KHL - Pre-Season 2017 Round Up - Part 4

Wednesday was Day 2 of the Nizhny Novgorod Governor’s Cup, and four of the six competing teams were in action. The one consistent theme s far has been the lack of consistency, with Tuesday's victors struggling and Tuesday's vanquished recovering.

Metallurg Novokuznetsk vs. Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg: 1-3 (0-0, 0-2, 1-1).

A story of triumph over adversity by Avtomobilist, who made up for yesterday's defeat by Ak Bars by claiming a hard-fought victory over Metallurg Novokuznetsk. The Yekaterinburg team had to start without one of yesterday's goal scorers, Francis Pare, due to a mystery illness and lost Taylor Beck in the first period through injury. This was due to a foul by Metallurg's Ivan Gulyayev, for which the latter received a game misconduct for kneeing.
Head coach Vladimir Krikunov said after the game: “As for Beck, we'll wait and see. It's too early to say. As for the roster, we don't have any settled lines yet, as we have 14 new players plus injuries and illnesses, and that's probably why we couldn't score for quite a while.”
That “quite a while” was the first 36 minutes of the game, until Alexander Torchenyuk put the Motor Men in front. The wait for the second goal was far shorter - a mere 2 minutes 18 seconds, to be precise, had elapsed until Artyom Gareyev doubled the lead. Novokuznetsk hit back with a goal by Juraj Majdan a little over 6 minutes from the end, but the win was sealed when Evgeny Chesalin, who assisted on Torchenyuk's opener, converted a penalty shot with 19 seconds remaining.

Metallurg Novokuznetsk - Avtomobilist

Torpedo (Nizhny Novgorod vs. Ak Bars Kazan: 3-1 (21, 1-0, 0-0).

The hosts enjoyed a much better Day 2 than Day 1, when they were kept off the scoreboard by Salavat Yulaev. The match was preceded by a tribute to former Torpedo legend and 1984 Olympic Gold medalist Vladimir Kovin, who was presented with various honors recognizing his contributions to club and country, and the team grabbed its first goal of the season after just two minutes, whenKaspars Daugavins scored on the game's first powerplay.
02.08.17. Cup governor of Nizhny Novgorod region 2017. Torpedo (Nizhny Novgorod) - Ak Bars (Kazan)
The match was a feisty affair littered with penalties, and as a result, it was the powerplay units which decided the outcome. Ziga Jeglic made it 2-0, again with the man advantage, while the men from Kazan needed three spells of numerical superiority before Alexander Svitov notched his second goal in successive days on the 12-minute mark. The contest remained a tight one until Danil Veryayev made it 3-1 late in the second period. That was the end of the goals, but not the end of the action. The third period saw tempers frayed, conflicts erupting, helmets flying, and yesterday's game-winner Justin Azevedo even earning a misconduct penalty.

Torpedo - Ak Bars

Ak Bars head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov spoke after the game: “Torpedo made much better use of the man advantage, but there were so many penalties – in total, we were short-handed for an entire period. I preferred yesterday's match to today's. Against Avtomobilist we played the right way, but today we were sloppy in many areas.”
At least no-one could complain that preseason games are timid affairs.

The standings after Day 2 were as follows: 
1-Avtomobilist – (2 games, 4 points);
2-Spartak (1,3);
3-Salavat Yulaev (1,3);
4-Torpedo (2,3);
5-Ak Bars (2,2);
6-Metallurg Novokuznetsk (2-0).

Elsewhere on the friendlies front:

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl vs. Amur Khabarovsk: 3-1 (0-1, 1-0, 2-0)

Lokomotiv welcomed Amur to Yaroslavl for a practice match in which both teams were missing key players. Amur were without Atyushov and Frolov, while the Railwaymen had sent five players - Kraskovsky, Korshkov, Polunin, Rafikov
and Lyubushkin - to join up with the Russian Olympic team in the Sochi tournament, while Kozun and Talbot have been called up for Team Canada Amur had the better of the opening stages and Alexei Byvaltsev put them ahead in the 11th minute, but Daniil Apalkov leveled the score half-a-minute before the second interval and Artur Kayumov gave the hosts a 2-1 lead half-a-minute after the teams returned to the ice. Nikita Cherepanov sealed the win with Lokomotiv's third.

Jokerit Helsinki vs. Sibir Novosibirsk: 1-0 (0-0, 1-0, 0-0)

Defenses were on top in Wednesday's encounter between Novosibirsk and Helsinki. Sami Lepisto scored the only goal of the game in the 29th minute.

Slovan Bratislava vs. HC Zlin (Czech Republic) – 4:6 (1:3, 1:2, 2:1)

Milos Riha saw his men suffer their third preseason defeat at the hands of his fellow Czechs, after back-to-back defeats at Dynamo Pardubice, but this reversal might have hurt a little more as it took place in Bratislava.
Slovan's goals were scored by Buchtele, Liska, Repik and Kaspar.

