Roman Chernyavsky
Today is another bad day in Russian hockey. Today, the raider takeover of the Major Hockey League has officially become a fact. Do not think that we are talking about some kind of struggle of systems or views on the development of hockey. The reason - like any such phenomenon in any other area of ​​\u200b\u200blife - is money. It's just that someone needed contributions from the clubs that made up the VHL budget a little more. But this post is about something else. I worked with the VHL team for several years, from the very first Russian Classics in Krasnoyarsk. And the most important conclusion that I made was that German Skoropupov managed to gather hard workers in his team. Guys who do, not talk.

Any work is determined by the result. If hockey players have medals, then in any league the most important result is the fans. Over the six HSE seasons - and what do you remember about HSE until 2010 - attendance has grown. We journalists generally underestimate and do not understand the importance of hockey in the regions. What do you know about how people go to hockey in Orsk or Angarsk, or even in Tver close to Moscow. I worked in hockey journalism for 6 years and didn’t know shit about it until I drove around the cities where VHL clubs play. Yes, simple, but unsightly, but without gloss, but provincial. But all this is real. If Rostov manages to sell all the tickets to the stadium, and the central sectors cost from 800 rubles for a match with Smolensk Slavutich, then why do 1,000 people go to the match between Vityaz and Afinogenov in Podolsk. Can you imagine the difference between Maxim Afinogenov and some Vasily Myakinin from the VHL-B. A whole stadium goes to Myakinin, and 1000 people go to Afinogenov. Hockey in Russia - it's in the regions - and not on a glossy picture from Match TV or a red cover of a booklet with a Red car.

A separate story in the VHL for me is "Russian Classics". This is generally the best thing that has happened in Russian hockey in recent years. This is the level of organization of the event, to which Dmitry Chernyshenko with all his managerial "talent" will never reach. For whatever the team of the president of the KHL will undertake, it does not turn out very well. And more often it doesn’t work at all, as was the case with the matches in China. "Russian Classics" is also an experience of earning money with minimal investment. The last Russian classic in the VHL went to zero. Have you tried to make money on a Major Hockey League match? It's very difficult. And the next one, I'm sure, would bring profit to the VHL. But she won't. If you think that someone in the FHR will conduct Russian classics, you should not think so.
In general, any organization is people. And the tower was lucky with people. Starting from the managing director and ending with the driver. It was beautiful time in my life when you work with professionals. With real, and not imagining who knows what, know-it-alls. In my hockey life, this will probably not happen for a long time. Many thanks to them - German Skoropupov, Nikolai Karpovich, Sergey Mozhaev and everyone. Just for the opportunity to enjoy work. Do something good and useful and enjoy it. And thank you for bringing these people into my life. They are cool.

Well, the last. About dignity. You know, when something that you invested time, money and soul in is taken away from you, it is almost always a matter of choice. I know that the guys from the VHL and German Viktorovich had a choice - to fight for themselves and their team, or stay. With fewer opportunities, I would even say with greater impossibilities - with the impossibility of doing their job the way they think is right. They made their choice - a very difficult choice, you know. And this is another reason to be proud that I know such people. There are not so many people who prefer their own dignity and their own principles to warm and cozy places. We just don't get it right now. And I will be proud of them.

Last week, increased security measures were taken at the Yubileiny Sports Palace in Tver before the match between Dynamo and Toros. An hour before the start of the game, all the premises of the sports complex were inspected by patrolmen with service dogs for explosives. All exits to the ice arena were blocked by vigilant guards, by whom even a fly would not fly by without special permission. Such a commotion was caused by the arrival of the managing director of the Higher Hockey League German Skoropupov to the match. After the end of the meeting, the VHL chief manager agreed to an exclusive interview for TJ.

- German Viktorovich, tell us, for what purpose did you come to Tver?

- In general, with the inspection. It was necessary to see on the spot how the management of Dynamo took into account all the previous remarks of the VHL and corrected their shortcomings in terms of organizing home matches.

– And what is the result?

