We talk about newcomers and about leadership plans

What will SKA will be in the new season of the KHL 2019/2020: the head coach has changed in the team and all star hockey players left

Having lost the army duel last season in the final of the Western Conference of the Gagarin Cup, SKA began perestroika. With the new head coach and without the main stars.

Kudashov – for flexibility and competition

However, de facto shift on the coaching bridge occurred in the spring. It was difficult not to notice that in the playoffs, starting with the series with Spartak, it was Alexey Kudashov who led the army team, and not Ilya Vorobyov. A similar situation was with the team.

But officially, the leadership of SKA went only in July, before the start of the training collection.

Kudashov already had experience in independent work in the KHL – with Atlanta and Lokomotiv – but working with a club like SKA – a test that not everyone can withstand.

Moreover, a 48-year-old specialist will have to break into two fronts again: in addition to SKA, he also headed the national team, which requires a lot of time and effort.

In the new season, SKA will play under the leadership of Alexei Kudashov. Photo: Press Service HC SKA (St. Petersburg)

However, while Kudashov with double pressure copes and feels quite confident.

“The mood is combat, the team is almost ready,” admitted Alexey Nikolaevich Before the start of the championship. – The goals and objectives are clear, they do not change, we will try to win. The style and tactics of the game will have to vary. Firstly, different sizes of sites, and secondly, a long season. Tactical shifts can also change, for example, away. Probably the team will be more flexible.

Are there many players in SKA? Last year, a situation turned out when we had no one to play. The season is long, dense, so we will use everyone for both the depth of the composition and for competition. Competition should move everyone forward. The goalkeepers have the same situation with competition. They also should not relax and should be constantly ready.

Of course, the mood was raised by the successful coach at the Puchkov’s home preseason tournament, which was held in the “ice” at the end of August. The owners won all four matches of the tournament, including fundamental competitors – Jokerit and Avangard.

Even managed to block the knowledge

But the first part of the preseason armyians looked frankly unconvincing. Having suffered defeats in four out of eight matches.

Including, those that caused a mockery of the hockey public: from the Debutant of the VHL (the second largest league in Russia) from Tambov and the Riga Dynamo, where the Petersburians managed to miss the advantage in the score of 4: 1. There was talk that the Neva club forever goes into the ranks of the middle peasants.

But the casket of such failures opened simply.The team at training camps was under heavy load, the foundation of physical training was laid for the whole season.

“This year, the“ Presezon ”was very difficult, but this is the only way to victory,” explains One of the veterans of the team Viktor Tikhonov, the grandson of the famous hockey coach Viktor Vasilievich Tikhonov. – We need to create a foundation, gain more strength, condition. Everyone understood what had to be done, suffered, worked at the maximum. We are in full confidence for the season and we know that we did everything that we could.

By the way, Kudashov considers himself a student

The former mentor SKA Oleg Znark, who is also famous for “deadly hazardous” fees. But the players admit that even with the banner they “loaded” them less. After all, these in the summer happened and four training a day took place.

But patience really quickly brought its victories, closer to the start of the championship, the team again began to show a game resembling champion standards.

Although Kudashov had to seriously rebuild the entire composition. After all, the KHL top club has never suffered such serious losses as in the spring and summer of 2019.

SKA immediately lost four Olympic champions – Nikita Gusev, Vladislav Gavrikov, Nikolai Prokhorkin and Igor Shesterkin. This quartet, like two young talents – Nikolai Knyzhov and Mikhail Maltsev, went to conquer the NHL.

“Pinch” Petersbuztsev and competitors in the KHL. The most dangerous defender, Swede Patrick Hursley chose Spartak, who is now trained by Znarok. And Datsyuk kept his promise and returned to his native Yekaterinburg.

Thus, the club lost two of its main stars (Gusev and Datsyuk), the first two centers (Datsyuk and Prokhorkin), goalkeeper (six) and two leading defense players (Khersley and Gavrikov). It is clear that it is not possible to get out of such a situation without loss.

170 million rubles – for two leaders?

But the leadership, all the same, tried to compensate for the losses as much as possible. SKA won competition for one of the best KHL snipers Dmitry Kagarlitsky from several competitors. And in order to dissuade Vladimir Tkachev from leaving for the NHL, SKA Vice President Roman Rotenberg had to fly in an Omsk personally to persuade the striker, who was already compared with Panarin and Gusev.

Well, and cash injections on these players needed solid. According to Komsomolskaya Pravda in St. Petersburg, Kagarlitsky will receive about 80 million rubles per season, Tkachev will be able to increase his capital by 170 million (90 million – basic salary, plus 80 million as bonuses).

And, if, Tkachev fit very successfully into the composition, delighting the fans with his beautiful goals, then Karelitsky has something to think about. So far, he has never been able to score.

True, Kaga himself, as he is called in the team, is not particularly upset about this:

– So far, everything is very positive, everything is great.The organization is at the highest level, I like everything very much – both the city and the team, there are no problems. Expectations from the season are good, I want to win the cup. And then we'll deal with personal goals. I scored in the shootout, that counts too. All the more victorious.

