“Everything is done in the interests of preparation”: what was said about the appointment of Kudashov as the head coach of the Russian national hockey team

The appointment of Alexei Kudashov to the position of head coach of the Russian national hockey team was surprising not only among many fans, but also among experts. Over the past year and a half, the specialist has been in the headquarters of the now former national team mentor Ilya Vorobyov, but six weeks after the end of the world championship in Slovakia, he took his place. It is noteworthy that a similar castling occurred in the St. Petersburg SKA.

As FHR President Vladislav Tretiak said, the changes on the coaching bridge of the national team are connected with the performance at the planet championship. In Bratislava and Košice, the “red car” appeared in a stellar composition, but in the semifinals, it sensationally lost to the Finns and eventually won only bronze medals.

“At the end of the World Cup, we made conclusions. The headquarters remained almost the same, because everything was done in the interests of preparation. Vorobyov has a lot of experience; we will still maintain contact with him, ”Tretjak quotes TASS.

Last season was not the most successful for Vorobyov. In addition to the painful defeat of the national team at the World Championships, he could not achieve serious success with the SKA, who lost to CSKA in the Western Conference finals. According to the former head coach of the Russian national team Vladimir Krikunov, it was these failures that could have caused him to leave.

“Probably, the results of the national team and the club were not satisfied, therefore these changes occurred. I liked the work of Kudashov in Yaroslavl (Lokomotiv. - RT ), he had a good team, he pulled up young guys ... It is clear that he has no such experience, but he will come. A flag in his hands - and forward, ”said Krikunov.

Thus, in FHR decided to continue the practice, according to which the specialist combines posts in the club and the national team. Before Vorobiev, Oleg Znarok also worked, who for two seasons led the Russian team and all the same SKA.

“I think it's even good. There is a problem only in the Olympic year. Then the coach does not have enough time for everything ... You can somehow leave or give helpers. And the World Cup is taking place after the Gagarin Cup. You have already completed the season in the KHL and you can train the national team. Moreover, SKA is one of its basic teams, ”added Krikunov.

Speaking about the resignation of Vorobiev, two-time Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov noted that in the last season he had failed in his duties neither in SKA nor in the Russian national team.

"From the side it seemed that Vorobyov was not quite at ease with such a tremendous pressure that both positions suggest," Kozhevnikov noted.

He recalled that Vorobiev had worked successfully at Metallurg, but stressed that the team from Magnitogorsk existed in a quieter atmosphere. In addition, the backbone of the team was formed by its former head coach - the Stanley Cup winner Mike Keenan.

“I had to assemble a team myself at SKA, and here, in my opinion, it“ swam ”. Not to mention the national team, which at the last World Cup showed high-quality hockey, but could not do anything in the decisive match. And the national team coach must still be able to find extraordinary solutions in a critical situation, ”the famous athlete concluded.

In the opinion of the five-time Russian hockey champion Vladimir Antipov, the change of the national team mentor is “seen as a logical move” after such a world championship is over. In addition, he noted that maintaining the composition of the coaching staff should have a positive impact on the results of Kudashov.

“You have to understand that adaptation is required for working in the national team. And Kudashov already has the necessary experience. Moreover, the coaching staff remains unchanged, only castling has occurred, ”Antipova quotes the Championship.

According to the triple Olympic champion Vitaly Davydov, with Kudashov, one can hardly expect serious changes in the game of the Russian national team. However, he stressed that the reason is not only in the joint work of the current and former mentors of the team.

“In my opinion, when Kudashov was the head coach in Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, the team’s playing style was not fundamentally different from the Metallurg Magnitogorsk Vorobiev headed at that time. And in general, in my opinion, modern Russian specialists in their qualifications are approximately at the same level. The latter, who were much higher class, are Oleg Znarok and Harijs Vitolins, ”the words of Davydov“ Izvestia ”are quoted.

It is noteworthy that Kudashov is the first in 12 years, the head coach of the Russian national team, who, before joining the national team, did not have serious achievements at the club level. By contrast, by this time Vorobiev, Znarok and Zinetula Bilyaletdinov had already won the Gagarin Cup, and only Vyacheslav Bykov achieved success in the KHL after he got at the helm of the “red car”.

“I would not exaggerate the problem of the lack of trophies in Kudashov as a coach. In principle, I don’t remember a case when we were assigned to the national team the profane. Before this, everyone achieved something with clubs - either titles or good results that exceed available resources, ”Davydov said.

At the same time, he said that he was impressed by the leadership qualities of the current national team coach, when he worked as vice-president of Dynamo Moscow.

“Kudashov has always been a very cool attacker, and most importantly, a hockey player with an iron character. We won the first Gagarin Cup, and Lyosha then made not only a game, but also a phenomenal moral contribution to success, maintaining a fantastic atmosphere in the team. He transferred the same thing to his coaching activities, ”the legendary athlete concluded.

The general manager of Ak Bars Rafik Yakubov, who worked with him in the Kazan team, also spoke positively about Kudashov.

“Even then I saw the authority he enjoyed with the players. In many teams, where he spoke, was the captain. Believe me, I know for myself: this is a very serious and responsible role. FHR conducts planned preparations for the Olympics-2022. And now the change has taken place not in the heat of the moment, but after a thorough analysis of the situation, ”the functionary expressed his opinion.

At the same time, not all enthusiastically greeted the news about the appointment of Kudashov to the post of head coach of the Russian national team and the SKA. Thus, the two-time Olympic champion Boris Mikhailov was unhappy that the former mentor’s resignation was not reasoned.

“Why Ilya Vorobiev was removed, no one explained to us. And anyway, who discussed the candidacy of Kudashov? Previously, everything was clear. Now everything is reported only through the press, ”Mikhailov complained in a conversation with Sport Express.

According to the former Washington Capitals hockey player Andrei Nikolishin, there is no “nothing good” in Vorobyov’s shift on Kudashov.

“They changed one for the other, the same coaching staff remained. All who train SKA work in the national team. If earlier it was somehow streamlined, when at the end of a season or a big tournament, the coaching council was going and decisions were made, now it's all unilaterally, ”Nikolishin said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

He admitted that he would like to hear the assessment of Vorobyov’s work at the World Championships, and expressed the opinion that the mentors did not have enough time to build a team.