Roman Rotenberg speaks after defeating the KHL World Team

Head coach of Russia 25 Roman Rotenberg shared his emotions after beating the KHL World Team in the first match of the 2024 Channel One Cup.

Russia 25 head coach Roman Rotenberg:

"We had prepared excellently for this game. Across the days leading up to the competition, we had been working on creating a group which is capable of representing the Russian national team with an ideal atmosphere. Of course, it was easier for the guys who played at the Channel One Cup last year, but it has to be said that we made a lot of adjustments in comparison to the 2023 tournament. Our effective communication allowed us to emerge victorious.

"I want to note the strength of the opponents too with their coach Mike Keenan, it was an honour to compete against him. I remember that in 1994, when I was a small boy, I watched Keenan coach the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup final. He's had a really successful career, and I'm grateful to him for travelling to Russia to participate in this competition. He is helping to promote ice hockey and develop the sport in Russia. It speaks volumes about his dedication to the game, despite the challenging times which we are going through.

"To be honest, we should have scored around four or five goals during the first period alone, but Mike Smith was fantastic in net for the opponents. In the first intermission, we spoke with the guys about how we can beat Smith with our shots. At the other end, Ilya Nabokov also made some big saves for us, the opponents also created some promising chances on the counter-attack.

"I liked how we dominated the play, made excellent passes and created plenty of opportunities. We now have to prepare for our next game on Saturday, it will be a lot more challenging for us."