Day 3 of the Nizhny Novgorod Governor’s Cup featured a thrilling “Green Derby,” between Ak Bars and Salavat Yulaev, and an absorbing encounter between Avtomobilist and Spartak.
Ak Bars Kazan vs. Salavat Yulaev Ufa: 4-3 (0-0, 2-1, 2-2)
Erkka Westerlund's Ufa Men had enjoyed a full day's rest going into this game against their deadly rivals, whereas Zinetula Bilyaletdinov's Ak Bars had spent the previous day in a bruising encounter against the tournament hosts, Torpedo. Therefore, it was fair for the casual observer to reckon that Salavat Yulaev's fresher legs would be a considerable advantage, and so it proved in the opening stages. The Ufa Men did, indeed, dominate the shot count in the first period, but ominously, they failed to turn their superiority into goals.
03.08.17. Cup governor of Nizhny Novgorod region 2017. Ak Bars (Kazan) - Salavat Yulaev (Ufa)
Salavat finally got the puck in Emil Garipov's net three-and-a-half minutes into the second period, thanks to a goal in powerplay from Teemu Hartikainen, but the retaliation from Ak Bars was swift and brutal. Soon it was Ben Scrivens's turn to pick the puck out of the onion bag as Fyodor Malykhin equalized on 26 minutes, and a mere 106 seconds later Artyom Mikheyev put the Kazan Men in front.

Ak Bars - Salavat Ulaev

Then came the third period, and for Salavat Yulaev, things were to get worse before they got better. In the 43rd minute veteran forward Alexander Svitov scored against his former club to make it 3-1, and ten minutes later Svitov hit his second goal of the game, his fourth of the tournament, and his sixth of the preseason. Ak Bars fully deserved the 4-1 scoreline, and Salavat Yulaev deserve equal praise for fighting back to give the fans a barnstorming finish. Maxim Mayorov pulled a goal back with 6 minutes remaining, and on 56.36 Teemu Hartikainen completed his double to set up a nail-biting finish.
Salavat Yulaev's new head coach Erkka Westerlund spoke about the defeat:
“Today I got a taste of how matches between Salavat Yulaev and Ak Bars are such great contests. The result was bad, but at the same time it was our best game so far. Yes, we made some basic errors and Ak Bars had no trouble capitalizing on them, so we'll investigate what went wrong and make sure we play a more intelligent game in future.”

Ak Bars fans

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg vs. Spartak Moscow: 3-2 SO (1-0, 1-0, 0-2, 0-0, 1-0).
The second match on the menu was another roller coaster affair between two wildly unpredictable (and therefore highly watchable) teams experimenting with various combinations. Spartak dominated the opening period in most areas except the one that mattered – goals – and went into the first interval wondering why they had failed to convert a host of chances while Andrei Obidin scored on one of Avtomobilist's rare assaults on goal.
03.08.17. Cup governor of Nizhny Novgorod region 2017. Avtomobilist (Yekaterinburg) - Spartak (Moscow)
Things got worse for the Red-and-Whites in the second period, as they not only shipped another goal (scored by Evgeny Chesalin on 24.29) but Czech forward Lukas Radil was sent to the locker room for elbowing Avto defenseman Stanislav Yegorshev. Like the men from Ufa, however, Spartak showed true gladiatorial spirit in Act 3 of the drama. First came Alexander Komaristy's 50th-minute goal in powerplay, and then, as we entered the last 5 minutes, the dramatic fightback was complete when new signing Stanislav Chistov beat Igor Ustinsky in the Yekaterinburg goal. Overtime could not divide the protagonists, and eventually, Dmitry Megalinsky won the crucial shootout duel with Spartak goalie Markus Svensson to bring victory to Avtomobilist.

Tournament standings after Day 3:
1-Avtomobilist (3 games, 6 points);
2-Ak Bars (3 games, 5 pts);
3-Spartak (2 games, 4 pts);
4-Salavat Yulaev (2 games, 3 pts);
5-Torpedo (2 games, 3 pts);
6-Metallurg Novkuznetsk (2 games,0 pts)

Avtomobilist - Spartak

In other preseason games...
Pelicans (Lahti, Finland) vs. Severstal Cherepovets: 3-6 (1-2,0-2, 2-2).
Severstal outgunned the Finns in impressive style, thanks to goals from Adam Masuhr, Matej Stransky (2), Alexander Shcherbina, Pavel Chernov and Petr Holik.
Kometa Brno vs. Slovan Bratislava: 3-0 (0-0, 1-0, 2-0).
The Slovaks continued to struggle against their neighbors, suffering their fourth defeat in four preseason games against Czech opposition.

