BYKOV WORRIED FOR RADULOV

The head coach of the Russian hockey team Vyacheslav Bykov commented on recent news of his team ahead of the Swedish Games match against Finland.


Yesterday Russian team made for Helsinki, where they will come up against Finland in Swedish Games clash today.

Russia’s coaches didn’t take one of the main KHL stars – Salavat Yulaev forward Alexandr Radulov – because of ankle injury. Meanwhile he is said to miss not only Euro Hockey Tour games in Sweden, but the World Championship in Germany too.

"I won’t hide that the national team’s coaching staff is worried about situation with Radulov’s injury", Vyacheslav Bykov said to sport press. "Unfortunately nobody is secured from injures, and we are concerned about all our players’ form".

"Our doctors are taking care of Radulov, and he is advised to have rest for minimum four days. But his mindset and his desire to help us and doctors’ predictions lets us count that situation will be improved by the start of the World championship on 7 May".

Several hours before this interview Phoenics of Ilya Bryzgalov slipped out of NHL play-offs. "We are waiting for our goalie in the national team", Bykov commented. "We hope that one of the most valuable players of NHL championship will rehabilitate after painful loss in the series with Detroit".

"President of the Russian Hockey Federation Vladislav Tretyak is responsible for work with our goalkeepers. We are likely to call Bryzgalov on Thursday or Friday".

Ilya Kovalchuk said that he had made decision to play for the national team in Germany. "Ilya is gentleman", said Bykov. "He expressed his desire to help his national team at the World championships during the season and he kept his word as real patriot of his country".

RUSSIAN COACHES UNVEIL THE SQUAD FOR SWEDISH GAMES

Coaches of the Russian hockey national team determined list of players who will take part in Swedish Games.


Yesterday the list of players was published at the official web site of the Russian Hockey Federation. This list includes following players:

Goalkeepers – Koshechkin, Khudobin, Eremenko;

Defencemen – Kulikov, Atyushov, Korneev, Kulyash, Kalinin, Denisov, Ryasensky, Belov;

Forwards – Afinogenov, Kulemin, Artykhin, Anisimov, Tarasenko, Lisin, Gorovikov, Sushinsky, S.Fyodorov, Kozlov, Radulov, Mozyakin, Svitov, Saprykin, Grigorenko.

Thus Vyacheslav Bykov and Igor Zakharkin rejected services of two CSKA forwards Filatov and Parshin after two friendly matches in Italy. Besides they took aside forwards Skachkov, Rybin, Krysanov, Varnakov, defencemen Vorobyev and Biryukov and goalkeeper Bobrovsky.

The national team squad was strengthened by Sergey Fedorov, Sushinsky, Viktor Kozlov, Grigorenko, Radulov, Mozyakin and three NHL players Afinogenov, Kulemin and Lisin.

The Swedish Games will kick off on Thursday.

BYKOV UNVEILS THE SQUAD FOR THE FIRST CHANNEL CUP

Yesterday the Russian hockey team’s coaches unveiled preliminary roster of team for the third stage of Euro Hockey Tour – the First Channel Cup.


Russia’s preliminary squad for the First Channel Cup, which will be held in Moscow on December 17-20, includes these players:

Goalkeepers – Vasiliy Koshechkin, Ilya Proskuryakov (both – Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Stanislav Galimov (Ak Bars), Georgiy Gelashvili (Lokomotiv), Alexandr Eremenko (Salavat Yulaev);

Defencemen – Dmitriy Kalinin, Vitaliy Proshkin, Oleg Tverdovsky (all – Salavat Yulaev), Vitaliy Vishnevsky, Alexandr Guskov (both – Lokomotiv); Konstantin Korneev, Denis Kulyash (both – CSKA), Vitaliy Atyushov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Denis Denisov (Dynamo Moscow), Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars);