- It can be said that it is satisfactory. Certain bugs have been fixed. But work with fans to attract spectators to VHL matches in Tver is still very weak. There are not even programs for games, posters - this, of course, is a serious minus. At the same time, I understand that the situation with Dynamo is unique in its way: it is the only domestic hockey club, which contains three teams at once - KHL, VHL and MHL. Apparently, while all the attention of the management of this united club is focused on promotion main team playing in the Continental Hockey League championship. For VHL current season largely transitional - the clubs still have time to correct all the shortcomings.

- Doesn't it surprise you that Dynamo Tver is now performing so poorly in the championship of the Major Hockey League?

- I would not be in a hurry to give such categorical assessments. Even in today's match with one of the leaders, Toros, Dynamo played virtually on an equal footing. And the intrigue in this match lasted until the final siren. So hockey was quite interesting. Another thing is that Dynamo is perhaps the youngest team in the league in terms of the average age of the players. Therefore, somewhere they lack experience in order to turn the tide of the game in their favor in an equal situation and keep the gained advantage. And experience, as you know, is a matter of time. So for Dynamo in the VHL, I think everything will be fine. Moreover, one of the tasks of our league was to create a springboard for young talented players, from which they will have the opportunity to start to professional heights.

- Maybe there are other teams in the league, besides Dynamo, that surprised you?

- I'm not the first year in hockey. And frankly, I will say that there are no such teams. Speaking of current leaders league tables everything here is pretty predictable. For example, the Tyumen "Rubin" last season aimed at reaching the Continental League. "Wings of the Soviets" is one of the brands of domestic hockey. And after solving intra-club problems, we can say that this team is in the process of revival. At least, the Wings have already found their signature hockey.

- Three months from the start of the first season of the Major Hockey League, of course, is a short enough time to sum up some results. And yet I can't help but ask: in your opinion, is the project of creating the VHL already justifying itself?

- My opinion on this issue, of course, will be very, very subjective. Therefore, I will refer to the opinion of the leaders of most of the VHL clubs with whom I recently met. All of them unanimously claim that the competitions of the Major Hockey League and the previous major league are heaven and earth. In terms of organization, attractiveness for fans, interaction with the media and many other components, a huge step forward has been made. The most obvious confirmation of these words is a significant increase in the attendance of championship matches. Our fan has already managed to appreciate the advantage of the updated championship, and he liked all these changes. And hockey players have become much more interesting to play. Increased their motivation to show good hockey and improve your personal statistics.

- At the same time, the VHL is only at the beginning of the journey.

- Yes, so far we have only created a structure, built a full-fledged vertical: MHL - VHL - KHL. Now we have to build this structure, as they say, with meat. There is still a lot of work, of course. Once again, I was convinced of this in Tver. One of the promising tasks is the release of VHL matches on the television screen. And the first step in this direction has already been taken. Just the current rival of "Dynamo" - "Toros" has recently signed a contract for the broadcasting of their home matches.

- I wonder if in the future we will be able to see TV broadcasting of home matches of Dynamo Tver?

- This is a question for the management of the club, not for me. Nothing is impossible here, there would be a desire.

- Another question that worries the majority of Tver hockey fans. How real is the exit to the VHL THC?

- Of course, we would love to see such an original and popular team as the Tver Hockey Club in our league. However, our desire alone is not enough. Everything here depends on the founders of THC, in this case, on the administrations of the region and the city of Tver. In this situation, when almost the entire spectrum of domestic hockey is already represented in your city – from the FHR and MHL championships to the VHL championship – I don’t know how expedient the creation of another Major League team will be.

This summer, Toros was waiting for a long-awaited gift. At the Ice Palace, a sports and recreation center was built here - the so-called "land" for training hockey players outside the ice.

Inside there are two floors and everything you need for training and new victories - a large hall for mini-football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, two gyms comfortable locker rooms. All this was presented to Toros by the club's general partner, the URAL Charitable Foundation. In the spring, at the awarding of "Toros" with gold medals, Chairman of the Council of the Foundation Murtaza Rakhimov said that the plans include the creation of another ice for hockey players. The fact is that Neftekamsk, which has become a real hockey city it became obvious that it was crowded in the Ice Palace - in addition to Toros, a children's sport school and "Batyr".