Day 4 of the Nizhny Novgorod Governor’s Cup began with an intriguing afternoon match-up between one of the League's traditional title contenders, Salavat Yulaev, and one of the pack of outsiders, Spartak, followed by an evening game between the hosts, Torpedo, and the departing Metallurg Novokuznetsk, now preparing for a life in the VHL.
Salavat Yulaev Ufa vs. Spartak Moscow: 3-1 (1-0, 1-0, 1-1)
Both these teams were smarting from defeats on the previous day and so had plenty to prove. The men from the Russian capital had fought back valiantly from 0-2 down against Avtomobilist and then dominated the resulting overtime, only to see their efforts wiped out in the shootout, while the men from the Bashkortistan capital had lost the Green Derby 3-4 against fierce rivals Ak Bars.

Salavat Yulaev – Spartak

The most obvious casualties from Thursday's failures were the goaltenders, both of whom were replaced for Friday's game: Salavat Yulaev brought in Andrei Kareyev while the Red-and-Whites elected for Nikita Bespalov.
04.08.17. Cup governor of Nizhny Novgorod region 2017. Salavat Yulaev (Ufa) - Spartak (Moscow)
As a result, the game turned out to be something of a rarity – a contest which went the way one would have expected. Both teams were more consistent and more disciplined, and Ufa's strength in depth proved decisive. A goal in each period – one from Evgeny Korotkov and two from Enver Lisin  - went unanswered until Ryan Stoa's late powerplay goal gave Spartak fans something to cheer.

Salavat Yulaev - Spartak

Goals: 1:0 Korotkov (Kulyash, Kubalik, 13.45), 2:0 Lisin (Bodrov, Makarov, 35.10), 3:0 Lisin (Bodrov, 41.14), 3:1 Stoa (Lajunen, 51.08,PPG)
Goaltenders: Kareyev – Bespalov

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod vs. Metallurg Novokuznetsk: 4-0 (0-0, 2-0, 2-0)
The evening game also went true to form. The hosts have had an up-and-down tournament, going down to Salavat Yulaev and then bouncing back up to conquer Ak Bars, whereas Novokuznetsk has understandably struggled following the exodus of players to KHL clubs.

Torpedo - Metallurg Novokuznetsk

The Nizhny Novgorod staff added plenty of youth and inexperience into the roster, but the team was still too strong for the Blacksmiths, and after a close opening period the remainder of the game was one-way traffic. Gennady Stolyarov and Mikhail Smolin scored in the second period, and after the interval, further strikes from defenseman Pavel Medvedev and ex-Dynamo Moscow forward Yegor Dugin, grabbing his first goal in a Torpedo jersey, removed any doubt about the outcome.

Torpedo - Metallurg Novokuznetsk

Goals: 1:0 Stolyarov (Alyayev, Rasskazov, 23.08,PPG), 2:0 Smolin (Kurbatov, 32.05), 3:0 Medvedev (Jeglic, Barantsev, 43.49), 4:0 Dugin (Barantsev, 49.15).
Goaltenders: Galimov – Kasutin

Tournament standings after Day 4 (all teams having played 3 games):
1. Salavat Yulaev – 6 points;
2. Torpedo - 6 points;
3. Avtomobilist – 6 points;
4. Ak Bars – 5 points;
5. Spartak – 4 points;
6. Metallurg Novokuznetsk – 0 points;

Lokomotiv vs. Amur: 5-2 (2-2, 0-0, 0-0, 3-0)
This pair met two days previously, when the Yaroslavl side claimed a 3-1 win, but this rematch was not a mere replay. While the Yaroslavl squad differed little, with seven players on national team duty in Sochi, the Amur team welcomed the return of its first offensive line - Marek Kvapil, Alexander Frolov and Tomas Zohorna - plus Juha Metsola in goal.




The teams wasted no time in going on the offensive, sharing four goals in the opening period. Pavel Dedunov put the visitors in front but Denis Mosalyov replied. Alexander Frolov restored his new team's advantage, but Yegor Fateyev hit back for the hosts. The next two periods belonged to the goalies, and so we were treated to an unusual overtime. The teams had agreed they would play out the added fine minutes regardless of whether ether team scored, and as a result we were treated to three Lokomotiv goals, from Daniil Apalkov, Vladislav Kartayev, and Mosalyov's second of the night.

Goals: 0:1 Dedunov (Toluzakov, Lyutov, 05:54), 1:1 Mosalyov (Nakladal, Kronwall, 08:55,PPG), 1:2 Frolov (Kvapil, 12:50), 2:2 Fateyev (Apalkov, Kudryavtsev, 17:58), 3:2 Apalkov (Averin, 60:36), 4:2 Kartayev (Kapustin, 61:54), 5:2 Mosalyov (Osipov, 63:27,PPG)
Goaltenders: Sudnitsin – Metsola

Pelicans vs. Severstal: 4-3 (1-1, 3-0, 0-2)
The bad news for Severstal boss Alexander Gulyavtsev is that his team came off second best in an entertaining game in Finland. The good news is that his inquest need only concentrate on the second period, when the Finns did the damage with three unanswered goals.

