Dynamo Moscow completed the first stage of pre-season training camp in preparation for the new draw of the Continental Hockey League . By tradition, the training camp was held in the Nizhny Novgorod region, where the «white-blue» won two victories in two control matches — against AKM from Tula (5:0) and Penza «Diesel» (2:1 B).
br>Last KHL season, Dynamo finished ahead of schedule, losing to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the first round of the playoffs (2-4), and the team made adjustments. The training program was modified, and point reinforcements were made for the Dynamo squad. Muscovites head coach Alexei Kudashov is fully aware that in the 2023/24 draw, the work of his staff will be evaluated more strictly. Moreover, the mentor of the “white-blues” is personally convinced that the final result of the team is the main criterion by which conclusions must be drawn.
Such exactingness not only to his wards, but also to himself has always determined the personality of Alexei Nikolayevich. However, one cannot fail to notice how this very personality has also undergone changes. If earlier Alexei Kudashov was called a strict and even closed person, now the 52-year-old specialist is not just an experienced hockey coach, but also a pleasant conversationalist. During the training camp, Aleksey Nikolaevich did not refuse anyone even an informal conversation, but at the same time gave Sport a long interview. In it, he spoke about the current state of the team, assessed the need to acquire Igor Ozhiganov and Nikita Gusev, expressed his opinion about the departure of young Russian players to North America, and also shared the features of his personal life.
«The arrival of Krikunov in Dynamo is my initiative»
— How are the training camps? Satisfied with the condition of the players? satisfied. Collections are going according to plan. The players have already arrived at the club's location prepared, and at the training camp they only improved their performance. In this regard, everything is fine.
— Who impressed more than the others?
— Our whole team is working very hard, I can’t single out someone in particular. Dynamo has a great team, all the guys take their work seriously. I will select the whole team. We have reached a new level. At the end of last season, all players were sent a special program with videos on training for every day. Players open this program and see what they need to do. For each specific exercise, a video explanation was prepared in case someone does not know how to perform the exercise correctly. Let's just say that video technology has finally reached our team (laughs).
— And there weren't those who, in your opinion, were a little short of condition before the training camp? — No. But for pre-season training camps, it is quite normal when someone is ready a little better, and someone is a little worse. It `s naturally. But the general impression is that all the players look good physically.
— Before the training camp, you said that you would make changes to the pre-season training program compared to last year.
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“Naturally, we have adjusted the program. Some exercises have been changed, the training itself is not so difficult in terms of the number of repetitions, intensity and interval.
— During the conversation at the end of last season, this was also discussed. In particular, you were asked whether you would be guided by the approach of your colleagues. For example, Igor Larionov from “Torpedo”. I repeat, we changed the training plan and conducted these camps differently.
—In recent years, the question of the expediency of starting pre-season training camps one and a half to two months before the start of the KHL championship has been raised more and more often, paying a lot of attention to strength exercises. How do you feel about this?
— Personally, I understand that you can prepare according to the usual scheme, and according to another. We see that the players themselves have begun to pay more attention to themselves, to their body, they are better engaged individually. But not everyone has the opportunity to fully prepare for the season. In the regions where they live, the sites necessary for this are not always available. Our program takes into account the fact that players will «roll in» during the season so that there are no failures in the championship.
>— Recently, Vladimir Krikunov joined the club (now he is an adviser to the general director of Dynamo Sergey Sushko). How important is this to you?
— His invitation to Dynamo is my initiative. I called him and offered to join our ranks. Roles, positions may be different, but for me personally, he is also an adviser. Vladimir Vasilyevich is a very experienced person. Do not be shy to ask his opinion once again, to get an outsider's view. He does not teach us how to work. We need the neutral opinion of an experienced, authoritative specialist who is interested in the result of the team. He went through many life, hockey situations. Coaches sometimes do not notice elementary things in the process of work. Vladimir Vasilyevich will always tell you.
«Glad that Barbashev won his second Stanley Cup»
— How do you rate the new acquisitions this offseason?
— New players have strengthened the lineup pointwise. These newcomers were needed by Dynamo, given the fact that a number of hockey players left the club.
— Did you personally participate in the negotiations? After all, Dynamo is not just a job for you as a coach.
— Of course, I participated. I personally spoke with the guys who were supposed to come to Dynamo and eventually joined our squad. It is important for any player to know with whom he will work, what tasks will be set for him in the new team.
— Negotiations with Igor Ozhiganov and Nikita Gusev went on for quite a long time. But you probably had an understanding that the club would be able to agree on signing contracts with these players?
— The fate of Ozhiganov depended not so much on us as on SKA. But we guessed that he would still be released due to the nuances of the salary cap in the KHL. As for Gusev, this question was different. Nikita was looking for options, waiting for offers from the NHL. And still he hopes to prove himself overseas. Everything that was discussed in the media was as close to the truth as possible.- Compared to last season, Dynamo managed to keep the backbone of the team, made, as you noted, point reinforcements. Is it true that the new season will become, if not decisive for the club, then one by which it will be possible to draw conclusions about the work of your headquarters?
— Of course, now we are setting other tasks and goals. We have been training the team for the third year already. Therefore, yes, I agree. You are talking about the third year, but we understand that the teams of the 2021 season are the model /22 and season-2022/23 are fundamentally different.
