Vladislav Tretiak: "I will be the first in favour of another Russian Classic"

When ice hockey started out in our country, it was held at a football stadium. Despite the cold, the stadium was always full of fans, and they quickly began to love the sport.

The matches at the Gazprom Arena were a true representation of what a Russian Classic should be. Ice hockey isn't just a sport, it's also a celebration.

In our organsiation, we carefully listen to the fans' interests, because we know that without looking at your mistakes and holding proper analysis you can't move forward. This concerns the game itself, because the coaches have areas which require improvement, and us as organisers of a great celebration of ice hockey.

I saw thousands of fans who had a wonderful experience, and players who responded to their support. All of the things which require improvement will be beter. And, when the question arises if we need another Russian Classic, I will be the first to raise my hand.

In terms of the results, the coaches received a lot of information during this international break. The senior, Olympic and under 17 national teams all finished second at their respective tournaments. They have a lot of work ahead of them.

The under 18 national team players gave us something to celebrate. In the past, our U18 team had never won the World Junior A Challenge, but the fact that they defeated a strong, older Canada side in double overtime in the final speaks volumes. More than anything else, this proves that our chosen system is working. It's great to see how the players are working in accordance to it. This experience will help the guys ahead of the World U18 Championship in 2020.

The female Olympic and junior national teams won their competitions in Sochi and Sweden. Keep it up!

Soon, both the male and female junior teams will participate at their respective World Junior Championships. We wish the teams luck and success!