My previous club, Dynamo Moscow, also had a fairly intense pre-season. I don’t think it was worse there than here, in terms of physical activity, they are comparable. The emphasis here was on running, very intense training.

“With average players it is much more difficult to pull out important matches”

Of the rest of the newcomers, it is worth highlighting the Finnish duo of center forwards – Jori Lehtera and Joonas Kemmpainen. And strong competition in the goalkeeper line. Swede Magnus Hellberg will compete for a place at the gate with the best goalkeeper of the last World Cup, Pyotr Kochetkov and Ivan Nalimov, who reached the Gagarin Cup final with Avangard last season.

That is, at the level of the KHL, the composition of the SKA is still distinguished, but it cannot be called stellar for sure – unlike in previous years. I agree with this and expert, world champion – 1993 Andrey Nikolishin.

– Kudashov is a fairly competent coach. In my opinion, all his teams had a noticeable tactical pattern, he was able to competently build the training process, – Nikolishin believes. – But, after all, it is important, and what kind of performers are under your leadership. Very important. How can one painlessly replace Gusev and Datsyuk? Now, even by the standards of the KHL, the composition of the SKA can not be called stellar. And with top hockey players it is much easier to get results. With average players it is much more difficult to pull out important matches. I can say that in the upcoming season, SKA is definitely not in the category of obvious contenders for the Gagarin Cup. Only CSKA can be called the favorite of the season.

LOOK WHO'S COME

SKA newcomers:

Ivan Nalimov, goalkeeper

25 years old, height 194 cm, weight 95 kg

Previous club: Avangard, KHL

In March 2018, he beat off 52 shots in the “green derby” with Ak Bars and helped his club Salavat Yulaev win 4: 2.

During the 2013 Super Series, he won the competition from Igor Shesterkin for a place at the gates of the Russian national team.

Petr Kochetkov, goalkeeper

20 years old, height 190 cm, weight 83 kg

Previous club: Sochi (KHL)

He was recognized as the best goalkeeper of the World Youth Championship – 2019

Saved 95.5% of shots in three games in the 2018/19 VHL playoffs

Yaroslav Dyblenko, defender

25 years old, height 186 cm, weight 94 kg

Previous club: Spartak (KHL)

In the 2017/18 season, he played 54 games in the AHL for the New Jersey farm club.

He could have made his debut for SKA last season, but a month before the start of the championship he was exchanged to Spartak

Lukas Bengtsson, defender (Sweden)

25 years old, height 178 cm, weight 78 kg

Previous club: Linköping (Sweden)

Drafted in the NHL by the Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, but was unable to play in America due to illness

He was in the extended squad of the Swedish national team for the 2019 World Cup, but was not included in the final application

Jori Lehtera, forward (Finland)

31 years old, height 189 cm, weight 86 kg

Previous Club: Philadelphia (NHL)

In Siberia and St. Louis, he made up a shock ligament with former SKA player Vladimir Tarasenko.

In the spring, at home, he was sentenced to 4 months in prison (conditionally) for the acquisition and storage of cocaine.

Vladimir Tkachev, striker

23 years old, height 178 cm, weight 74 kg

Previous club: “Salavat Yulaev” (KHL)

At the age of 18, he signed a contract with the Edmonton NHL club after viewing in the training camp, but by decision of the league the agreement was canceled. Tkachev never played for Oylers. I abandoned 29 goals for a year and a half in Admiral.

Yonas Kamppainen, striker (Finland)

31 years old, height 191 cm, weight 103 kg

Previous club: “Salavat Yulaev” (KHL)

Abandoned 5 winning goals in the Gagarin Cup – 2019

He moved to SKA from Salavat Yulaev to be more often at home

Dmitry Karelitsky, striker

30 years, height 176 cm, weight 74 kg

Previous club: Dynamo Moscow (KHL)

6 times participated in the matches of the KHL stars

Last season, I scored a point for the game for the Moscow regular championship for the game: 61 matches – 61 (24+37) points.

Calendar and schedule of SKA matches in September 2019:

September 2, Monday

Metallurg (Magnitogorsk) – SKA – beginning of the match – 17.00*

September 4, Wednesday

Tractor (Chelyabinsk) – SKA – 17.00

September 6, Friday

Motorist (Yekaterinburg) – SKA – 17.00

September 10, Tuesday

SKA – Siberia (Novosibirsk region) – 19.30

September 13, Friday

SKA – CSKA (Moscow) – 19.30

September 15, Sunday

SKA – Jokerit (Helsinki) – 17.00

September 17, Tuesday

HC Sochi – SKA – 19.30

September 19, Thursday

Dynamo (Moscow) – SKA – 19.30

September 22, Sunday

SKA – Vityaz (Moscow region) – 17.00

September 23, Monday

SKA – CSKA (Moscow) – 19.30

September 26, Thursday

SKA – Salavat Yulaev (Ufa) – 19.30

September 28, Saturday

SKA – Dynamo (Moscow) – 17.00

September 30, Monday

Dynamo (Riga) – SKA – 19.30

* – The beginning of Moscow time matches.

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