Saturday saw the opening game of the Sochi Hockey Open – the third preseason tournament to feature KHL clubs and one with a formidable list of participants, divided into two groups of three:

Group А: SKA (Saint Petersburg), Metallurg (Magnitogorsk), Kunlun Red Star (Beijing)
Group B: HC Sochi, Russia Olympic Team, and Team Canada

SKA vs. Kunlun Red Star: 4-2 (2-1, 0-0, 2-1)
For Saturday's curtain-raiser, the organizers chose two teams for whom the previous season was an undisputed runaway success. The team from Beijing only existed on paper a little over a year ago, yet they qualified for the playoffs in their debut season, while the northern capital's Army Men won the Gagarin Cup with the kind of swashbuckling, attacking hockey which persuades hordes of youngsters to grab their skates, sticks and pucks and try to emulate their heroes.

Oleg Znarok

Cheered on by a large contingent of fans from Petersburg, Oleg's Znarok's champions swiftly seized the initiative and had their opponents on the back foot for much of the opening skirmishes, and when an early power play came their way, Alexander Barabanov gratefully took full advantage. Any hopes of a rout, however, were certainly misplaced. No-one should expect a Mike Keenan team to surrender, and when the match had reached the 15-minute mark with no further goals from the Petersburg Men, there was a hint of inevitability about Red Star's leveler: Andrei Kostitsyn's fierce shot from the blue line could only be parried by Mikko Koskinen, and Brandon Yip pounced to make it 1-1. Then it was SKA's turn to show its mettle. Mr. Barabanov clearly took exception to seeing his goal canceled out, and 30 seconds before the first interval he forced the coaches to re-write their team talks by grabbing a second. The second period was competitive enough, but sporadic outbreaks of fisticuffs meant the officials were often busier than the goaltenders. There were several two-minute penalties for Kunlun players and one for Ilya Kovalchuk, but the scoreboard operators were not called into action until the final minutes of the third period. And that final action-packed spell belonged to Barabanov. The 23-year-old completed his hat-trick with a 54th-minute, ricochet-assisted goal, and while the “Dragons” showed their teeth once more with Brandon Yip's second of the game, Barabanov had the last word with a last-minute empty-netter.

Sergei Shirokov , Andrei Kostitsyn

SKA head coach Oleg Znarok
“It was only our second outing, after the game in Finland against Jokerit, and the team has already put in some very hard preseason training. Some things have come off well and others haven't, but it's good that we've won...

… As for the absent ones, Voynov and Zubarev are still recovering from injuries sustained last season, and we expect to have them back before the end of September. Datsyuk is back in full training with the team, but we won't rush into anything. I think that by the time the Nikolai Puchkov Tournament (August 14 – 17) comes around, we'll have the Kovalchuk – Datsyuk – Plotnikov line back in action.

As for Barabanov, we'll just do all we can to ensure he keeps producing his best hockey, at least until the end of February (smiles).”
Kunlun Red Star head coach Mike Keenan:
“It was a good game, and it allowed us to have a look at the players who had no experience of hockey at this level. From our point of view, I'm glad we played against the reigning champion, because it is in battles against this kind of opponent that we can evaluate the level that we'll demand of our team. Our players are beginning to understand what is expected of them in order that they become one of the League's leading clubs.

Building a team takes time, but we'll make definite progress over the course of the season. It is not easy creating a system - you can only test it against opponents in competitive conditions, and we and the players need time to get to know one another.”
05.08.17. Sochi Hockey Open. SKA (St.Petersburg) - Kunlun Red Star (Beijing)

Goals: 1:0 – Barabanov (Shirokov, Koskiranta, 01.50), 1:1 – Yip (Vorobei, Kostitsyn, 15.15), 2:1 – Barabanov (Zub, Koskiranta, 19.29), 3:1 – Barabanov (53.14), 3:2 – Yip (Kostitsyn, Daloga, 57.56), 4:2 – Barabanov (59.11)
Goaltenders: Koskinen – Hellberg
HC Sochi vs. Russian Olympic Team: 1-5 (0-3, 0-1, 1-1)
Host team HC Sochi was faced with the unenviable task of starting the tournament against a Russian Olympic Team, formed as a stepping-stone to Oleg Znarok's Team Russia, and therefore packed with players who hope to represent their country at next year's Winter Olympics. As might be expected, it proved a stern test for the southerners and they headed into the first interval already 3-0 down. Lokomotiv's Alexander Polunin produced a precision strike over Konstantin Barulin's shoulder for an early opener, and his fellow Railwaymen combined to make it 2-0 inside the first five minutes – Pavel Kraskovsky's sublime pass setting up Yegor Korshkov to score. Just before the interval, Ak Bars forward Stanislav Galiyev, back on Russian ice after his stint in North America, notched a third.

