“We must give all our best to give hope”: Larionov on the isolation of Russian hockey and work at Torpedo

- You are one of the most titled hockey players in history - you have repeatedly won the Olympic Games and World Championships, taken the Stanley Cup three times.

Let me start with the trophies.

I won everything except for the Gagarin Cup.

This team just lacks this prize.

Obviously, my decision to come to Nizhny Novgorod and become a Torpedo coach is connected with the traditions of the club, its history, as well as with the legendary hockey players who defended its colors at different times, starting from its foundation in 1946.

This city reminds me of Detroit in a way: the auto industry, the blue-collar workers, the loving fans.

This is a young team.

I would say that a lot of effort will be required for the success of such a project.

We have talented guys who have gone unnoticed in recent years.

We are now trying not to acquire recruits, but to develop those who we have.

We are trying to create a club that can compete with the KHL giants and bring the won trophies to Nizhny Novgorod.

- You said that hockey attracts people to the stands, like a theatrical production with good actors.

- If you want to go global and attract the younger generation of fans, you need to do something special for them.

We need to develop athletes, improve the game itself.

Try to make it as involved as possible, so that the whole family can watch it with pleasure.

As I tell my wards: “What are they doing on the piano?

Do they work?

No, they are playing.

Do they come to work in hockey?

No, they play hockey too.”

The main thing here is creativity, values.

They are listed on our wall: ambition, responsibility, creativity, unity, aspiration.

The main thing is the team, joint success.

So that everyone has complete self-giving.

Here's what we want to build.

This will take some time, but we do not intend to delay too much.

Due to the current situation in the world, this season is getting kind of experimental.

We try to work out all the details to get a good result.

- As I understand it, the ideas and principles of Stoicism are close to you.

Is this the right way to think about what's going on in the world right now and how it helps build a team?

— That's how it was intended... To remind the guys that we are part of this or that situation in the world.

A lot of people across the country are watching the "Torpedo".

And what can we do?

Play.

Hockey players should give all the best to give hope.

A certain kind of diplomacy can also take place on the ice, it can bring joy and delight.

Surprise us coaches with great goals and assists, great performances and courage.

That is the intention.

To rally the team, its representatives, to have a goal in front of you and move towards it within the framework of a long, marathon season.

- What is hockey

“For me, this is the top priority.

Athletes with high IQs understand how to stay balanced during a match, when victory is at stake, and make instant and correct decisions.

All this is very important.

And we try to practice certain exercises during training.

When you're short on time and have a limited shooting area, you need to anticipate your next move.

So this is a key skill.

Great athletes differ from good ones in that one has an extremely high hockey IQ, he is unpredictable ... This is what takes it to a new level.

And the fans then get the opportunity to appreciate those small details that can increase the chances of success.

- You were part of the famous "red car".

The name itself suggests that all its representatives worked together to win.

as a single mechanism.

And now we live in the era of superstars such as Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby.

What is more interesting for you: to create a team that works as a whole, or to nurture a top performer who is ready to “drag” partners on himself?

- I would say that separate, bright personalities who are able to "make a difference" are necessary.

But the main goal is for them to work as a team.

We told the guys: "We have the number one star - this is the team."

Based on my own experience, I can say that when there are high-class hockey players with a high IQ, and they have established interaction with partners, this greatly increases the chances of winning.

And this is what we do in our club: we want to have good chemistry between high-class players and those whom we consider promising.

We have young guys who are just taking their first steps towards this understanding of the game.

You can't rush here, you have to be patient and overcome mistakes.

But when you see how young hockey players show great results, you need to encourage them so that they continue to continue in the same spirit.

- With this in mind, how do Torpedo go to the process of forming the composition and searching for recruits?

- Of course, you have statistics and information from scouts, but a person needs to be seen in action.

I want to see what he can bring to the team.

What new element can bring in training or in a match.

If you see that the player acts quickly, competently, then you can get more from him.

To do this, you need to give him a little freedom, allowing him to "fill the bumps."

Sometimes there will be mistakes, loss of the puck.

But young children need a place for self-expression, they need to be given such an opportunity.

- How much for

- He needs to understand that he is welcome, to feel comfortable.

After all, usually young people are somewhat shy.

If you see talent, you need to surround it with the right people.

It is very important that there are partners with experience who are ready to help.

The coach can speak, direct, give all kinds of advice.

But at the same time, skillful teammates are needed nearby - on the ice, on the bench, in the locker room.

This is where it is important to form the right environment.

Because it is beneficial for young people when there are veterans who have been in sports for many years, who can teach something, show some elements.

- Hockey is a very tough sport, and in order to perform at a high level, you need to be in perfect physical shape.

But is it possible for people with “alternative” abilities to prove themselves?

- It is very difficult to answer this question, but, in my opinion, sport should be accessible to everyone: girls, boys, people with disabilities.

Hockey gives a person joy, some expectations, inspiration.

Take schoolchildren or even adult amateur players.

When you come to the ice after work, it's like psychotherapy.

It helps to put aside worries and just have fun.

- Now we live in incredibly politically biased times, when politics affects athletes.

In your opinion, is this a problem and what should be done to overcome it?

“You can look at this situation from different angles.

Right now we can't really do anything.

We just play hockey.

In a situation where you find yourself isolated from international sports, you still have to do what you do best.

You can still enjoy the game, develop, work on different moments and, at the same time, hope that sooner or later everything will return to normal and we will return.

At every meeting we have full stands of fans.

5.5 thousand people come to the arena to enjoy hockey and forget about the problems, about everything that happens outside of this building.

And we must live up to their expectations.

As in the case of any artist on the stage of the theater: we do not know what is happening behind the scenes.

But what really matters is what happens on stage.

So I told the guys: “Go on the ice and show everything you can do.

Give hope and joy to everyone who came to see you.”