - at the end of the season he played only one game of “Boston”, but he played it brilliantly, reflecting 44 of 45 shots.
In the current season, shortened due to the lockout, Khudobin has already played two matches, and in his last fight he became the first star of the meeting. There is no doubt that the veteran Khabibulin will also play at least a few games, so in the 2012-2013 season the record will be broken, if not quantitatively, then at least qualitatively.
By the standards of other hockey countries, the representation of Russian goalkeepers in the NHL is not the most impressive: the Canadians have already debuted 28 goalkeepers this season, the USA - 10, the Swedes - seven, and the Finns - six. Yes, and the Russians play, despite some impressive matches, so-so so-so - in terms of the percentage of reflected shots, none of them is even included in the top ten NHL goalkeepers (the statistics do not take into account the players who participated in only one or two matches).
Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia Flyers, 12 games, 5 wins, 91.2 percent reflected shots
The goalkeeper who came to Russia during the lockout, mainly for the Cosmonaut Training Center, is now the undisputed number one at Philadelphia. The Russian's replacement, Michael Leighton, has played only one match this season, conceding five goals from Tampa Bay.
Bryzgalov himself, meanwhile, is also not reliable - Philadelphia is ranked 22nd in the league in terms of goals conceded and won only five matches out of 12. Bryzgalov alternates between good matches and mediocre ones, but the team believes in him, supporting him even after failures. This is understandable - without a good goalkeeper in the NHL they don't make it to the playoffs and don't win the Stanley Cups, and Philadelphia has no other options besides Bryzgalov. So the whole team is interested in supporting the Russian goalkeeper, who, by the way, behaves modestly off the court and does not please new journalists yet.
Evgeny Nabokov, New York Islanders, 10 games, 4 wins, 89.7 percent saved shots
After Nabokov left the NHL in 2010 and went to earn money at SKA St. Petersburg, it seemed that there was no going back to the age goalkeeper. Nevertheless, Nabokov left SKA in December 2010 and signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. According to the rules of the NHL, he had to go through a draft of refusals, from where he was taken not by Detroit, but by New York. Nabokov refused to play for the “islanders” for some time, but then he finally resigned himself and played 43 matches for the team in the 2011/2012 season.
This season, Nabokov became the main goalkeeper of the New York Islanders, but the Russian goalkeeper could not count on phenomenal statistics in such a team even in the best years of his career. The Islanders are one of the weakest teams in the NHL, and if in their conference they are not in the last place, then this is not the merit of the Islanders, but the failing season of Washington and Florida.
Even under these conditions, Nabokov is sometimes able to deliver a terrific match and, for example, reflect 38 of 39 shots, as he did in the game against Pittsburgh in late January. But in most cases, his stats are below 90 percent of reflected shots per match.
Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche, 10 games, 3 wins, 90.9% of reflected shots
Semyon Varlamov made a lockout at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, and neither the spectators, nor Lokomotiv, nor the goalkeeper regretted it. The 2012 world champion and one of the main contenders for the place of the main goalkeeper in the Olympic team quickly became one of the leaders of Lokomotiv, sometimes really pulling out matches for the Yaroslavl team.
In Colorado, Varlamov has to do, in principle, the same thing, with the only difference that Lokomotiv was one of the leaders of the KHL, but Colorado is considered an NHL outsider. This, perhaps, explains the small number of victories of the Russian goalkeeper. If the defenders in Colorado played a little better, and the attackers scored a little more, then such masterpieces (look to the first place) would bring the team a result.
However, Varlamov cannot add a couple of matches to his assets. So, in a duel with San Jose on the night of January 26-27, he conceded four goals and was replaced after two periods. The fourth turned out to be especially offensive - the three previous "San Jose" scored from finishing moves on a nickle and in the majority.
Anton Khudobin, Boston Bruins, 2 appearances, 2 wins, 93.1% saved
Unlike Varlamov and Nabokov, Khudobin plays in a team with one of the best defensive lines in the NHL. The problem (for the Russian goalkeeper, of course) is that this line includes Tuukku Raska, the excellent Finnish goalkeeper who sat behind Tim Thomas last year. A year ago, Khudobin was not even the third, but the fourth goalkeeper of Boston, but after Thomas left, he became the second number.
