Source: www.rucriminal.info
VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info correspondent Alexey Matveyev talked to the famous master, former brilliant forward of CSKA and the USSR national team Boris Mikhailov.
LEVEL BELOW THE BASEBOARD?
- How would you rate the current level of domestic hockey? Is it rapidly falling
down due to the non-participation of our masters in major
international tournaments?
- I think we are advancing in terms of skill internally, but in Europe and the world
only face-to-face meetings with our main rivals can give an answer. Unfortunately, there are no such
meetings, so there is nothing to talk about here.
Experts say, I am one of them, that the KHL championship is the second in the world in
its level after the overseas NHL. Yes, we are above, in my opinion, similar tournaments in Sweden, the Czech Republic, Finland, which are now leading in Europe along with us.
- Why, after all, are we not the first on the planet? The NHL, in your opinion, is stronger, more interesting?
- Yes, there are more cool, bright masters there, from my personal observations.
This is a subjective, and at the same time pragmatic assessment of the current state of world hockey.
Our hockey seems to be developing, but is it lagging behind in level competitors from Europe, America, Canada? A question that even I cannot answer yet.
- Do you think there is a demand for Russian masters abroad?
- Of course. Look, every season some of our guys go abroad. So domestic hockey is more alive than dead, this is
objective . Let's not sprinkle our heads with ...
HOW DEEP HAS CRIMINAL PENETRATED?
- It's no secret that in big Russian football, for example, shadow business moguls have been "rubbing" for a long time, sometimes influencing the results of specific
matches. And how do you think this is in hockey? Have all sorts of, shall we say, rogues gotten carried away
playing "shadow" games?
- One more question, I'll get up and leave. On what grounds do you
suspect hockey players of dishonesty?
- I don't suspect everyone! In big hockey, by analogy with
Russian football, there are also "shadow players", according to our
exclusive information. Is hockey an exception to the rule? In my opinion,
no.
- Your questions about the negativity in hockey are akin to an interrogation by an investigator.
Are you a prosecutor by any chance? I feel like telling you - "goodbye"
- and getting out of sight. Well, how should I know about "shadow" moments? When I was a hockey player, could anyone have imagined that the famous Soviet masters Mikhailov-Petrov-Kharlamov could play a "fixed match" with someone, and for money, right? It's beyond comprehension...
- What is the level of the current CSKA? Those who have already played for overseas NHL teams come to us quite regularly, - says Boris Mikhailov. -
Sometimes masters who, it would seem, have established themselves in NHL clubs return.
I don't know what drives them: a sense of nostalgia, or something else? And
I must say that they play for us quite well, they work professionally. I repeat, they play well, the level is decent. But I can't
say that it is the highest.
- This high level, as you have noticed, is demonstrated mainly by
legionnaires, isn't it? And what about the Russian players? It seems that they are mostly vegetating?
- There you go again! If you continue in the same spirit, I will get up and leave. Your
message is stupid, in my opinion. Are you taking advantage of the fact that we have known each other for a long time, and I
will not be able to say "goodbye" to you? Do not abuse my attitude...
After all, we are talking about the development of hockey in our country, yes, and you are reducing the conversation to the topic of
crime in our sport. What connection could there be?
- And such that the same possible "fixed matches" in hockey can slow down
the development of the game in our country, and we will begin to noticeably lag behind our competitors in
the level of skill, am I not right? In football, by the way, this is what
happens ...
- You are at it again! We are talking about the development of hockey in the country, and you are reducing
the conversation to the topic of crime. What connection is there? You should be releasing detective
movies ...
"Little stars" are appearing in the Russian championship, by the way. While we are talking here about seemingly burning issues, some of our guys are already packing their bags for a trip overseas to the NHL. Well, should they be banned? The times of the "iron curtain" are long gone, aren't they?
- And what, or rather, who will we be left with? Yes, there is no mass exodus, but the strongest masters in their prime are steadily flying to America and Canada.
I think our viewers feel inferior.
- Don't worry so much! In the same CSKA, Spartak, and other clubs, "stars" are appearing who perform at a fairly high level. Our hockey is still inexhaustible in talent, I tell you as an expert. This is not optimism out of thin air, but my pragmatic judgment.
Yes, a lot depends on the brains of a particular player. Just imagine,
they call our guy from overseas. No amount of money will stop him here, you understand?! That's how this sports world is set up, there's nothing to be done about it. I'll tell you more: some of our masters, when they fly to America, don't immediately make it into the starting lineup of the club with which they signed a contract. Well, they agree to play in a lower-level league - the AHL. They still consider it better to play there than in the Russian KHL. That realities.
- Is it possible to develop domestic hockey to a level that
would allow our "stars" to stay at home to play in our
championship , and not overseas?
- We are developing, in my opinion. For example, we have 23 teams in the KHL,
35 in the Major League, a lot of youth clubs. There are plenty of youth sports schools, where hockey is also
developed. From a quantitative point of view, everything is more or less
normal.
- Well, okay, then, as they say, "head-on" I will ask: are there at least close
masters, close in level to the legendary trio
Mikhailov-Petrov-Kharlamov?
- I will answer this way: we were good in our time. However, I do not see yet
masters of the level of Kharlamov and Petrov, that's all. Yes, in that now
distant time, we were the strongest in the USSR. There is nothing more to add here.
It's a different time now. The skill level of the leading players is quite high. Spartak's top three is good. Dynamo, Magnitka, Severstal and other clubs have good players. And CSKA, by the way, doesn't have a leading three, in my opinion. That's a disappointing conclusion for the army men. We, CSKA, were at the top for a couple of years in a row. Then we calmed down and partly lost our leading positions. From the category of psychology: the more you win, the faster you probably become satiated with your success... And the players, as before, want to receive decent money.
Everything comes from the heads of specific players: if a hockey player understands that he needs to grow in skill, he will progress. Otherwise, there is stagnation, regression...
Source: www.rucriminal.info