Next year next to ice palace an indoor training rink will appear with artificial ice. There will be six dressing rooms and technical rooms on the first floor. On the second - spectator seats and an administrative block. A transition will appear between the building and the existing arena. A feature of the children's arena will be the ability to vary the size of the site for "European" and "Canadian" sizes, modern equipment of the boards.

What is important is that the green zone will not be affected during construction. According to the designers, the landing will be preserved. It is planned that an indoor skating rink will appear in Neftekamsk in August 2013. The URAL Charitable Foundation allocated 207 million rubles for this project. The project is completely ready, construction will begin when all permits are given.

VHL Managing Director German Skoropupov inspected the new FOC and the project of the future indoor ice rink:

- German Viktorovich, could you share your impressions of the presentation of the future indoor ice rink?
- What impressions can there be when everything is done for the development of our sport? Everything is being done to ensure that our youth from the yards goes to athletic facilities. Thank you very much to those who are behind this. Children are our future.

Not so long ago, the Supreme hockey league signed a cooperation agreement with the URAL Charitable Foundation. What does this mean for the league?
- We are planning a lot of our own projects. This is our third season and we cannot stand still, we need to move forward. We do not want to repeat the projects of the NHL and KHL. Our league has its own face. The Fund's participation will help us implement projects that will help bring the VHL to a new level even faster and with better quality. We have a mutually beneficial relationship. I am very grateful to Murtaza Gubaidullovich Rakhimov, who is not indifferent to the life of not only the republic, but the whole country, who wholeheartedly cares about the health of the nation and the development of sports.

Today in St. Petersburg will be the closing ceremony of the third season of the VHL. On the eve of the managing director of the league in an interview with "SE" shared his impressions of the last championship and future plans.

League progresses

The season turned out well, German Viktorovich?

It cannot be said that we fulfilled everything planned, that we absolutely avoided shortcomings, but on the whole the season was a success, this cannot be denied. In general, over the past three years, the league has made significant progress in many areas, and is developing at a rapid pace.

And the final series of seven matches became the quintessence of the completed season. It turned out to be so valid, so uncompromising, intriguing and very informative.

I must say that we did not fail with the clubs that were accepted into the league last year. Their results speak for themselves. Two teams, as they say, "from the wheels" generally exceeded expectations. The Karaganda team became the winners of the regular championship and played in the finals of the Bratina draw, while the Voronezh team won silver medals.

In general, a not very successful autumn for potential favorites and a daring spurt of newcomers from the start gave the tournament the necessary impetus. Yes, a lot fell into place by the finish line, but there were some surprises. A modest representative from Volzhsk, for example, knocked out Orsk and the ambitious Tyumen from the cup race. Voronezh "Buran" got in the way of "Locomotive" and defeated "Sputnik". And "Saryarka" interrupted its crazy flight to the dream: the Kazakhstani club lacked just a little to the trophy, which was kept by the current owner.

The repeated success of "Toros" is not accidental. At the beginning of the season, the team has undergone significant changes, and it seemed unlikely to hold on to the positions they had won. But those who thought so were mistaken. The system of development of hockey in Bashkortostan, built over decades, has proven its effectiveness. Thanks to the skilful work of the Neftekamsk leadership and Ruslan Suleymanov's coaching skills, we have seen a new scattering of talented young people who, I am sure, will be in demand in the KHL market this summer. And the fact that our "workshops" began to produce a quality product is one of the main achievements of the league.

What made me happy besides sports achievements?

We have made a lot of progress in broadcasting matches. Games of the past season were shown on the Internet in full. Now in any corner of the planet you can witness the confrontation between the VHL teams. This is a great achievement, we are the only one sports organization on the territory of the post-Soviet space, which organized live broadcasts of all championship games. The implementation of this project demonstrated the unity of our teams in marketing matters, their desire to make the league brighter and more attractive.

In general, many thanks to the clubs that at first were skeptical of our idea - the costs are considerable - and now they thank us for insisting, and in the end, everything worked out for everyone, and everyone is happy.