During the lockout, Khudobin went to gain experience at the Mytishchi Atlant. “Dobby,” as he is called in the United States, has played 26 matches in the KHL, four times more than in the past three seasons in the NHL.
So far, everything suggests that if Rusk gets injured, Boston will not worry about the back line - Khudobin looks very confident in his few matches. On the other hand, even while praising his player, the Boston head coach does not forget to scold him for his work in training. If Khudobin really does not like to train, this can affect when he is entrusted with a place at the gate for several matches in a row.
Sergey Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 games, 2 wins, 89.6% of reflected shots
The lockout for Bobrovsky turned out to be a ticket to the Russian national team: first, the former Philadelphia goalkeeper was invited to SKA, and from there - to the Karjala Cup with the national team in Finland. There Bobrovsky, however, played only one match (with the Swedish national team, Russia won 3: 2), but the young goalkeeper entered SKA regularly, adding four “crackers” to his statistics for half a season.
Bobrovsky will not be able to play just as dry in the NHL: Columbus are one of the worst teams in the league both in terms of points and goals conceded. The only plus in his performances for Columbus for Bobrovsky is that after a one-year break he began to appear at the base of the NHL club: in the 2011/2012 season Bobrovsky sat behind Ilya Bryzgalov in Philadelphia.
Another advantage of "Columbus" over other teams is that Bobrovsky, at least several shifts in each match, can "think for three", pronouncing defenders Fyodor Tyutin and Nikita Nikitin in Russian. If the defenders and the goalkeeper find points of understanding, then all three can go to the Olympics in the future. If the Columbus defense continues to concede more than three goals per match, none of these three will see Sochi 2014.
Nikolay Khabibulin, Edmonton Oilers, 1 match, 0 wins, 93.3 percent reflected shots.
The “Bulin's Wall” has a chance to go to Sochi only as a spectator - with all due respect to the Russian veteran Zinetula Bilyaletdinov will not entrust a 40-year-old player with a place in the goal. And Nikolai Khabibulin himself understands that every match wearing an Edmonton jersey may be his last: the Russian goalkeeper is unlikely to be able to recover to the NHL level if (God forbid) gets injured.
That is why it is especially interesting to follow Khabibulin's performances: the Russian goalkeeper should definitely not have any difficulties with the mood. If Khabibulin continues to perform as he did in the match with Detroit, the main goalkeeper of Edmonton Dewan Dubnik will give the Russian a place in more than one match. Considering that the oilmen have every chance of reaching the playoffs, the Edmonton coaches will give Dubnik a rest at least sometimes.
Nearest reserve
If we assume that Khabibulin will remain in the NHL for another year, Bryzgalov will not fly into space, and the rest of the Russian goalkeepers will go to the KHL, the number of domestic goalkeepers in the league may increase. At least two goalkeepers of the Russian youth team deserve this - Andrei Vasilevsky, drafted by Tampa Bay and now playing for Salavat Yulaev, and Andrei Makarov, playing for Saskatoon Blades.
Both showed themselves at the youth world championship in Ufa from the best side, and Vasilevsky, in addition, already managed to defend one of the matches in the KHL to zero. Of course, none of them will be taken to the Sochi Olympics, but by 2018 and even more so by 2022 they may well become leaders of the national team.
The President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and the legendary Soviet goalkeeper in an interview with the R-Sport agency correspondent Ivan Tugarin told that the Russian national team is beneficial, about the different goals of the KHL and NHL, and also explained that Russian goalkeepers from the NHL need time to enter game rhythm.
The lockout in the NHL benefits the Russian national team
What are the NHL lockout predictions? They say that they will start the season on January 1, 2012, but so far it is difficult to say anything specific on this topic.
- But, after all, it depends on this whether our hockey players will come to the World Championship ...
Everything will depend on which teams make the playoffs. In my opinion, we have never had such a situation when someone refused to play for the national team. Everyone who is eliminated from the playoffs is always playing.
