Hockey matches Russia – Belarus in Tula: lineups, details, regular
Russia will play with Belarus in Tula. Why these matches are important for the national team
In the conditions of foreign friendly meetings, they acquire a completely different meaning.
On May 1 and 2, matches between Russia and Belarus will be held in Tula. It is clear that these games are by no means an alternative to the World Cup. But the excommunication of two teams from international hockey is not a reason for inaction. Looking for a solution to play with each other suggested itself. Like any team, the national team is a living organism, for which a meeting is equivalent. This applies to teams of all ages.
It is impossible to interrupt the process that has begun and the technical guys, who were supposed to go down in price, lose this opportunity. With all due respect to the Belarusians, but now it is not particularly important for us who is the opponent. And the debutants of the national team – especially. The very fact of the call is important to them. Therefore, the new FHR calendar includes tournaments in St. Petersburg, the Black Sea Cup in Sochi, and the June Sirius Cup for U16 and U17 teams.
But back to the main game. Sooner or later, everything that does not concern hockey will return to normal. Can’t come. At this point, it is important to keep the system of national teams. A ladder that takes young talents to the top. In recent years, the Russian national team has become not just a team participating in various tournaments and gathering just for them. It’s already much more. This is a training system that is different from those in clubs. The situation forces you to switch to a different mode. But as soon as it is possible to turn on full power again, this will need to be done quickly. Therefore, the “engine” must be warmed up.
Russian national ice hockey team
Photo: fhr.ru
Well, those who were supposed to go to Tula and from St. Petersburg will go. Marat Khairullin, Alexey Pustozerov, Danil Alalykin, Ilya Morozov and other debutants deserved to try on the sweater of the national team.
There are some new names too. For example, Maxim Krovyakov, the newly-made Kharlamov Cup winner from SKA-1946, the top scorer of the MHL playoffs, the 19-year-old goalkeeper of the Kazakh Irbis Vyacheslav Peksa, who played the most matches to zero in the regular MHL last season. Here you can also add the Moscow army team Maxim Kirileichenko and Yegor Kuzminov, St. Petersburg’s Matvey Kabush and Nikita Smirnov.
This game has its own superstar. Tula will go not only to the national team. She will go to Matvey Michkov. How to miss the chance to see live the man who achieved the record held since Soviet times, the youngest goal scorer in the history of the main team? And what a goal! Surely, in Tula, everyone was on their ears, revisiting how Matvey laid the lacrosse puck behind the back of the Swedish goalkeeper at the Karjala Cup. What if it happens again?
In general, holding games in Tula is a unique solution. The brand new palace, opened in 2020, on which the Mikhailov Academy is based and plays in the MHL, is what you need. When else will the Russian team come here? For the city, for the region, these matches are the most important event. There are big doubts that in Moscow these games would have collected a decent main audience. And the point here is not even in the composition, although it is also in it. May 1 and 2 are the most “dacha” days. Get together as the first number of the team from the players who fought in the seventh match for the Gagarin Cup (assume such a miracle), and she would have played in the half-empty stands of Megasport or CSKA Arena. And this is not good. In Tula, all 3,300 places will certainly be filled.
Maxim Tretiak
Photo: fhr.ru
It is worth mentioning the coaching staff of the national team. Sergey Zubov will be the main one, but it is much more interesting that Andrey Razin also entered the headquarters. For the head coach of Severstal, who managed to work in the fourth team of the KHL, this will be his debut in the national team. In November 2021, Razina was involved in the work of the coaching staff as a consultant, and here is a more familiar role for him, on the bench.
What can be said about the rivals of the Russians? Belarusians are also bringing young people, most of the popular players in mobile clubs, the most famous and oldest in this game is Stal’s forward Vladislav Kodola. In general, and among these guys there is something to prove, they get a good chance to declare themselves.
It is unlikely that this will be necessary. It is important to continue to play, to collect ice hockey players in team jerseys.