Now we have reached the point where we can sell broadcasts. In such a way that the clubs earn on them. The League has found a company that is ready to buy this or that broadcast. Based on the quality of the "picture" and other factors, she finds the matches she needs and pays for the opportunity to broadcast to the club that organizes it. Accordingly, this way you can recover the cost of good video equipment. And the leaders of the club, which failed to interest the buyer, begin to think: "Are we worse?" And they are trying to catch up with their colleagues who have pulled ahead. This stimulates many people, makes them work on the quality of the broadcast - after all, the invested funds will return later. What affects the overall level.

We will not copy the KHL

What else should league clubs strive for?

They should not only want, but also learn to earn. The league's policy is to ensure that club revenues grow. Every year, attention to the VHL increases, which allows it to become interesting for investors. This season, for the first time, we have a general partner - the URAL charitable foundation, headed by the first president of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Murtaza Rakhimov. Other sponsors and partners also come to us, the number of which, I hope, will only increase. Serious businessmen became interested in hockey and began to understand that in the future they could earn money on it. Such an interest should be developed.

The season before last, among other things, was remembered by "Russian Classics", last year it was planned to hold VHL match on the deck of an aircraft carrier...

This game is our dream. And dreams, like goals, must be great, on the verge of touch. The implementation of this project is a long-term perspective. Now it is more correct to talk about the nearest future.

Our urgent tasks still include the annual organization of "Russian Classics" - an open-air match of the VHL regular season. But here's what to consider. The league itself will not hold such a large-scale event, the interest of a particular region is needed. And mount on the football field hockey box not difficult.

We also strive to "cut through" a window to Europe, to hold a series of exhibition meetings with teams from the Old World. They also wanted to hold them with rivals from across the ocean, met with the leaders of the AHL, discussed this possibility, but the lockout in the NHL prevented it. However, we do not abandon this idea.

There are ideas for the All-Star Game. We are not going to copy the KHL, because the stars of the older colleague are brighter, therefore the traditional format suits him, but not us. You don't want to be in the shadow of the KHL All-Star Game.

We are working on other options. For example, like this. Our partners, sponsors, who by and large also compete, take turns recruiting players - and it turns out a duel between the teams playing under the names of these sponsors. Or one of the rivals in the match of stars will be "SPORT-EXPRESS" - and you yourself will choose the players you need in your squad.

- The success of the league proves the fact of interest in it from the regions and other countries. Soon there will be no place for those who wish, and the question of restructuring the championship system will arise.

In the VHL, the clubs have the last word, and it is up to them to decide how many teams and according to what rules to play. Our task is to monitor the implementation of the hockey constitution - the championship regulations, as well as to raise the level of organization of the tournament. Nevertheless, we are well aware that more than thirty guests under the roof of our house are unlikely to fit. But in this situation, I assure you, we definitely will not act on the principle of "who is stronger is right." Therefore, we will have to part with those who do not keep their word and do not fulfill their obligations.

As for the structure of the championship, in my opinion, this season it was optimal. Clubs agree with this.

"Youth" did not act in a sporting way

He does not keep his word and does not fulfill his obligations - are you talking about teams that will not acquire new ones in any way ice arenas?

You know, we have been dealing with this issue since the establishment of the VHL. But the legacy we inherited, to put it mildly, is dilapidated. Immediately demand from all new palaces - such, for example, as in Penza or Krasnoyarsk - is unrealistic. In our regulations, it is written that starting from 2015, the requirements for arenas will become tougher. But the minimum capacity of 5.5 thousand people is all conditional. Why, for example, does "Toros" need such a large palace, if Neftekamsk has just over 100,000 inhabitants? So each club, each city has an individual approach. Tough asking and eventually kicking out teams that do not fully follow the rules means losing hockey in these regions.

However, we are not standing still on this issue. In the near future we will carry out monitoring, although we are constantly doing it, then we will offer the clubs to improve their infrastructure, put before them real terms. We will identify clubs that do not improve infrastructure, do not modernize arenas, but pay attention only to the team. You can not do it this way! Someone apart from the team spends money on infrastructure, providing high-quality TV broadcasting, generally develops hockey in the region, and someone just put together a team, showed up for the championship and wins. Everyone should be on an equal footing, and everyone should have good palaces. I have no doubt that we will get there.

