Reaction after the second game of the Liga Stavok National Team Tour

Roman Rotenberg and Mikhail Ilyin shared their emotions after the second match of the 2025 Liga Stavok National Team Tour.

Russia 25 head coach Roman Rotenberg:

"This was our second match in less than 24 hours? I think that the tournament's organisers took into account that we have a strong team and planned the schedule in favour of the host nation. Nevertheless, I would like to thank our players for their performance today. We aren't going to search for any excuses! Physically, we did everything possible. I liked how we played in the third period, we showed character and had chances to equalise.

"Every match with Belarus is challenging, they have a really strong squad with players who are leading figures in the KHL. We will now prepare for our upcoming games against the same opponents in Tolyatti, where we want to achieve success. The strength of this Belarusian team? We saw just how good they are when the Channel One Cup took place in December."

Russia 25 forward Mikhail Ilyin:

"It wasn't the best game for us. Belarus immediately took control of the match, they displayed their brand of ice hockey and we presented them with too much space. The Belarusians controlled the puck for long periods and subsequently scored goals.

"My first match for Russia 25? It's great to play alongside such great players! I initially felt a bit tense, but the nerves disappeared after the first frame."