BABCOCK: OUR KEY TASK IS TO WIN THE GOLD

The head coach of Detroit and Canadian Olympic team Mike Babcock gave an interview to russian sport press.


"It’s not difficult to combine two jobs this season", said Babcock. "We worked very hard at summer training camp".

"Coaches always keep in contact with each other while Steve Yzerman is here all the time and I can speak to him when it’s necessary".

"I don’t think that our situation is more complicated than other team’s situations, since everyone will have to start right off the bat. I have already talked to most part of players after we announced the final squad. I only need to speak to maybe two goalkeepers so everything goes according to our plan".

"While everybody waits for Russia vs. Canada duel in Vancouver, however we cannot know for sure that it will really take place. My target is to create the team and help it surge in every game".

"Hockey is religion in Canada and the most important thing for this country is to become the best hockey nation in the world. Russia beat us several times and it was big event".

"But for example Canada won five straight youth championships and let America seal the title this time, so now it’s necessary to take it back. The same thing concerns other sports too, as we need to continue best Canadian traditions".

"It’s impossible to win all competitions and it concerns Olympic games too. Sweden won the previous Games and it means that we need to take away the gold from them".

"Detroit Russian star Pavel Datsyuk is not very effective now and I think that it can be explained by the fact that emotional mindset cannot be the same for all games. He had to play too long seasons in recent three years and sometimes it happens that you are not perfectly set for several games. The problem is that we are left to play 30 matches and we need Pavel to play his best hockey in all of them".

"Ilya Bryzgalov is goalkeeper with great potential. I coached him in Anaheim farm-club in his first season in big hockey and he was a real star of AHL that year".

"To my mind he easily play in Phoenics because of his team’s well-disciplined hockey in defence. He always knows what to expect in particular situation. When such club as Phoenics has a chance to win in each match, it has positive impact on his display".