Arkady Rotenberg: "We are all working in order to develop our sport"

The Russian Ice Hockey Federation's board chairman Arkady Rotenberg spoke about the plans for the future:

- Arkady, the 2015/2016 season has finished. What next?

- We are working in the same direction. On the 22nd of April at the Russian Federation president's council, ice hockey was the main event for the first time. The main vectors of Russian ice hockey's development have been created.

-  What are they?

- We have been talking about them all season. First of all, it concerns grassroots ice hockey. The federation has now been given the lead role, and this comes with a lot of responsibility for us. On the 31st of May, all men's national team head coaches came together, and we spoke about players' training, and also about how to train coaches. Thankfully, everyone thinks the same way, and with such a mentality, we will get the results quicker.

- Can you say anything about the possiblity of Oleg Znarok working in a club at the same time as managing the national team?

- I think that a coach should be working every day. SKA Saint Petersburg are without a coach, and nearly all other teams have strong coaches. SKA have the chance to hire a very strong coach, and he has the desire to work. Oleg has the strength to work in a club and with the national team at the same time.

- What do you think about VHL clubs asking the Ministry of Sports to ask them to return the rights of holding the championship?

- This decision was taken at the highest level. The rights to hold the VHL now fully belong to the federation. The RIHF can't let one of the biggest all Russian tournaments lose its control, however not much will change for the clubs: the NP VHL will continue to run the competition just like before. The RIHF's task is to make sure that the VHL will move in the required direction as to help our development.

- At the council, it was decided that the issue of refereeing will move under the RIHF's jurisdiction.

- Ice hockey referees are a fundamental part of the game, just like coaches and players. If we won't develop the refeering, ice hockey itself won't move forward either. The federation plans to improve their education and work with the academies. The system of producing qualified referees should be united, and the work of inspectors will also be managed by the RIHF. 

- In line with these changes, have there been any disputes with the league? 

- No, and there won't be. We have mutual understanding with the KHL on all issues. We all want the same thing: to develop and popularize Russian ice hockey.

- The Finnish, Swedish, American and Canadian training programmes have been praised. On the other hand, we will need some years to see the fruits of our work.

- Let's put it straight: all of the main ice hockey countries have systems that work well, but they have used some of the methods which the Soviet national team used. However, in the 1990's our federation was just trying to find money to keep going. We lost time during this period. Right now, we are working over this process, and success will come to us.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation