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Post by DanCan on May 19, 2004 8:59:30 GMT -5
Tikhonov has picked his 26-man roster, but guess what...he won't publish it! Prepare for a major disappointment. A lot of the Russian stars apparently refuse to play for Tikhonov.
*EDIT: Title*
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aj
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All this talk about hockey just makes me miss playing.
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Post by aj on May 19, 2004 9:05:02 GMT -5
No Kovalchuk, perhaps?
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NyQuil
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Post by NyQuil on May 19, 2004 10:29:18 GMT -5
What a knob.
How many kicks at the can is Tikhonov going to get in the post-Cold War era?
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Laho
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Post by Laho on May 19, 2004 12:47:47 GMT -5
Somehow I think that we will see someone else than Tihonov standing in the box in August...
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Post by starrightwinger on May 19, 2004 13:08:34 GMT -5
I thought the Russians fired Tikhonov! I remember reading he claimed they couldn't fire him, he had a contract until whatever year, I don't remember. Jacques Martin also had a contract, & they still fired him! There's no job security in coaching! Especially when your players refuse to play for you!
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Post by body-czech on May 19, 2004 15:03:00 GMT -5
I read that the NHLPA´s insisted to the russian team, to fire Tikhonov, otherwise the NHL won´t allow the russian NHLers to play at the WC. Another scandal in russian hockey?
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NyQuil
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Post by NyQuil on May 19, 2004 15:05:01 GMT -5
I don't think the NHLPA has anything to do with it.
I think it's the fact that a majority of the Russian NHLers do not like Tikhonov and believe his style of coaching to be outdated.
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Post by Lukasz on May 19, 2004 15:26:31 GMT -5
Tikhnov has contract to 2006, OG in Turin. Players should play for their fans, this is national team, I think that they are too lazy and Tikhnov is good excuse. Look for Yashin, real patriot always ready to play for Russia.
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NyQuil
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Post by NyQuil on May 19, 2004 16:37:07 GMT -5
>>Look for Yashin, real patriot always ready to play for Russia
I don't like Yashin, but then again, I'm an Ottawa Senators fan.
He sat out in his contract for a year because he wanted more money, and had to play for the Sens another year anyway.
Now he earns $ 9 million for the Islanders, and hasn't done much.
Yashin was also part of the 13th place Russia team that hosted in 2000 and lost to Switzerland, USA, Sweden, Latvia and Belarus.
He may show up, but he's never done much.
Russia needs to rely on character guys like Zhamnov, Brylin who can play at both ends of the ice.
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Post by DanCan on May 19, 2004 16:39:06 GMT -5
Guys, you are raising some very interesting questions. I don't know exactly what is happening, but my guess is that a major power struggle is going on in the Russian camp.
On 12 May (one week ago), Sovetsky Sport published an interview with Alexander Steblin, President of the Russian Hockey Federation. Steblin said that "at the beginning of next week [this week, DC], we will reveal the name of the national team's general manager. It is going to be a Russian. The composition of the coaching staff will mainly depend on him."
So Steblin quite openly stated that Tikhonov was out and that a GM would appoint a new coaching staff.
Asked about whether Tikhonov had any chance of keeping his job, Steblin said:
"At the World Championship some players, especially NHLers, expressed their discontent regarding the coach. We can't close our eyes on such facts. The World Cup is organized by the NHL. Most of the players on the Russian team will be from the NHL (...). The World Cup will be played under NHL rules, on smaller rinks, and that the coach must know how to play against other NHL players."
The very next day (May 13), Sovetsky Sport published a interview with Tikhonov who refused to give up his job and countered the words of Steblin by asking "what do we need a GM for?". "Selecting the players is strictly the head coach's job, and that's my job".
Meanwhile, Slava Fetisov pulled up the ante in another interview in Sovetsky Sport. Fetisov said that Tikhonov should be replaced by a young coach since he is too old and that the staff of the Russian Hockey Federation (i.e. incl. Steblin) should be replaced!
In a radio interview on Saturday (May 15), Fetisov added that the new coach could either be Igor Larionov, Sergei Nemchicov, Vyacheslav Bykov or Valeri Belousov).