Ilya Shestyorkin

Sochi steadied the ship after the interval and spent much of the second period probing and pressing around Ilya Shestyorkin's goal, but a few minutes before the second intermission the hosts found themselves playing 3-on-5, and another Ak Bars man, Vladimir Tkachyov, hit Russia's fourth. The home fans finally had something to cheer in the 52nd minute, when Pavel Padakin beat Ilya Shestyorkin in power play, but the four-goal margin was restored within minutes by that formidable Lokomotiv line - Polunin and Korshkov combined and Pavel Kraskovsky finished the move.

Yury Alexandrov, Kirill Kaprizov

Russian Olympic Team head coach Oleg Bratash :
“It wasn't a bad game. We won because we took our scoring chances and we played well as a unit when killing penalties. As for the Yaroslavl line, the results speak for themselves – they got three of our five goals...

… I was very pleased with the young players, and when we sent on Andrei Altybarmakyan in the third period he did everything right in every episode, apart from the last one, when he should have scored but decided instead to dazzle us with his skills (smiles).

I remind everyone that our goal is to help the senior Russian national team, and if Oleg Znarok decides that we need to try out some older players here, then that is what we'll do.”
HC Sochi head coach Sergei Zubov:
“Both teams had chances to score. I won't name-and-shame anyone, but some players got over-emotional and others were struggling to adjust to hockey at this level. We are trying to have a look at all our players, and for some of them this is a great test. We have a lot of important games ahead of us and we're looking to the future with optimism. No, I had no desire to take Barulin off after the second goal, and he will keep goal for us tomorrow.”
05.08.17. Sochi Hockey Open. HC Sochi (Sochi) - Russia Team
Goals: Polunin – 0:1 (Kaprizov, 02.14), Korshkov – 0:2 (Kraskovsky, 4.49), Galiyev – 0:3 (Kaprizov, 19.05), Tkachyov – 0:4 (Chudinov, Khafizullin, 36.13), Padakin – 1:4 (51.35), Kraskovsky – 1:5 (Polunin, Korshkov, 53.51)
Goaltenders: Barulin – Shestyorkin
Metallurg Novokuznetsk vs. Ak Bars: 0-5 (0-0, 0-3, 0-2)
Meanwhile, in the Nizhny Novgorod Governor’s Cup, Galiyev and Tkachyov's Ak Bars faced off against the men from Novokuznetsk, and it seems the men from Kazan, despite the absence of the forward pair on duty in Sochi, are still not lacking in firepower. Metallurg coped admirably for the first half of the game, but after Artyom Mikheyev broke the deadlock in the 31^st minute, the floodgates opened. Further goals from Jiri Sekac, Anton Glinkin, Fyodor Malykhin and Maxim Sidorov gave Ak Bars a 5-0 win and placed them at the top of the tournament table.
Standings after Day 5:

1. Ak Bars (4 games, 8 points);
2. Salavat Yulaev (3,6);
3. Torpedo (3,6)
4. Avtomobilist (3,6);
5. Spartak (3,4);
6. Metallurg Novokuznetsk (4,0).

The new Salavat Yulaev head coach speaks about his advancing years, Dmitri Kvartalnov, Vladimir Yurzinov, the pressure of the job, and how he plans to piece together the puzzle known as Salavat Yulaev.
Erkka Westerlund needs no introduction to Russian fans, although many would prefer to forget one of the Finnish specialist's career highlights. It was, of course, Westerlund who was head coach of Team Finland at the Sochi Olympics, where the Finns put an end to the Russian team's Olympic dream, after which he arrived in the KHL as boss of Jokerit. Having coached the Helsinki team for two years, Westerlund decided to take a break and wait for a decent offer, but the rest was a short one. At the end of March, it was announced that the 60-year-old specialist had moved to Ufa. The Salavat Yulaev job will be the first time in his long career that he has coached outside his homeland, but he seems unfazed by the stark change of environment. The knowing smile suggests wisdom, but he cheerfully admits that he still feels like a youngster. The jovial mood disappears, however, and the steely determination becomes apparent when talk turns to the targets set for the Ufa team next season. The team is currently competing in the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region Cup, and has battled its way to being one of the main contenders. Incidentally, it was after the 2015-16 Western Conference Quarter-final series against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (a 2-4 defeat for Jokerit) that the coach waved 'au revoir' to the KHL. That series was a fiery affair, with sparks flying in all directions, and we began our interview by asking the coach for his musings on that particular episode.

