Pavel Lysenkov of Sovetsky Sport talks with Ovechkin about the Sochi-2014 Olympics (June 16, 2011):
We have two and a half years before Sochi-2014. Are we ready for the Olympics?
Not yet. We must look to the Canadians, who diligently prepared for Vancouver. They not just made the best possible roster, but also specifically scouted every opponent. All NHL players, and all KHL players who joined Russia's national team! Steve Yzerman, the General manager of Canada, watched personally the play of many Russians. He scouted us inside out.
Maybe we should switch to the Canadian system? The general manager is responsible for everything, under him all the coaches, players.
I don't know about the system, but I do not see anything wrong if we could copy Canadians. We should have a coach that is responsible for video clips, we need a clear plan for every game. "Run-and-gun, we'll see you at the goals?" This tactic won't work in in Sochi.
Why we're not bringing younger players to the team? Why we don't have our own Stamkoses?
If there weren't talented guys we would not have won the Juniors World Cup.
Why do the juniors develop poorly?
Because they are not trusted. It is easier for a Russian club to sign NHL player than to raise your own young star. Why there are so few 2011 world champions playing in KHL? That's something to think about. The juniors needs to be given a chance. When I was playing in Russia, they always were giving me ice time to play. I played for a third or fourth line, had 10-12 minutes per game. That was enough to gain experience and to become a good hockey player.
Is it good or bad that fewer Russians play in the NHL?
I understand why the guys from overseas come to Russia. This is a financial issue. But I don't think that you can really compete with the NHL on the quality of the game at the NHL level. Is this why the national team is weaker? You decide.
Recently you flew to Chelyabinsk for Yevgeny Kuznetsov wedding...
Yes, Kuzya invited me. He is a nice guy! I met his wife, their parents. They are very nice people. I came for two days and stayed for four. I actually have quite a lot of friends there. For example, Sanya Budkin, who played for Dynamo.
I even made friends with riot police and the local sheriff! I was greeted with enthusiasm in Chelyabinsk. I really liked it there.
Kuznetsov decided to play another year with "Tractor", although he was chosen on a draft by Washington. Have you talked to him about the NHL?
I just said, "Kuzya, if you want to grow as a hockey player, it is better to go overseas."
But he is only 19! I remember how people said about Ovechkin, it is good that he went to the NHL at age 20, when he matured.
I had a completely different situation. There was the NHL lockout. And I was an older player, they could not choose me at 2003 NHL Draft. I don't know how my fate would be if I would go overseas for a year or two earlier. Maybe I could actually gain something.
Should the Head coach of team Russia be devoted to national team only and often visit the NHL? Or by a common sense it is clear that Ovechkin and Semin should be in the Olympics.
After the last World Championships I was told that I was not needed in a team.
Who said that?
Everyone including the journalists.
Was it in the mixed zone?
No one will say In the face, right? But it was unpleasant to hear such talk behind my back.
My question was about something else.
Of course, the coach must often fly over the pond. To scout his own players as well as his rivals. He needs to work on specific line combination, special teams and to look for tactical schemes. We don't have not enough time to be ready for Olympics. And in Sochi we need to shoot like from the cannon. The cannon ball should hit the target and knock off everything on it's way. We want to take the gold, do we?
How can you work on a special teams if the players arrive to the team two days before the tournament? By the way, our PP failed in Bratislava. It did not work at all.
The team has skilled players who know how to play. But we need to use a video to study how the opponent plays. Do they play active or passive? Based on that we need to decide who we'll put in what position. The opponent plays diamond formation? All right. And we should play accordingly. Another combination? We could put a center forward there (Ovechkin draws diagrams on a napkin).
And what we did? Let's see... We played PP with our NHL club this way. Let's do the same thing in the national team. And then we begin to roll the garbage. The puck goes down, the puck goes up... We wait hoping it will fly into the net. Two minutes passed, but we did not score.
There are two approaches in hockey. The first one is "we are strong, we'll play our game with our tactics. The second one, we are strong, but we will study the opponent and use their weaknesses.
I am for the second approach, and I am telling you that this was something that team Russia was lacking.
Are there the chances that the NHL will let the players to go to the Olympics?
I don't know. But I am not giving up on what I said before. I think that all Russian players from the NHL will come to Sochi.
Will they run away, or what?
They will arrange it with their clubs.
Have you talk about this with the owner of the Washington Capitals Ted Leonsis?
It is too early. I don't want to scare him (laughs)
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