Alexey Potapov: “Razin has the opportunity to start everything from a clean slate”

Photo: взято с сайта ak-bars.ru

“Razin is not one of those coaches who will drag along certain hockey players”

— Alexey, was Andrey Razin's appointment to SKA unexpected for you?

— For me, yes, this came as a surprise. Because initially in my head, from communication with journalists, other clubs arose: Moscow's “Dynamo," “Spartak," “Avangard.” On my list SKA was, probably, only the fourth club. But everything turned out as we see.

— Will Razin manage to fix the state of affairs at SKA?

— You know, in my opinion, SKA played decently under Larionov. I even said more than once that many young SKA players reached a new level for themselves. The Petersburg team began the championship well, but the last month frankly did not go well. I repeat, it is surprising to me that Andrey Razin was invited to the place of Igor Larionov and that he agreed. I thought that Andrey Vladimirovich would remain in the “East” and leave for the same “Avangard.” But he chose the club from the banks of the Neva. Will he fix SKA's results? He will unquestionably fix them. SKA will play under Razin, of course, a little differently. But it will be the same spectacular style, which, moreover, will bring results.

— Will Razin be able to get along with the star players of SKA? Will he find a compromise in relations with Goldobin, Plotnikov, Zaitsev, Pedan?

— I do not think that he will have to seek some kind of compromise with these players. This man works in a completely different way. Either the hockey players find a compromise with him. And this will be visible already from the first trainings of SKA. Or the players begin to look for new work for themselves. Razin is not one of those coaches who will drag along certain hockey players or give playing time to those who, in his opinion, do not pull their weight. At SKA this will not happen; everything will be strict. This is a top club; Razin works for his reputation. If SKA invited him to the position of head coach, it means that at the club they are ready to give him comfortable conditions for work. In Magnitogorsk the whole city together with the metallurgical plant prayed to Razin. Unfortunately, his story at “Metallurg” ended not the way many would have wanted. But I do not think that he is now greatly grieving over this. He has received a new challenge in his career with a top club and an excellent roster. This is great, because Razin has the opportunity to start everything from a clean slate and in his very first season together with SKA reach, for example, the final of the Gagarin Cup.

— When Andrey Razin headed “Metallurg," he pulled many players from “Severstal” along with him. Could the story repeat at SKA, that Razin surrounds himself precisely with “his own” hockey players?

— I think that certain guys will come. I do not know, from “Metallurg” or another KHL team. But I allow that several exchanges along the route Magnitogorsk — St. Petersburg and back may happen.

— Can the period of Igor Larionov's work at SKA be called a failure? Have you been left with disappointment?

— I have no disappointment. Igor Larionov at SKA showed what I in principle expected. These are excellent press conferences, regular appearances in the media industry, close interaction with the players. The young players progressed very much under him. It is another matter that, possibly, his communication with the coaches did not work out. At some moments they did not understand each other, and a person who would connect them and tie them together, so to speak, was not found in the staff.

“Tambiev will work at Dynamo until the club finds him a worthy replacement”

— Is Leonid Tambiev close to resignation from “Dynamo” against the background of the team's results in the first half of autumn?

— I think that Leonid Grigoryevich will work at “Dynamo” until the club finds him a worthy candidate for replacement. Leonid Grigoryevich and I had decent communication. And when he was appointed to “Dynamo," I was sure that this was a good chance for him to reach a new level in his coaching career. He will change his attitude toward hockey players, somewhere will make concessions to them, will accept their position with understanding. That is, I was sure that stories like the one when Tambiev gathered the players of “Admiral” for a training session on January 1 would not repeat at “Dynamo.” But in one of the home matches of “Dynamo," I do not remember whom they were playing then, a shot caught my eye. The Muscovites scored a goal, but at that moment Leonid Tambiev was harshly reprimanding one of the hockey players. And from the body language and the expression on the player's face it was directly clear how unpleasant such treatment was to him. Your team has scored and is leading in the score; why behave like that, go too far? I do not know whether Leonid Grigoryevich will manage to hold the “Dynamo” locker room in the future, but with such an attitude the players may very soon finally turn away from him.

— Some hockey players in informal conversations compare Tambiev with a dictator…

— As far as I know, those who parted with him on difficult terms flatly refuse to speak on the subject of Tambiev in the public field.

— The fact that “Dynamo” refused the services of Nikita Gusev in the summer — can this now be called a mistake of the management?

— I would not say that this is a mistake, because the decision is made not by one person. At “Dynamo” clearly many heads sat and pondered this question. So the decision to refuse Gusev is quite conscious. As I understand, he did not quite suit them in terms of the concept of the game. And maybe “Dynamo” decided to choose a new vector in forming the roster and look toward the young. Everyone understands what a master Gusev is, a guy with a golden head, hands and intellect. But since at “Dynamo” they refused him, it means there were concrete reasons for it.

— Leonid Tambiev called the Moscow journalists “provocateurs” — does this testify to his internal tension?

— Yes, this is felt. I cannot say that this comes from an understanding of his own helplessness; rather one simply wants to splash out one's negativity. You are in a difficult position, and in such situations it is hard to keep everything inside. The journalists here simply got under the hot hand. On the whole Leonid Grigoryevich rarely refuses a conversation with the media. But now he is not up to it; he will communicate when this internal tension is relieved.

“I have never heard Ovechkin demand some special attitude toward himself”

— Do you believe that Zinetula Bilyaletdinov could return to coaching work at “Dynamo” for the sake of Alexander Ovechkin's return to the KHL?

— It sounds, to be honest, like some Match of the Year (smiles). It would be very cool. An incredible union would come about. But as I understand, you are asking about this in the context of whether Ovechkin needs a special coach at “Dynamo," with untouchable authority?