Erkka Westerlund

I haven't forgotten the series with Torpedo, but I don't think about it

- Erkka, you are now back in Nizhny Novgorod, so what memories do you have of that series with Torpedo in 2015-16?
- Yes, it was here that I spent my last match before I pressed the pause button on my career, but frankly, I haven't really thought about it since. It was a memorable series but now I have a new club that I am proud to lead. Salavat is a club with great prospects and potential, and I believe this is the beginning of a new and very interesting journey, so all my thoughts are devoted to the present and the future.
- You had a rest from hockey for a year...
- Yes, and now I feel ready to return to work, and I have many ideas which I would like to try out with Salavat. I did not turn my back on hockey, by the way, and I was always open to suggestions and offers.

Of course, this is not an ideal situation, when one player understands me immediately but another has to turn to the interpreter, but hockey is an international game, and the language barrier should never become an obstacle.

- Did you still follow the KHL, and in particular, the progress of Jokerit?
- Yes, of course. You could say the KHL was my home for two years. I can't say I saw all of Jokerit's games, but nor did I lose all affinity with the club. It was very interesting to follow events in the Championship.
- Looking at your career, you had a longer period away from the game - from 1991 to 1996. Why was that?
- I was young back then, and I wanted to learn something new and get acquainted with the latest ideas. While I was studying, I continued to work with Finland's youth teams. It was a wonderful time.

Erkka Westerlund

I don't think about my age, and I feel like a youngster

- If you had not received the offer from Ufa, would the pause in your career have continued?
- I had many offers, from the KHL and from some Swiss clubs, so I probably would not have been out of work for long, but the offer from Salavat was the most concrete and the most interesting for me, so I did not wait long before accepting it.
- How lengthy were the negotiations with the Ufa club?

- Again, the offer from Ufa grabbed my interest straight away, but I had to sort out some details and formalities. About a month after I provisionally accepted the job offer, we shook hands and signed the contracts.
- You turned 60 n March. How is your physical condition?
- The coach should never lag behind his team, so I just need to keep myself in good shape, recuperate properly, and be fit for work. In short, I feel great.

As a rule, I try not to dwell too much on the result of any particular match. If we get bogged down by over-analyzing individual games, then we won't have time to focus on the most important things. And the most important of all is building a team.

- How many coaches in the KHL are older than you, do you reckon?
- Interesting question! Let me think... From memory, Vladimir Krikunov immediately springs to mind, but I think that's all.
- No, there's also Zinetula Bilyaletdinov.
- Yes, of course! So, I'm in third place. Well, I don't think it's a bad thing when the League has experienced and mature experts. Although, admittedly, I don't think about my age, and I feel like a youngster (laughs).
- Which of your fellow coaches currently working in the KHL do you know the best?
- Of course, first and foremost, the Finnish specialists, Jukka Jalonen, for example. And I can't help but mention that Dmitry Kvartalnov played for Jokerit when I was boss there in the late 1990s, and together we won silver medal in the Championship of Finland. As for Russian coaches, Vladimir Yurzinov had an enormous impact on the Finnish coaching schools, and I have the utmost respect for him. He brought so much skill and knowledge to Finland.

Erkka Westerlund

I feel at home in Ufa

- Have you got settled in Ufa yet?
- Yes, I already feel at home there. I really like the city and the people around me, but most importantly – we have good players from which we can build a team, and with whom we can create something. We're embarking on a big and – I hope – a glorious quest.
- Nonetheless, you are the first foreign head coach in Salavat Yulaev's history. The fans, no matter how friendly they are, will still demand results from you. Are you ready for such pressure?
- I'm so old, old... (laughs) so I don't pay attention to such things. I just concentrate on my daily work. As a rule, I try not to dwell too much on the result of any particular match. If we get bogged down by over-analyzing individual games, then we won't have time to focus on the most important things. And the most important of all is building a team. As for the pressure... If it gets too severe, I might have to resign. I'm not afraid, and there would be no shame in that.

I had many offers, from the KHL and from some Swiss clubs, so I probably, would not have been out of work for long, but the offer from Salavat was the most concrete and the most interesting for me.

- At the Salavat Yulaev - Spartak match there were quite a few Ufa fans, and for the entire match they were chanting at your bench, ”You came to win!” Can we apply this slogan to you?
- Of course! It suits me fine. When the season is on, we want to win. But now, in these friendlies, it is more important for me to get to know the players, and try out different combinations of lines in order to determine the best ones. But I fully understand the fans' sentiments.
- Can you visualize your strongest formation yet?
- So far I only have many pieces which I need to put together to solve the puzzle, so I am trying different combinations until a picture finally emerges. As yet I can't say I'm content with some given combinations, and even the first line, which has remained unchanged, still has room for improvement.