Forwards – Sergey Zinovyev, Viktor Kozlov, Alexandr Radulov (all – Salavat Yulaev), Danis Zaripov, Alexey Morozov, Alexey Tereschenko (all – Ak Bars), Alexandr Galimov, Alexey Mikhnov, Gennadiy Churilov (all – Lokomotiv), Maxim Rybin, Maxim Sushinsky (both – SKA), Anton Kuryanov (Avangard), Sergey Mozyakin (Atlant), Oleg Saprykin (Dynamo Moscow), Pyotr Schastlivy (CSKA), Sergey Fyodorov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk)

MOROZOV: KARJALA CUP – CANDIDATE SHOW FOR OLYMPICS

The captain of the Russian ice hockey national team Alexey Morozov gave an interview to Sport Express.

"There is much talk now that I have a guaranteed place in the national team," said the forward of Ak Bars. "And people say so not only about me."

"But managers speak now the following way that we must show good display in the coming matches and earn a place in the roster."

"I think that our coaches do not just say that they will take only those to Vancouver who are in better form now and thus can bring more benefit to the team and they are not going to count with past merits."

"Almost everybody who is going to Finland for the Karjala Cup is in the list highly probable to go to the Olympics. So I hope that since I am to go to Finland I have great chances to participate in the Winter Olympics-2010."

"In the last matches Ak Bars and I look better than at the beginning of the season. We are approaching the optimal conditions."

"The team looked well before the break in the championship having won two games on the road. And in both times we outplayed our rivals rather masterfully and that I can only be happy about this."

"I am also delighted with my own achievements. Against Sibir I scored four goals. A poker is a rare achievement in the career of a player."

"When it was not so smooth in Ak Bars the coaches decided to rotate the squad and Danis Zaripov and I were playing without Alexey Tereschenko. Though we are to play together in the national team and I hope we will perform well."

"Of course it is better to play with those guys you know well for it is easy to understand each other and thus achieve results. But it is the question for the coaching staff to decide who will be on the ice."

"I understand perfectly well that the two nearest stages - in Finland and in Moscow – are very responsible."

"A lot is spoken about it especially in the press. There the chances of candidates to go to Vancouver will be studied carefully. Every player with self-respect wants to go to the Olympics and that why the coming tournaments are not journeys for me."

EURO HOCKEY TOUR

click the pic to see Official stats

Now there's a break for Karjala Cup 2009 - Helsinki(FIN), 05-08 november 2009.

Fixtures:

05.11.2009
18:30 Russia - Finland
19:30 Sweden - Czech Republic @ Jönköping Kinnarps Arena (SWE)

07.11.2009
13:00 Sweden - Russia
16:30 Finland - Czech Republic

08.11.2009
13:00 Czech Republic - Russia
16:30 Finland - Sweden

Russian roster:

Goalies:
Alexander Eremenko (Salavat)
Vasili Koshetshkin (Lada)
Georgi Gelashvili (Lokomotiv)

Defenders:
Vitali Proshkin (Salavat)
Oleg Tverdovsky (Salavat)
Dmitri Kalinin (Salavat)
Konstantin Kornejev (CSKA)
Denis Kulyash (CSKA)
Vitali Vishnevsky (Lokomotiv)
Aleksander Guskov (Lokomotiv)
Ilja Nikulin (Ak Bars)
Vitali Atyushov (Magnitogorsk)
Sergei Zubov (SKA)

Forwards:
Sergei Zinoviev (Salavat)
Alexander Radulov (Salavat)
Alexander Perezhogin (Salavat)
Viktor Kozlov (Salavat)
Danis Zaripov (Ak Bars)
Alexei Tereschenko (Ak Bars)
Alexei Morozov (Ak Bars)
Maxim Sushinsky (SKA)
Konstantin Gorovikov (SKA)
Oleg Saprykin (Dynamo Moscow)
Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant)
Anton Kuryanov (Avangard)
Alexander Galimov (Lokomotiv)
Petr Schastlivy (CSKA)
Kirill Knyazev (Spartak)