Answering the previous question, I meant something else. The opening of the last season with a minus sign was Yunost-Minsk. Last year, at the last moment, jumping into the car of a departing train - joining the league, the team at the end of the regular season did not act in a sporting way. The main team began to play in the championship of Belarus, and youth played in the VHL. This is just disrespectful to the participants of the tournament. It turns out that "Youth" took points from someone, and gave them to someone.

The Belarusian club will not take part in our championship next season. For certain reasons, he decided to leave the VHL Lokomotiv. There are two teams in Yaroslavl - in the KHL and MHL. The presence of the third leaders considered inappropriate. This is about losses. And if we talk about replenishment, then at the next general meeting we will consider the issue of participating in the next championship of HC Lipetsk.

There are no teams from Moscow in the VHL. Don't you think that this harms the well-being of the league, since its activities do not affect the interests of the metropolis?

We have another mission - to develop hockey in the regions. For the capital, spoiled by a large selection of sports and entertainment events, three KHL club more than enough. Our eyes are turned towards the Moscow region: Balashikha, Klin - these are our territories, areas of close attention. Although, if “Wings of the Soviets” appear in the composition of the championship participants, I will only be glad. We do our best to help you get back to big hockey an illustrious team that can become the hallmark of any tournament.

Our system is correct

Recently hockey Russia discussed the transfer of Traktor striker Valery Nichushkin to Dynamo. Chelyabinsk fans were indignant. Can the VHL avoid such controversial situations?

What exactly is the controversy? "Tractor" received a lucrative offer, to which he agreed. On the contrary, I am glad that Nichushkin and Karpov, who came from the VHL, deserve so much attention to their personalities. If the players managed to significantly increase their value over the year, it means that they were treated correctly in the VHL.

Another thing is that money should not be a determining factor in choosing club preferences and the league should strive to create equal conditions for everyone. So that teams do not appear that want to achieve everything at once and without forward movement to the goal, "blow up" the transfer market. VHL clubs should rely on the pupils of their own school, and not spend money on high-profile acquisitions. Moreover, we have enough teams with a rich history, their own hockey style, which has been formed over decades.

Nonetheless best players The VHL, which form the league's signature, eventually end up in the KHL ...

This is logical, natural and natural. If people from the VHL are in demand among teams from the top championships, then we are moving to right direction, and the system for training a professional hockey player in Russia is built correctly and works effectively. I am glad when players from the VHL not only move to promotion, but also play for more high level notable roles. Sopin and Shibaev, Nichushkin and Karpov, Dugin and Yezhov. This list goes on. The only thing I would like to change in our relationship with the KHL is to achieve equality in the junior draft. I am convinced that VHL clubs should have the right to at least protect their young players.

What are you looking forward to next season?

Former President of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch at the closing of each of the Olympics said that she was the best in history. And he was right - the organizers of the Games constantly amazed us with something, fascinated, surprised us. The Major Hockey League also strives to surprise, break stereotypes, act inventively and brightly.

And next season will be unique. Promise.

Visit to Minsk of the Managing Director of the VHLGermana SKOROPUPOV - an event that in itself deserves journalistic attention. If only because the one-year stay in this league of Minsk “Youth” in the 2012/13 season left a feeling of understatement, the continuation of cooperation is still sinful of uncertainty.

And if you remember that at one time German Viktorovich was directly related to Belarusian hockey, heading the administrative headquarters of Dynamo, the conversation promised to become even more interesting. Therefore, starting the conversation with the purpose of the guest's visit to Minsk, later we talked about a lot.