Erkka Westerlund and Nikolai Tsulygin (on left)

We will try to surprise the League in some way

- You have your son, Thomas, on the Salavat Yulaev staff as a video coach. Does he also intend to pursue a career in coaching?
- Yes, he wants to follow in my footsteps and learn the trade. We already worked together for two years, as Tomas assisted me at Jokerit, and now we have moved to Ufa. Every coach needs his own team, comprising people with whom he has built an understanding. I need people I know and trust, but at the same time, it is vital that they share my coaching philosophy. I have such a staff, and my son has become a part of it.
- Your staff will have to build a relationship with the team, and there is the language barrier. Do you find it hard to communicate with your players?
- Oh, yes, it's far from easy. Half of the team speaks English and the other half doesn't, and (ex-Anaheim Ducks defenseman) Nikolai Zalygin has been invaluable in this respect, as he passes on my ideas to the players. Of course, this is not the ideal situation, when one player understands me immediately but another has to turn to the interpreter, but hockey is an international game, and the language barrier should never become an obstacle.
- How would you rate Salavat Yulaev's current state of preparedness for the forthcoming season?
- Again, we have great players, so regarding the personnel we are 100% prepared. As for the team play and understanding, I am about 50-60% satisfied, but we have enough time to work on these things. We will try to come up with something new and surprise the League in some way.

Erkka Westerlund

FACTFILE Erkka Westerlund:
Born: 30 March 1957, Pernaja (Finland)
Playing career: JyP HT (Finland) – 1980-81
Coaching career: JyP HT (Finland) – 1981–88; Lukko (Finland) – 1989-91; HIFK (Finland) – 1997-99; Jokerit (Finland) – 1999-2001, 2010-12, 2014-16; Salavat Yulaev - March 2017-present
Honors as coach: Olympic silver and bronze medalist; World Championship silver (twice) and bronze medalist; European U18 Championship gold medalist, World U20 Championship bronze (twice); SM-Liiga champion and silver medalist.

Pre-season is building up, and Monday’s Russia-Canada battle in Sochi is attracting attention. But the Sochi Hockey Open also gave a chance for young sledge hockey players to join a masterclass – and show some of the KHL’s stars how it’s done. Elsewhere, Linus Omark added another flamboyant penalty shot to his highlight reel in Nizhny Novgorod, and two newly-appointed coaches talked about their latest missions.

Sochi Hockey Open – advantage Russia?

The first Russia vs Canada clash of the season is due in Sochi on Monday evening (1800, local time) as part of the Sochi Hockey Open. The match-up pits Russia’s ‘B’ roster against an experimental Hockey Canada team as Canadian head coach Willie Desjardins runs the rule over its European-based players ahead of February’s Olympics. So far, the tournament suggests Russia might enjoy greater strength in depth: both national teams have played against host club HC Sochi, but with differing results. Russia powered to a 5-1 victory – inspired by a three-goal show from Lokomotiv trio Alexander Polunin, Pavel Kraskovsky and Yegor Korshkov. Kirill Kaprizov picked up two assists. Canada, meanwhile, went goalless through 60 minutes beside the Black Sea, and needed a deflected overtime goal from Jesse Blacker – recently signed by Kunlun Red Star – to finally beat Konstantin Barulin in the Sochi net. The winner of the Russia-Canada game will face SKA in the tournament’s gold medal game on Wednesday. SKA topped the other group with 4-2 victories over Kunlun and Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Team Canada - HC Sochi

A helping hand

Prior to the Sochi Hockey Open, the Bolshoy Dome also staged a sledge-hockey masterclass – and several stars from Team Russia joined in with youngsters from Russia, the USA and the Czech Republic. Sledge hockey was one of the most successful events at the 2014 Winter Paralympics, also held in Sochi, and the excitement around the game has helped inspire a more positive attitude towards opportunities for people with disabilities. Meanwhile, as Russia’s players found, it’s also a demanding sport in its own right.
“When I watched from the sidelines, I didn’t think it looked all that difficult,” said HC Sochi’s Pavel Padakin. “But when I had a go myself I was amazed! When they sat me on a sledge I could hardly even move! Once I got the hang of it, I tried making a pass and fell off right away. These kids are incredible – after I’d skated for half an hour, I was hurting all over.”

All smiles for new boy Markov

Andrei Markov began the week by confirming his move to Ak Bars. The 38-year-old defenseman, who left Montreal after 16 seasons in the NHL, reunited with head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, who took charge of the young Markov at Dynamo Moscow in the late 1990s.
The General admitted that working with his old colleague was a big reason behind his move to Kazan, and added that the years had changed coach Bill. “He smiles a bit more now,” joked Markov in a press conference on his arrival in Russia.

Andrei Markov

Omark’s penalty-shot stunner

Linus Omark has a taste for the flamboyant when presented with a penalty shot, and the Swede was strutting his stuff again this week at a pre-season tournament in Nizhny Novgorod. OK, it wasn’t a high-stakes shot – his Salavat Yulaev team had already won the game 3-0 and the shoot-out was an exhibition affair. But Omark still produced a beauty, reversing down the ice, flicking the puck over the blue line then turning to smash home his shot from between the hash marks. As the tournament goes into its last day, Ak Bars leads the table, but Omark’s Salavat Yulaev and host team Torpedo could both claim top spot with victories in their final games.

