A new preparation program has been put into place

Dear friends!

I congratulate you all with the 2018 Olympic Games triumph!

All regions of our country watched the tournament over the course of these weeks and supported the team.

It was great to see the happy faces of our players which made our dream come true. At Sheremetyevo Airport, the fans were so happy to welcome the players home. It's great to feel that we are the champions!

I know that a lot of people were expecting an easy victory against Germany in the final, but we have to give credit to the opponents who beat a lot of top teams during the competition. The Germans used their qualities which managed to beat Sweden and Canada in previous rounds, leading ice hockey countries. Germany stuck to their game plan and had a real chance to win. However, at the crucial moment, our players showed their quality and Russian character.

These medals are a reward for the hard work put in during entire preparation period. A lot went on behind the scenes. The victory proved that everything was done right!

We have been waiting for this victory over the course of a long 26 years! After the thrilling final, a number of young players have not got their own dream. This triumph will help the popularization of ice hockey while assisting increasing the number of players in our country.

Speaking from experience, I know that becoming Olympic champions bring about lots of responsibility. Preparations for May's World Championship have already started. Travelling to Denmark as Olympic gold medalists is a new challenge for us. Nevertheless, our overall goal is to perform well at the 2022 Olympic Games in China. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation have already started developing a new preparation program for the next Olympic tournament.

Vladislav Tretiak,

Russian Ice Hockey Federation President