"It's been a while since we've seen you in our area. Hence the logical question: by what fate?
- On the eve of the World Cup, it was a sin not to get acquainted with the new arena. I only saw how it was built. And after they began to hold matches at Chizhovka, the earth began to be filled with rumors, and more and more in enthusiastic tones. Therefore, I arrived in Minsk to see everything with my own eyes. I want to learn something useful, so that later I can pass it on to the leaders of the VHL clubs, governors.
What can I say: every club in the league can envy such a structure. And not only the VHL, but some - the KHL. If we proceed from the fact that hockey should be a business, then modern arenas are an integral part of it. As you know, any product requires an appropriate wrapper in order to be in demand with the buyer. In our case, the fan.
There is another purpose of the visit - to clarify the prospects for the participation of "Youth" in our project.

There have been a lot of delights following the results of visiting the Chizhovka Arena lately. But, perhaps, your eyes noticed some flaws?
- It doesn't happen without them. The question is how they are treated, perceived comments and, ultimately, what is done to eliminate them, if possible. Although here I would not talk so much about shortcomings, but about some rough edges. You walked with us through the arena, you saw what attention was drawn to. For example, VIP boxes do not have a separate entrance - everyone has a common corridor.
True, the main examiners of the arena will still be spectators. In the end, they are the main guests who evaluate how much they enjoy watching hockey here, listening to a concert or attending some other event, and whether they even want to come back here. No public praise and reports of responsible persons will be more objective than this assessment. But I can't help but note that I really liked the locker rooms of the complex. It seems that they have no minuses - only pluses that should be adopted by others. Everything is functional and accounted for right down to the doors.

- In sense "to doors"?
- And this is a problem of many stadiums: the doors are often located in such a way and have such openings that it is very problematic for a goalkeeper in ammunition to squeeze through them. And at Chizhovka, from a hockey point of view, everything is fine: teams and referees are separated, there is a separate entrance, there are enough rooms for various profiles. This is very rare. Unfortunately, this is more the exception than the rule. If Yunost resumes playing in the VHL at such an arena, a world-class facility will appear in the league. We had such a palace only at Lokomotiv. After the well-known tragic events, the Yaroslavl players joined our league, and this gave a powerful impetus to its development. Already because, coming to Yaroslavl, other clubs saw how to organize the business. They had a visual aid.

You mentioned that another purpose of the visit is to clarify the issue of the prospects for the return of the Belarusian club to the VHL...
- To begin with, it is worth emphasizing that legally “Youth” did not leave the league. The Club is still its member, takes part in joint meetings, meetings and other official and informal events. In general, he continues to be part of our family, only without playing in the current championship.
But I have not come now to demand an immediate answer to the yes or no question. Everyone understands that today all the forces of Belarus are aimed primarily at holding the World Cup in Minsk at a decent level, and only after it can some certainty appear. Nevertheless, at least sketches can be done now. What - while it is difficult to say. But it is worth probing the question on the spot.

Try to forget for a few minutes that you are the managing director of the VHL, and talk like a person who is not a stranger to Belarusian hockey. Does Belarus need this project?
- The question is not easy. I have to not only forget that I work in Moscow, but also imagine myself in the chair, for example, the chairman of the ice hockey federation or the minister of sports of Belarus. Keep up to date with the developments in Belarusian hockey. Still, during my work at Dynamo Minsk, the conditions were somewhat different than today.
I am convinced that you deserve more, but you need to be clear about what you want. Belarus is not Ukraine or Kazakhstan, there is more hockey here. I am talking about the infrastructure that has been created, and, finally, about the fact that the first person of the state is fond of our sport. I'm sure he is no less than all the fans, it's a shame when the team loses in the KHL. But how can she not lose?
Therefore, you need to understand why Dynamo is participating in an international project. But, if it continues to perform, I think it is necessary to have a VHLovsky “farm”. At least so that there is no big gap between the “bison” and the rest of the Belarusian teams. Our league is trying to act as a bridge. It is clear that the level of its performers is basically lower than that of the KHL. But enough to keep the hockey players of the “senior” league from relaxing. Our players constantly breathe down his back and often perform well in the higher leagues. Only talents like Kuznetsov make their way directly from the MHL to the KHL, but they also get into the NHL quickly. For the rest of their peers, getting into the VHL in adult hockey is very useful.
Although the Belarusians have another way: membership in international leagues is terminated, everything is closed at the national championship. But inside such a system, everything is built very correctly and competently from initial training groups to top clubs extra league and national team. Which path to choose is up to you. If you remember, at one time I was an opponent of Dynamo's campaign in the KHL. He thought it was extremely unwise to go unprepared. And the team did not have clear goals and a unified position regarding the recruitment of the team - sheer shyness and uncertainty about priorities. In short, in 2008 the Belarusians were not ready to go to the KHL.