In a countermove, Tikhonov declared that he would submit his 26-man roster to the Russian hockey federation on Tuesday (yesterday).
Obviously, Tikhonov was under extreme pressure. A lot of the Russian NHL players will not play for him. He had to find out who would play for him, but time was too short.
So the list that he has submitted is very preliminary. In an interview with Sovetsky Sport yesterday, Tikhonov admitted that before the list can become public "we have to talk with each player individually".
Yes, it would be nice to know whether they will like to play for Tikhonov.
My guess is that Tikhonov's list will be too short, and that he will be replaced with another coach. Russia cannot afford to go to the World Cup and the smaller NHL rinks with a second rank RSL team.
Stay tuned....
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EveB
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Post by EveB on May 19, 2004 16:47:50 GMT -5
Steblin also said that as long as he's in charge, there won't be a foreigner as a head coach of the national team (Sovjetski Sport)
This was about the rumors that Curre Lindström might be the next coach of team Russia.
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Post by DanCan on May 19, 2004 16:55:29 GMT -5
Yes, and Scotty Bowman (Larionov's man) has also been mentioned. But in the interview on 12 May (referred to above), Steblin made clear that the coach will be a Russian. Only question is: who is ready to step forward? Who is ready to get his fingers burned? Not even the Russian Hockey Federation is ready to assume the responsibility. Apparently, it want to pass the buck to a GM, but...again...who is ready to step forward? Who is ready to get his fingers burned? The World Cup is a tall order for Team Russia given its dismal performance in the World Championship. The success criterion must be at least a place in the semi finals. And who can deliver such a result?
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Post by Jazz on May 19, 2004 18:36:03 GMT -5
I've also heard the Larry Robinson has been approached to head the Russian team......but he declined.
I was shocked when I heard a few months ago that Tikhonov had a contract extension until the 2006 Olympics.
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Post by Jazz on May 20, 2004 2:13:57 GMT -5
I thought what they did in Salt Lake was a good idea.
Having Slava Fetisov as the head coach with Jurisnov (sp? - from Switzerland) and Tretiak as assistants - many Russian players were impressed by that set-up - and many of them admitted that they were still in awe of Tretiak.
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Post by Lukasz on May 21, 2004 1:25:11 GMT -5
I asked my Russian friend about situation in their team, this is his respond:
The problem is that we don’t know even main manager of our team morever coaches and players. Before 25.05 our federation must name new main manager. According to the our newspaper "Sport-express" there are 2 variants:
1. Main manager - Bardin, main coach Tikhonov, who now working at future roster. I don’t want to blame him, because we lose WC with every coach and then we invite new one and lose again, I think the president of Russian hockey Federation should retire, but not coaches. They new about Tikhonov methods, but do they really believe that coach working 30 years with such system will choose the new one. Our teams and federation whole year put in Tikhonov`s wheels sticks and now ask result from him. What can he do when during the season team had only 3 days for preparation to the Eurotour, when clubs don’t want to let players go too national team, when federation made a such exhausted schedule that players was very tired in WC. When Tikhonov worked in Soviet team all our hockey system helped him and now prevents him. Of course he should choose another strategy for modern situation, but he’s too old to learn again. In this variant I think only real patriots will play for our team like Kovalchuk and Yashin total may be 10-12 players from NHL and another half from Superliga, but our championship starts in 1-st September (another stupid decision by federation). May be Tikhonov can prepare this team to high form in WC during the Augest, but our chances to came through the group is 10%. + Tikhonov`s experience, only those who want it will play in national team - weak roster, because of many withdrawn, old methodic of training, problems in federation
2. Main manager is Pavel Bure, who supported by Fetisov, our sport minister. If he will be manager (if New-York Rangers let him), the main coach can be Mikhailov. In this variant Bure can invite all stars, but it isn’t guarantee a good result, cause we see again all that players who play for coaches and friends, but not for nation. It may be second St.-Petersburg. + opportunity to collect "dream team", support of Fetisov. - lack of manage experience of Bure, problem with coach Mikhailov can reject offer, `cause of his respect to Tikhonov, who had a contract and want to work, those players from NHL never will die on ice like Canadians, Americans, Slovakians e.t.c.
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