Yes, the situations are different. But last year we formed a team, made up its backbone, and now we have already strengthened it. Now let's move forward towards our goal. As the season progresses, we'll see if we can reach it. When the games begin, then everything will be clearly visible.
— What result will you consider satisfactory?
— No, it's wrong to put the question like that. Dynamo has only one goal — the Gagarin Cup. Otherwise, why else play?- This is the goal of every club in the KHL. But it is obvious that only one out of 23 teams will reach the trophy, and there are a number of factors for that.
— Alexander Radulov expressed the correct idea, which I always adhere to: «There is one cup. And if you lost, then what difference does it make, how and where you lost. give in due to circumstances. If you win, then you are on a horse. If not, it doesn't matter if you missed the playoffs or lost in the final.
— Then will you consider it fair that you will be evaluated at the end of the season precisely because of the result?
— The result in hockey will always be the main thing. Any club, players — everyone wants to win. This is the main criterion.
— Let's remember the example of the Tampa Bay Lightning from the NHL. The club took a long time to win the trophy and for several years could not win the Stanley Cup until they achieved this in 2020. And after all, the Lightning bosses were in no hurry to fire John Cooper, as they saw that the team was playing excellently. My task is to build a team and try to win the Gagarin Cup. This is what we are doing.
— What is your opinion about the departure of some players from Dynamo? For example, Ivan Igumnov. Dynamo fans reacted negatively to his departure.
— Life goes on. The player grows up, becomes more solid, requires material conditions. We made an offer for a new contract, but the player did not like it. It happens. I take it easy. It happens when you build a team, you get used to people, but some of them still leave the team. Yes, it affects the team, but this is a common occurrence. A holy place is never empty.
— After changing the club's development vector and shifting the focus in favor of young players, do you have an opinion about whether the new generation will grow into players who can be seriously counted on in the future? Will they become Dynamo's key players?
— I'm sure they will grow. But we expect the harvest a little later. These are the young guys in whom we are confident. We know that they have been showing high results at their age levels for many years, just joining the main team. Dynamo has a bright future — I have no doubt about it.
— So you think that they will become defining players in Dynamo?
“They will be decisive. Although, I think that in the end they will go overseas.
— And how do you feel about the fact that clubs raise players throughout their system, bring them to the main squad, but in this is the key moment they go to North America?
— Any player wants to try his hand at the NHL. We can talk all we want about how good the KHL is, but all the best players are in the NHL. Finance, infrastructure — all the best in the NHL. Anyone naturally wants and will try to get there.
— After all, it turns out that the club does not receive its assets, but, on the contrary, gives the players a chance to grow, so that they later leave the system for themselves. Clubs spend a lot of time and effort on this, but they do not receive the necessary benefits.
— In this case, special laws should be adopted. We work for the players, we grow them, we try to make them better. And where they show themselves is their business. Personally, I think the more Russian hockey players there are in the NHL, the stronger our hockey will become. I am for more of our players to be represented around the world, so that more people know about them. This makes the Russian national team only stronger.
— You spoke about the popularity of Russian hockey players in the world. Now one of the most famous Russians is a pupil of the Dynamo school. Ivan Barbashev. From now on, two-time winner of the Stanley Cup.
— We are very happy about this. We congratulated Vanya on this achievement. God willing, we will have more such pupils.
«Hockey will never bore me»
—We used to talk with coaches only about hockey. But there is something that distracts you from this lifestyle. What does Aleksey Kudashov live besides hockey?
— In general, I love everything: cinema, theater, music.
— What kind of music do you prefer?< /strong>
— In this regard, I am omnivorous. I was brought up, one might say, in a family of musicians: my brother is a musician, my father played in the orchestra. Starting from classical and jazz, ending with hard rock — it's all close to me. I choose music according to my mood. Any live music is acceptable to me. I can listen to rock, rap, and classical. Even the music that I don't seem to like, if it's alive, it gives me energy.
— What artists have hooked you lately?
— In the summer I was at two concerts: at Basta and at Polina Gagarina. Got great pleasure. Any live concert is cool. But in general I'm a rocker. And probably an old man. The list of performers is endless. The youngest of them is perhaps Nickelback. Or Foo Fighters. But, funny, I just recently downloaded Abbey Road (The Beatles' 1969 album).
— Interesting.
— I love cinema too. I like to watch something serious. Although when you go to the cinema with your family, you always focus on for whom — you can go to cartoons, to entertaining films. But if I watch it at home, I like films that carry meaning.
—And what about literature?
—Classics. Favorite writers — Dostoevsky, Zoshchenko, Chekhov. Or think, or laugh. When you read the classics, you imagine how all the plots happen to you personally. ?
— Why else read? To think once again whether you are doing the right thing. It helps to analyze life situations that happen every day.
— How did you spend your vacation? Did you manage to rest?
Yes. I went to the sea in Turkey. I managed to go to the sea and relax and play sports. The eldest son had the Unified State Examination, the youngest had vacations.
— Were you worried when your son took exams?
— Of course. I am a normal person, a normal parent, no different from others. I understand perfectly well that it is necessary to pass the exams well in order to enter the institute. In these times, this is very important.
— More about the distraction from hockey: do you admit at least a reason because of which hockey will bore you?
— This will never happen, I know for sure. I have been playing hockey since the age of five. In whatever situation I am, hockey will always be with me. And I still love to play hockey, to work in this area. I will always be interested in this game. Burnout does not threaten me, I see no reason for this.