"The calendar was published a long time ago": why the coach of "Ak Bars" is dissatisfied with the call of the team players to the national team

A scandal may break out in Russian hockey because of the statement of the head coach of Ak Bars Dmitry Kvartalnov.

At the press conference after the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) match, in which his players confidently beat the Finnish Jokerit with a score of 4: 1 and thereby strengthened their positions in the Eastern Conference, they talked about calling three Kazan players to the national team.

Defenders Nikita Lyamkin and Dmitry Yudin, as well as forward Dmitry Voronkov missed the meeting, as they joined the national team, which this week will play in the Channel One Cup.

In response to the journalist's statement that Jokerit, unlike the rival, did not lose their collections, the mentor said that the club communicated with the leadership of the KHL and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (FHR), seeking permission for the above players to join the national team a little later.

However, the negotiations came to nothing.

“Yes, they tried and did everything.

We go to meet the League, and they tell us: "This is a federation."

But guys, they get their salaries from us, not from the ice hockey federation.

The national team play only on Thursday.

On Thursday!

I don't know what the reasons are for our guys not to play today.

When we were offered to postpone the match from Helsinki, we agreed, but did not know that it would be so.

I think we could have been accommodated.

Moreover, today there was only one match in the KHL, ”the official website of“ Ak Bars ”quotes Kvartalnov.

In September, the management of the Kazan club made concessions and agreed to postpone the match with the team from Helsinki to a later date due to the risk of coronavirus infection.

Later, this decision was agreed with the KHL.

The last time Lyamkin, Yudin and Voronkov took to the ice was in the previous match with Jokerit, which took place on December 13 and ended in a victory with a similar score of 4: 1.

The striker scored with an abandoned puck and two points.

Kvartalnov's indignation is also explained by the fact that in addition to the departure of the internationals, Ak Bars lost forwards Alexander Burgomistrov and Artem Lukoyanov - they were injured.

On Monday, the specialist explained that the low pace of the game was due to the team's fatigue, as its "talent pool was exhausted."

At the moment, neither the KHL nor the FHR have reacted in any way to Kvartalnov's criticism.

At the same time, his statement surprised the experts.

Two-time Olympic champion Boris Mikhailov noted that the specialist behaved incorrectly, openly expressing his opinion about the decision of the national team's coaching staff.

According to him, there was no need to appeal to the fact that the date of the postponed match coincided with the departure of the hockey players, since both clubs made the decision to postpone.

“Kvartalnov was very surprised by his statements.

It is a great honor for any coach that his player is called up to the national team.

The Channel One Cup is the home stage of the Eurotour.

A strong team always gathers for him, the task of which is to win.

The international calendar was published a long time ago, it was clear that on Monday, three days before the start, the players would have to arrive at the location of the national team, "Sport-Express quotes Mikhailov as saying.

The ex-mentor of the Russian national team Vladimir Plyushchev was more harsh in assessing the words of Kvartalnov.

He also pointed out that hockey players always arrived in the national team camp in advance.

“Isn't Mr. Kvartalnov talking too much?

In fact, he has not won anything yet, he has never been the head coach of the national team, wherever he works - there are conflicts everywhere.

In my opinion, he would need to reduce his ambition.

It is not for him to decide when the players should arrive at the national team ... Now, expressing dissatisfaction out of the blue is at least unprofessional.

The date of the match between Jokerit and Ak Bars has been known for a long time and has been agreed with the clubs, ”Plushev told the Championship.

In addition, he stressed that the coach should not have raised the issue of hockey players' salaries.

“And it’s not his business to discuss funding for clubs.

If he is not aware, I can say that Ak Bars is sponsored by Tatneft, that is, with the same state money as the national team, "Plushev added.

At the same time, there is another position.

Two-time Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov noted that the specialist had the right to express his opinion.

“On the one hand, you can understand him.

He wants his hockey players to stay at the club.

But at the same time, the national team is a national team, you need to let go of it.

Or for Kvartalny there is one more proposal: do not prepare hockey players for the national team at all, then you won't have to let anyone go.

Should he be accused of unprofessionalism?

Each coach has the right to express his point of view, there is no such prohibition in the regulations.

Moreover, nothing will change from his words, and he may have let off steam in this way and calmed down.

Could Ak Bars have met halfway in the KHL?

I think so, given that the Channel One Cup is not a world championship, "Kozhevnikov said in an interview with RT.

It should be noted that in addition to the standard process of preparing for the tournament, the early call could also be associated with the conditions in which the matches will be held. Thus, the FHR reported that the participants of the First Channel Cup will be in a "clean zone" closed to outsiders. It will apply to both hotels and the CSKA Arena. In addition, all players will undergo regular coronavirus testing.