Final list: composition of the Russian national ice hockey team for the Games announced

The presence of Gritsyuk and the absence of Burdasov

The composition of the Russian national hockey team for the Olympic Games was made public late in the evening Moscow time.

However, for the fans, the changes that took place in it were mostly not a surprise.

Recall that in the expanded roster there was a place for 37 people.

In the final, only 25 remained, plus six spares.

In the goalkeeping line, the exclusion of Yaroslav Askarov, who has practically no practice in SKA, did not surprise anyone.

Dmitry Shugaev from Severstal went to the reserve.

And Ivan Fedotov, Alexander Samonov and Timur Bilyalov formed the final trio.

Among defenders, work with the national team was expectedly stopped by Dmitry Vishnevsky, as well as young Daniil Pylenkov and Shakir Mukhamadullin, who were initially called up more to gain experience.

So far, Semyon Chistyakov has found a place only in the reserve.

Much more questions caused a list of attackers.

So, it did not include experienced Anton Burdasov, the fourth currently suspended sniper in the KHL season.

The SKA hockey player has 23 goals.

Stanislav Galiev, who is in second place in the specified standings (25 goals), was taken to the reserve.

The same fate befell Salavat Yulaev forward Alexander Kadeikin, who is in the top 10 of the league in terms of utility (+ 17), and Andrey Kuzmenko, who is on the second line in the scorers race (20 + 33).

Of the Russian hockey players included in the top ten most productive hockey players in the league, only Vadim Shipachev got into the final application.

Of those who, on the contrary, unexpectedly found themselves in the squad, Arseniy Gritsyuk should be singled out first of all.

The national team was not afraid to trust the young forward of Avangard, who showed himself worthy at the home Channel One Cup and looked bright in the last KHL matches. 

"The bet is on 31 players who will be in the application"

Also on Sunday, another important event took place.

Returned to work head coach Alexei Zhamnov, who missed the first days of training camp in Novogorsk due to passing a positive test for coronavirus.

Explaining the final choice of hockey players, he urged not to divide them into main and reserve ones, since the latter can get a chance at any time, given the difficult situation with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The bet is on 31 players who will be in the application.

Everything can happen at any moment.

All remained in Novogorsk and will prepare.

We did not consider Burdasov in the first two links, while the third and fourth have other tasks.

The tournament is short.

We are trying to find a balance, ”the Match TV specialist quotes.

At the same time, some hockey players who initially got into the expanded roster passed positive tests, but, according to Zhamnov, this did not affect the final list.

“It didn’t really affect, but how everything will proceed until the first game on February 9, it will become clear only 24 hours before it.

So let's wait and see.

God forbid that everyone had negative tests, ”added the mentor.

And general manager Ilya Kovalchuk stressed that any player can be replaced until February 8, and the final squad will be made public on that date.

At the same time, reservists will be able to stay with the national team in the Olympic village.

“The last few days I have been figuring out how substitutes can train in Beijing.

Initially, there was a quota for four players, then it was increased to six.

Plus, we can take two more members of the staff with us.

They will be with the team in the Olympic village.

The remaining 16 will be in a hotel and will receive accreditation R. They have access to the stadium, to the locker room, but not to the Olympic village, ”the functionary emphasized.

The first problems "Red Machine" faced already on the day of the announcement of the composition.

Information appeared on social networks that striker Sergei Plotnikov passed a positive PCR test.

It was reported that he left the location of the team, but should have time to recover in time for the Olympics.

The forward did not lose his place in the application.

Kovalchuk did not comment on the information that appeared.

In turn, Zhamnov explained the absence even in the extended squad of Sergei Tolchinsky, who became the most valuable player of the last season of the Gagarin Cup.

“We need to create a fighting team.

He does not play in the first or second links in Avangard.

Here the situation is the same as with Burdasov.

And I wasn't impressed by Tolchinsky's game at the Eurotour... About the chants... I'm glad that there is such information in the press, I don't know who launched it.

I have not heard these chants at all and do not know what they are talking about.

If you think this is the reason, then you are mistaken, ”the coach explained.

He also answered questions about the team's captain and main goalkeeper.

The first one, according to the coach, will be chosen this week.

And the second goalkeeper coach Sergei Naumov will determine.

Considering the NHL's refusal to participate in the Olympics, many fans expected to see 17-year-old Matvey Michkov in the national team, but he did not find a place in the team.

According to the expert, the time of one of the most talented young hockey players in the country has not yet come.

“If it was possible to have 30 players in the final application, Michkov would have a chance.

He has a great future, his whole life ahead of him, but at the moment it would be wrong to call him.

In addition, now the conditions are special.

If there was no pandemic, he would have been at the training camp to plunge into the atmosphere.

But we will keep an eye on him.

I think Matvey will still have a chance to compete at the Olympics.

Kovalchuk played at the Olympics at the age of 18?

He already had experience playing in the NHL, this is a different level, ”explained Zhamnov.

“Zhamnov and his staff took on a huge responsibility”

The experts basically agreed with the choice of the coaching staff.

So, two-time Olympic champion Vyacheslav Fetisov stressed that Zhamnov and his assistants will be responsible for him, and therefore have the right to any decisions.

“I don’t care who was not taken to the Olympics.

The coach must determine the composition that he sees in order to achieve the goal and task.

There have been many questions and discussions in the history of world sports... I am not a fan, but a person who played and coached.

I understand that the coach and his staff have taken on a huge responsibility.

They know why they chose some and left others out of the application.

I want to wish good luck to the team.

We will be sick, ”quotes Fetisov“ Championship ”.

In turn, according to world champion Andrei Nikolishin, based on the final roster, we can conclude that the team in Beijing will act on defense.

“We have dual centers in almost every link. In each trio, the main emphasis is on strength and power. There are almost no small creative forwards in the squad. There are no fast, nimble, extraordinary extreme forwards. The exception is Nikita Gusev, but he is not in the best shape now, judging by what I see lately. I think it is taken in the first place with an eye on the majority. In the center - Shipachev, there are no other options. Along the edges - Gusev and Mikhail Grigorenko. This trio will have to do the result. Pavel Karnaukhov will play with Sergei Andronov, and Andrei Chibisov can be added to them. This is a power trio. Artyom Anisimov will probably be put in the center of the second, more or less creative link, there is not much choice, ”Match TV quotes the coach.

And two-time Olympic champion Boris Mayorov spoke about the three goalkeepers of the national team.

He believes that Fedotov can become the first number at the Olympic Games.

“Fedotov and Bilyalov are the main goalkeepers of CSKA and Ak Bars.

Everything is clear with them, this is a normal and worthy choice.

But you can't call Samonov like that.

He played only nine matches for SKA this season, the St. Petersburg army team is betting on the Swede Lars Johansson.

And suddenly Samonov is invited to the Olympics.

Coaches, of course, know better, but their decision raises legitimate questions.

Considering that the head coach of CSKA Sergei Fedorov works at the headquarters of the national team, Fedotov is more likely to become the main one.

Simply because Fedorov knows him well and can recommend him.

But a lot also depends on how the goalkeepers conduct the preparatory cycle, ”Mayorov said.