- It seems that even after five years, it's still not quite.
- Let the experts who are now working here determine this. Yes, from rivalry with strong clubs there is definitely a benefit. And they, I know, are happy to come to your very hockey country. However, you want not only image, but also sports pluses, right? For the national team to perform much better on the world stage than in recent years. I repeat, in my deep conviction, Belarus deserves it. And here for this there is everything.

A little over a year ago, I remember, you failed the idea put forward by the hockey federation to integrate the Belarusian extraleague into the VHL in some form. Why?
- From a sporting point of view, it might be interesting. But, in addition to it, there is also an organizational one. It is practically impossible even legally to integrate the championship of Belarus into the championship of Russia. You, I think, remember that the VHL championship is also an all-Russian competition.

- Of course. And the KHL open championship Russia.
- True, but whole national championships are not integrated into it - only individual clubs. They are completely different formats. Whether we have a completely independent commercial league is another matter.

As far as I know, the personnel plasticity of Yunost before the end of the transfer period last season was ambiguous not only in Belarus, but also in Russia. Are you not afraid of a relapse if the Minskers return to the VHL?
- This time we will have a condition that "Youth" will be able to play in only one championship. And this requirement is not mine, but the league's clubs - all issues are resolved collectively. Yes, legally, the Belarusians did not violate anything then, competently taking advantage of the loopholes provided by the league regulations. But still, it is not very pleasant to start the season with a confrontation with one line-up of the opponent, and finish it with another one.

But such inflexibility of the VHL can be negatively perceived by Minsk. Leave the “Youth” national championship, and he will be left without a capital team at all. Agree, nonsense.
- I understand, but first of all I am obliged to defend the interests of my league. Especially when this is the position adopted by most clubs. The rest is emotions.

- Is it really impossible to find a compromise?
- If some solution is proposed that excludes a repetition of last year's situation, the question may be put differently.

One of the visible problems of the VHL is the extended geography, and the league clubs are still less wealthy than in the KHL. Was there any desire, following the example of the MHL, to minimize costs by dividing the clubs at least at the first stage of the season according to a geographical principle?
- I have always been against this idea. It violates the sporting principle. It is clear that clubs from the densely populated west will travel, figuratively speaking, by tram, while the east will still have to fly. Such a division was popular in the past because of hopelessness and lack of money, when the question was simply that the opponent, God forbid, arrive at an away match. Now the financial situation is still better. So the current equitable scheme, I think, is close to optimal.
That's when we grow up to the point that the league becomes a real business project, starts to make a profit, then it will be possible, as in the NHL, to make up a calendar with a large number of derbies popular with the audience or rating matches for some other reason. Play every other day or at least every day.

Not so long ago I discussed a similar issue with your KHL colleague Alexander Medvedev. And I continue to insist that this will happen no earlier than a fan from the post-Soviet space will be able and willing to shell out a hundred dollars or so for a ticket to a regular season match.
- But this does not mean that such times should be passively expected. It is necessary to develop, to strive at least for payback. We are only taking the first steps. Although the return is already visible. Look at the VHL table: the leader changes almost after every round, hot battles are going on for a place in the playoffs and even the right to be in the top eight, having gained the advantage of their own ice.

In conclusion, let us return to the Belarusian issue. Semi-official and at the level of rumors, intentions to become a member of the VHL were previously expressed by our other clubs, but so far only Yunost has ventured to try. When was there a stir on this issue from others?
- Yes, the movement is fixed constantly. And we do not create any obstacles, we are open to everyone. The principle is simple: desire, infrastructure, guaranteed financial ability and willingness to follow the main principle of the VHL - sports.