Westerlund’s new challenge

Finnish head coach Erkka Westerlund became the first foreigner to step behind the bench at Salavat Yulaev – taking on his first job outside of Finland. It’s a new experience for the 60-year-old, but one that he is relishing, as he told khl.ru in an exclusive interview last week.
“Oh, I’m an old man, I’m not worried about the pressure,” he joked. “I just focus on my everyday work. I’m not going to focus on the result of any one match, there isn’t time. The main thing is building a team.

“We have an excellent team, the roster is 100% ready. But I’m only maybe 50-60% satisfied with our teamwork, with our interplay. But there’s still time to work on that. We’re looking to come up with something new and surprise the rest of the league.”

Erkka Westerlund

Dwyer settles in Minsk

In Minsk, incoming Dinamo head coach Gordie Dwyer is back in the KHL after working with Medvescak last season. Not for the first time, a foreigner has been impressed with the Belarusian passion for hockey: now he’s hoping to give those fans something to cheer.
“Even when I first came to Minsk with Medvescak, I remember feeling that it would be good to work here some day,” he told khl.ru. “It’s a great set-up here, the city is wonderful, and it turns out that I’m following the path of several players who moved here from Zagreb.”
Dwyer’s Dinamo is set to rely more heavily on local talent, trimming the budget that once brought a roster full of imports to Minsk. That could mean opportunities for the likes of 19-year-old prospect Yegor Sharangovich, the team’s leading scorer in the Minsk Cup.
But there’s still a foreign accent, and the signing of Justin Fontaine – 197 NHL games for the Wild, 68 points there – is a big plus.
“I know that plenty of KHL teams wanted to sign him last year, but he wasn’t available,” said Dwyer. “He’s a powerful forward who can bring creativity to our offense. I think his experience and skills can bring a lot to Dinamo.”

Gordie Dwyer

Barys
In Astana, the fearsome scoring power of Bochenski, Boyd and Dawes have guaranteed goals since 2011 – until now. Brandon Bochenski hung up his skates, Dustin Boyd has joined Dynamo Moscow, and Barys faces the challenge of building a new strike force. The hope is to go further than last season’s second-round playoff exit – something the club has yet to achieve in its KHL career.

Changing faces

Outgoing head coach Eduard Zankovets may have suffered for the failures of the national team, rather than his results in Astana. Barys, despite the shock of losing Andrei Nazarov early in the season, produced a good season. The team came fifth in the Eastern Conference and defeated Traktor in the playoffs before losing out to Metallurg. But coaching Barys goes hand-in-hand with taking charge of Kazakhstan’s national team, and here Zankovets fell short of his targets. Missing out on promotion to the Elite Pool for 2018 when his team was overtaken by Korea, the Belarusian’s deal was not extended beyond the end of the season. Evgeny Koreshkov is the new man, and he’s overseen a busy summer of trading. Ten new faces give the roster a youthful look compared with past seasons, although there’s still deep experience from the likes of Nigel Dawes and Kevin Dallman, the KHL’s longest-serving import on defense. Those two, now naturalized Kazakh citizens and members of the national team’s roster, enjoy legendary status in Astana and will shoulder more responsibility than ever in the coming campaign. Most of the new arrivals have been playing VHL hockey, or learning their trade in the Kazakh Championship, but there are two new imports as well, both from the AHL. Linden Vey, 26, is a creative forward who arrives from Stockton Heat, the Calgary Flames’ farm-club. He top-scored for his team last season, with 55 (15+40) points in 61 games. He also has 138 NHL appearances, making his big-league debut in Los Angeles before two seasons with Vancouver. He’s joined by defenseman Darren Dietz. Now 24, Dietz showed potential as a powerful two-way D-man in his youth, but has struggled to settle in a team since then. A somewhat nomadic spell in the AHL – punctuated by 13 NHL games for the Canadiens – came to an end when he signed up for a move to Astana and a new challenge.

Nigel Dawes and Kevin Dallman

Seeking All-Stars

Astana is due to host the KHL’s All-Star Week of Hockey in January. In previous seasons, the Barys strike force has played a big part in that event, but now it may be time for a new All-Star to emerge on home ice. Marty St. Pierre, a 33-year-old forward, could be the man to step up and assume some of the goalscoring responsibilities left by Bochenski and Boyd. Another one to watch could be local youngster Dmitry Grents. He only turned 21 in June, but his season included 31 games in the KHL and a call-up to the Kazakh national team. Prolific at youth level, this forward opened his KHL account with two goals and three assists last term. Grents is exactly the kind of young talent that Kazakh hockey needs to develop, both for Barys and for the national team, as the country hopes that the season will be memorable for more than just one week in January.

Dmitry Grents