— Precisely.

— I have never seen or heard from anyone that Alexander Ovechkin demanded some special attitude toward himself in the team. He is the kind of person who will find a common language with anyone. Whatever coach stands over him, he will carry out his assignments — and will do it well. I am saying this to the point that he does not need a coach who will suppress him or subdue him. He simply needs partners who will help him achieve the set goals.

— How great is the role of Mikhail Kravets' coaching hand in the successes of “Barys," which is currently in third place in the KHL “East”?

— Without question, Mikhail Grigoryevich does a great job with the team. But I will note that the guys there are also playing very strong. “Barys” has for more than a year shown effective work on the transfer market, inviting classy legionnaires. Let us not forget that the same Michael McLeod moved to “Avangard” precisely from “Barys.” Now Justin Bailey has appeared there, who shows phenomenal scoring. And for some reason I have a feeling that he may move to a KHL top club already during this season. At Nikitin's CSKA he would fit very well, in my opinion. I think Igor Valerievich would only be glad to see such a forward in his team.

— Not long ago Andrey Belozerov of “Neftekhimik” became the best sniper in the club's history. Do you think this forward has matured for a KHL top team?

— Belozerov can quite be seen in the near future in one of the KHL top teams. His statistics at “Neftekhimik” are impressive. But it seems to me that he should not now think much about a move to another team. He is in his place, plays where he should play, is the main scorer and leader of the club.

“Ak Bars has accustomed us that the rebuilding of the roster can go on right up to the middle of winter”

— Will “Ak Bars” manage to get out of the autumn crisis?

— In this question last year's “Ak Bars” is very indicative. We remember that the team had an autumn crisis in September of last year too. But Anvar Gatiyatulin clearly showed how he can lead the club out of a crisis. The management of “Ak Bars” showed patience, trusted the coach, and in the end Kazan reached the final of the Gagarin Cup.

— And if we speak about the transfer policy of “Ak Bars.” Can it be called ambiguous in the summer?

— “Ak Bars” has accustomed us in recent years that the rebuilding of the roster can go on right up to the middle of winter, until the exchange deadline comes. Therefore I think that Kazan is going in its own direction, the management understands which positions they need to strengthen in order to bring the team in optimal condition to the playoffs. Yes, in the summer many former leaders left “Ak Bars.” Nevertheless, I allow that during the season new stars may come to Kazan.

— What is happening with Alexander Khmelyovsky this season? One goal in 19 matches…

— It is hard to say why Khmelyovsky's game is not going. Maybe so far the coaching staff cannot find him the right partners in the line. Possibly Anvar Gatiyatulin should invite Khmelyovsky for a frank conversation and understand what is troubling and worrying the hockey player. There are different ways of solving the problem. I do not know whether there were situations in Khmelyovsky's career before this where he could not score his first goal for so long.

— Do you allow that “Ak Bars” could exchange Khmelyovsky to another KHL club?

— I cannot imagine what “Ak Bars” should receive in exchange for Khmelyovsky. Here one must understand that Kazan is going to part not with an ordinary, rank-and-file hockey player, but with the main star of the club, on whom fabulous money was spent last season. Therefore “Ak Bars," if it does exchange Khmelyovsky, then only on very advantageous conditions for itself.

“With Lokomotiv, Kvartalnov has his last opportunity to win the Gagarin Cup”

— Do you believe that Scott Gordon will manage to build out of “Traktor” a strong team capable of reaching the final of the Gagarin Cup, as at one time Benoît Groulx managed? Perhaps not this season, but, for example, the next.

— Why not. The Chelyabinsk team consciously took this step. They parted with many legionnaires last summer, rejuvenated the roster, and invited a foreign coach who wants to work in the KHL and show his all. I do not think that “Traktor” has high tasks set for this season. Far more important for the Chelyabinsk management is to build a foundation and form a roster with which one will be able to aim for the Gagarin Cup in the future.

— Is CSKA the main favorite in the fight for the Gagarin Cup this season?

— One of the clear contenders — that is for sure. They recently had an impressive winning streak of 12 matches. In his second season at CSKA Igor Nikitin, it seems, has managed to build a championship team. For now it is, of course, early to give the Gagarin Cup into the hands of the “army men.” But I can say with confidence that such a CSKA is capable of going for the trophy this spring.

— “Lokomotiv” of Dmitry Kvartalnov, probably, should also be counted among the favorites?

— I believe that with “Lokomotiv” Dmitry Vyacheslavovich has his last opportunity in his coaching career to win the Gagarin Cup. He has headed many top clubs, the same CSKA. And now in Kvartalnov's hands is a team without weak spots, a magnificent roster. And it is as if, if not this season, then when at all should one take the Gagarin Cup?

— Is Dmitry Kvartalnov the strongest Russian specialist in working with young people? How Kuzin, Kotkov and Pustovoy, who burst into the “Lokomotiv” lineup with both feet, have improved this season.

— I would say that Igor Nikolayevich Larionov is still the strongest Russian specialist in working with young people. But Dmitry Vyacheslavovich also shows impressive results. Kvartalnov knows how to choose hungry guys who have earned the chance to prove themselves at the KHL level. They at first enter the third or fourth line, and then, if they reveal themselves, they get more ice time.

— Does it surprise you that “Avtomobilist” of Alexey Kudashov looks so pale and inexpressive at the start of the regular championship?

— Considering what a roster has gathered at “Avtomobilist” for this season, of course, it surprises. Now Alexey Nikolayevich has to show himself as an anti-crisis manager and find an individual approach to a whole scattering of stars of “Avtomobilist.” Let us see whether “Avtomobilist” will manage to fix its position.