“Do not have the right to take responsibility for the life and health of people”: KHL prematurely ended the season due to coronavirus

The leadership of the Continental Hockey League (KHL) announced the cancellation of the remaining matches of the playoffs of the Gagarin Cup and the early end of the season due to the coronavirus epidemic. This decision was made after consultation with all interested parties.

“This decision was not easy. I am sure that all the fans together with us wanted to see the continuation of the struggle for the Gagarin Cup. However, in this situation, the health of players and their loved ones, club employees, employees of sports facilities, and, of course, fans is much more important. We believe that no one has the right to take responsibility for the life and health of people, ”said KHL President Alexei Morozov.

The Gagarin Cup was suspended at the quarterfinal stage, in which SKA had to play with Jokerit, CSKA with Dynamo, Barys with Sibir, and Ak Bars with Salavat Yulaev. As for the distribution of seats, it will be approved at the next meeting of the board of directors of the league. Recall that according to the results of the regular championship in the Western Conference, the first place was taken by the Moscow army, and in the Eastern - by Kazan.

Initially, the remaining playoff matches were delayed until April 10th. This decision was followed after the Moscow authorities banned holding mass events of more than 50 people, as well as recommendations of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation to cancel all domestic competitions.

During a pause, the KHL leadership developed several scenarios for the continuation of the tournament. If the epidemiological situation improved, the playoffs could be played out by April 30th. Also considered the possibility of ending the season in the summer. However, this option is also shallow, as this could adversely affect the next season.

“Under this scenario, clubs need to completely change the usual terms for summer vacations and pre-season training, and the KHL would have to shift the terms of transfer windows, postpone the start of the season to a critically late date, and also reduce the number of games in the championship. Moreover, 18 league teams have already completed their participation in the championship and have begun systematic preparations for the 2020/21 season, ”the KHL statement said.

An important factor was the removal of two teams that reached the quarter finals. Due to the worsening situation with coronavirus, the Finnish Jokerit and then the Kazakh Barys refused to continue the fight. In addition, the legionnaires of Salavat Yulaev called on to suspend the tournament.

“Some kind of understatement remains”

Team representatives were sympathetic to the decision. Dynamo head coach Vladimir Krikunov expressed regret over the early end of the season, but stressed that in this situation, the competition participants can only submit.

“They would tell us to play, we would play, if they said not to play, then we won’t play. I think everyone wanted to end the season, but this is force majeure. From a sporting point of view, there is little regret, we had a difficult series with Spartak and wanted to finish the game, but we make the league decision. Everyone hoped that maybe the epidemic would subside a bit, ”TASS quoted Krikunova as saying.

In turn, the general director of Salavat Yulaev, Alexander Kurnosov, noted that his team was on the rise after defeating Avangard and came in good shape to the matches with Ak Bars.

“Green Derby” would be a unique series for which we were preparing, there was great interest among the fans. When you work all season and the period of the most important matches sets in, but there remains some understatement, it’s a little pity, but it’s good that this is not life, but just a game, ”Kurnosov emphasized.

At the same time, the opinions of experts regarding the cancellation of the remaining matches were divided. So, according to the former head coach of the Russian national team Vyacheslav Bykov, the KHL made the right decision, since at the moment it is impossible to predict the development of the situation with the epidemic. In addition, he added that it would be wrong to keep competitors in the dark.

“Is it a shame for athletes to end the season like this? Of course, it's a shame. But some lose loved ones, people die from the coronavirus. Therefore, hockey players just need to accept this and that’s it. We have a winner of the regular season of the KHL, and the Gagarin Cup just needs to be canceled ... I understand that it’s difficult for everyone, for some it was the last chance to win something before the end of a career. But such is life, circumstances are too serious, ”Sport24 quotes Bykov.

The winner of the Stanley Cup in the Colorado Avalanche, Valery Kamensky, is also convinced that the paramount task is the fight against coronavirus.

“Now the main thing is to deal with the disease, quarantine, protect our hockey players, spectators, fans and then decide what to do. Until we understand how long this will last. How it all ends, you need to sit down and discuss the next season, ”said Kamensky TASS.

At the same time, there were those who criticized the decision of the KHL leadership. Two-time Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov called him disappointing, although he admitted that because of the coronavirus, everyone was in a difficult situation.

“Many hockey players have a contract valid until April 30, and after this date some of them will probably go overseas. Moreover, there is even a possibility in which players of the level of Kirill Kaprizov, Ilya Sorokin and Alexander Romanov will be able to debut this season in the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL)! It turns out that we are strengthening the NHL, and we are simply throwing our league into the trash, ”the Championship quotes Kozhevnikova.

Despite the assurance of the league that the distribution of seats will be resolved in the near future, many experts expressed doubts that this could be done fairly. So, the honored trainer of Russia Alexander Plyushchev noted that early completion of the season means a violation of the regulations.

“It's hard to figure out how to determine the champion now. If only by some kind of vote. You see, there is a regulation that implies certain points. You will not create a new one now? You need to comment on everything: from beginning to end. For example, that the season is over, we cannot determine the champion, and so on. There is some understatement in this statement, ”Plyushchev shared his opinion.

The 1993 world champion and expert Andrei Nikolishin called unfair identification of the winner in the regular season.

“In my opinion, the decision to prematurely end the season is the only right, reasonable and absolutely right. Why laugh something? Enough. The total places among the teams should not be distributed in any case! Worldwide pandemic - which places? We all need to fight the coronavirus, not the places to distribute. No results are needed, this is pointless. It’s just necessary to accept this situation, ”Nikolishin is sure.

State Duma deputy and legendary hockey player Vyacheslav Fetisov also expressed doubt about the appropriateness of summing up any results under the current conditions.

“In the fall, for example, a new season begins, and I hope it will begin all the same. But the world situation is such that almost all competitions have ended, including the Olympic Games, postponed for a year. Not for a month, not for two, but for a year, which I think is a very right decision, because athletes should know when the event will be and how to prepare for it. If there is no tournament, then how can you determine the winner? Well, you can arrange a lottery, toss a coin, but who needs it? ” - quotes the words of Fetisov News.ru.