This means that I now have more responsibility. But the most important thing is that we have not lost our place, that we represent our hockey. This is important because we are now aware of all events, aware of all changes, we can influence world hockey and the processes that take place in it. This is a big and important painstaking work, since the Ministry of Sports of Russia and personally (the Minister of Sports set the task for any (Russian sports) federation to have representation in international federations. This is prestige, this is connections, because everything is not as simple as it seems.
- The KHL calendar does not scold only the lazy. And the league will redirect all questions on this matter.
There are world breaks that are approved by the IIHF. All national teams are preparing their squads for the World Championship at this time. Therefore, this is not our prerogative. In the Soviet Union, there were always breaks in which people lick their wounds and do physical training. These breaks have always been, and they are. The KHL just wanted to be like the NHL, but we have a different league. In the NHL, there are some tasks, but we have different ones. They have the Stanley Cup, and we have the most important thing - the World Cup. This should not be forgotten.
- This year is the fifth Gagarin Cup. In your opinion, is the KHL growing?
The league is growing due to new foreign teams that come to us. But the most important thing is that the professional level grows. It's one thing when we can collect up to 100 teams in the league, but we have to think not only about the growth (of the league), but also about the quality - this is my personal opinion. Quality is very important. For example, CSKA recently played with SKA. Who scored? (Pavel) Datsyuk, (Ilya) Kovalchuk. And I would like others to score as well. It would speak of quality.
Nabokov desperately needs play practice
During the lockout, our strongest goalkeepers returned to Russia, but there is an opinion that now they do not show everything that they are capable of. Do you agree with this?
Probably not in the Major League. But in the Continental Hockey League ... In general, I think that he needs to play, and in his place, I would definitely find some team. If not in Russia, then in another country. At his age, not playing is like death.
- I can't help asking you about the situation in which two-time world champion Alexander Semin made the decision, albeit not for a long time, to play for free in the VHL for his native club - Sokol Krasnoyarsk. How do you like this solution?
He (Semin) is great. He paid tribute to the club (which raised him), he owed Krasnoyarsk. They actually gave birth to him and brought up a master in him.
- Didn't it surprise you at all? Especially in the context of what happened in the football “Zenith”, when the pupil of the club and the key player of the team, Igor Denisov, refused to enter the field before revising the terms of his personal contract?
Everyone has their own personal interests and requirements. I don't want to judge anyone. But Semin's example is a very good example.
- But is the situation possible that happened with Denisov in hockey?
Who knows? Everything is possible, but personally I would not want something like this to happen in Russian hockey.
No. 1 (HC "Colorado"). Semyon Varlamov has his own unique mixed style, he changes it according to the situation in the game. He uses his quick reflexes to stop the puck. Having made a lunge, he is quickly able to restore position in the goal frame thanks to the use of ...
# 72 (HC "Columbus"). Speaking in the KHL, Bobrovsky could roll out far from the goal, reducing the angle of fire. In the NHL, he doesn't do that and doesn't like working with the puck outside the goalkeeper's area. Either he was taught this in the NHL, or he adapted himself to that style of play ...
No. 88 (HC "Tampa Bay"). Andrey Vasilevsky is a big goalkeeper, very agile. He combines his size with a very quick response to shots. During his sports career he is constantly progressing and improving. At the Tampa Bay club ...
Defense of the Russian national hockey team
(SKA). Vyacheslav Voinov's talent as a defender was noticed from his youth, for this reason several clubs in the NHL, as well as the KHL, hunted him. He ended up at the Los Angeles Kings club. There he did not always play consistently, but this case was fixable ...
No. 7 (HC Florida). A defender who attacks - this is how you can accurately put it if you designate the playing role of hockey player Dmitry Kulikov. Another name suits him - a striker who defends well. In modern hockey, they strive to get universal ...
No. 9 (HC "Washington"). Dmitry Orlov is another attacking defender in the Russian national team who willingly participates in attacking actions, especially since he himself can organize a goal situation. Orlov has a decent size, but he prefers physical play ...
