Club
Alexander Krylov: “We are doing our best to make watching hockey on October 1 comfortable for our fans”
On September 14, the meeting of the Board of Directors chaired by Alexander Krylov was held at Avangard Hockey Academy. The results of work of marketing and commerce departments on preparation for the 2022/23 sports season and the G-Drive Arena commissioning, as well as the plan for the minor hockey development program implementation in the new season, were discussed.
Later that evening, the first test event was held on the ice of the new Arena - the game between the Avangard team and the Russian Meia team, after which Alexander Krylov, Avangard HC Board of Directors Chairman, answered journalists’ questions and talked about the Arena and short-term plans.
- To be honest, I expected the ice to be worse. But it is really fast. Even though it is actually engineering ice – there’s still a lot of work to be done with it. But we should give credit to the guys who prepared the ice for today - it is of a very decent quality.
- Bob Hartley was your coach today – did he give some motivation speech before the game?
- Yes, it was a very eloquent speech given by a person who gave 4 years to Avangard, who was here at the previous Arena. He was here when it was demolished, and now he is here again, when we basically built a new Arena from scratch in three years. He expressed surprise that such a high-quality facility could be constructed in Russia at this pace. This is the first. Second, he wished us good luck of course. He wished us to active on the ice. We had a few laughs. In general, there was such a cheerful, kind atmosphere. So, we were fully ready and scored a quck goal right away.
- Did the KHL accept the Arena already?
- No. The KHL hasn’t accepted the Arena yet. We asked to be given one week more. We need to finalize the light, the sound.
We still need to tune the ice up. And after that, they will come and accept the Arena before the Junior Hockey League game.
- Are you sure that the arena will be ready by October 1?
- Absolutely! There are no other options. Another thing is how it will be done. That is why we are doing our best to make watching hockey on October 1 comfortable for our fans.
- Avangard is having a five-game losing streak. What is going on?
- Nothing is going on. New team – new coaching staff. There are adjustments to be made, there are mistakes in every game. Unfortunately, we are made to pay for those mistakes by allowing goals. I think we will be able to claw our way from the bottom all together. And we will play nice hockey in order to fill such a large Arena with spectators.
- Does Dmitri Anatolyevich work calmly?
- Dmitri Anatolyevich doesn’t work calmly, as far as the results are that bad. But we trust and help him. We are all in the same boat - we are thinking about how to correct the mistakes that the team makes.
- Yesterday you were at the game in Novosibirsk. Was it a gesture of support or something else?
- I wanted to support the team. Plus, since I was directly involved in the distribution of the World Championship, when Novosibirsk kindly granted us the right to hold part of the competition, I needed to see how Novosibirsk was doing with their new Arena. So, I combined a visit to the new Arena, which they are building, with supporting the team.
- Last time, when you came to the Arena and checked the locker room, there were shortcomings that you pointed out. Are they corrected now and are you happy with the locker room now?
- I'm a maximalist. I'm never fully satisfied. Never. Obviously there still are some concerns. But, in general, of course, the locker room is suitable for a KHL team.
- Do you plan to improve Ryabykin's coaching staff?
- We expect to have some changes in the coaching staff. I think we will announce everything in a few days.
- I asked this question during the construction, but you said you would answer later. Can you tell me now - have you picked a place at the Arena or do you feel more comfortable on the ice?
- Professional hockey players should play on the ice. My place is over there, in the stands.