No. 47 (HC "Detroit"). Alexey Marchenko is a tenacious and very aggressive defender. Good skater. At his Detroit Red Wings club, he does not always have consistent playing practice. He takes turns playing in the main team of the club, then playing in a subsidiary team. Specialists ...
No. 79 (HC Montreal). Andrey Markov always shows high mobility on the hockey rink, which is not typical for a player in defense. When he takes the puck from the opponent, he does not throw it somewhere, having made a pause, he always tries to make it accurate and ...
No. 74 (HC Montreal). Alexei Emelin is called a rough defender in the NHL because of his very tough play. Among the defenders, he stands out for his special desire to physically fight on the court. When I started playing professional hockey, I worked out ...
No. 22 (HC "Toronto"). He is a highly skilled hockey player with excellent puck control, just like a real striker. Successfully chooses a position on the playground. Nikita has his NHL debut this year, and this season will be defining for him ...
Attack of the Russian national ice hockey team at the 2016 World Cup
No. 92 (HC "Washington"). Experts from Evgeny Kuznetsov note the harmony of skill and physical capabilities. His playing skills continue to evolve over time. Evgeny is becoming more and more a universal hockey player - more willingly and more often he departs to defend himself ...
No. 8 (HC "Washington"). Ovechkin prefers fast hockey with a power component. In the NHL, his style of play is called "bullish" in the sense that he shows obstinacy in order to achieve a result. Alexander promotes power hockey, which is very popular in the NHL ...
No. 90 (HC "Tampa Bay"). Vladislav Namestnikov will make his debut in the Russian national team at the World Cup. Previously, he lacked a place in the national team, since the coaches would have a large selection of other talented performers. Vladislav has a chance at the World Cup ...
No. 42 (HC "Chicago"). Artyom Anisimov is doing well in the National Hockey League. When he arrived in the New York Rangers, they did not immediately "throw him under the tank", they survived for two whole seasons in the AHL, where the Rangers have a farm club. Of course, Artyom had a risk ...
No. 13 (HC "Detroit"). Datsyuk is known as a fantastic offensive player with excellent two-way abilities. Pavel is useful when the team plays in the majority, in the minority he is no less effective. He is distinguished by his masterly technique in puck processing ...
No. 91 (HC "St. Louis"). In the hockey club St. Louis Blues, Vladimir Tarasenko was eagerly awaiting the end of his contract with HC Siberia. His capabilities were known and feared there that they could be intercepted for a lot of money. In most of the successful games that ...
No. 27 ("Chicago"). Artemy Panarin, before leaving to play for the Chicago Blackhawks, was considered the most promising offensive player in the Continental Hockey League. He noted the explosive start of the attack and dagger passes, the opponents' defense players ...
No. 86 (HC Tampa Bay). The NHL believes that Nikita Kucherov needs to work to improve his defensive side of the game, as well as gain weight in order to compete in physical struggle. Nikita will make his debut in the Russian national team at the World Cup ...
H # 41 (HC New York Islanders). Nikolai Kulemin's “description” says that he is a hardworking midfielder, successfully operating on two flanks. Skillfully and quickly skates. He goes to the opponent's goal as best he can - either with the help of feints, or goes to the break ...
No. 87 (HC SKA). Vadim Shipachev believes that he is now at the peak of his career. Not everyone agrees with him and believes that he still has potential and can be added. The coaches reproach Vadim for the slow return to defense, which is typical for the attackers. Also his ...
No. 71 (HC Pittsburgh). Evgeny Malkin is considered one of the most talented players in the Russian national team. He is skillful and diligent, everyone knows about it. He's a star and is seen by fans in the NHL. He always has to be under pressure ...
No. 77 (HC CSKA). Ivan Telegin has good dimensions, which he always uses. Among the forwards from Russia, it stands out for its ramming property, goes straight to the opponent's goal, creates panic in the enemy, does not spare himself during his breakthroughs. Feels great ...
No. 63 (HC SKA). Evgeny Dadonov is a midfielder with good dribbling and speed. He always has a focus on the opponent's goal. To get the puck, Evgeny rushes around the ice rink and offers himself ...
