"We can count on good results": Ivy about the composition of the Russian national hockey team, the MFM favorites and the match with Canada

- You were surprised by the composition of the Russian national team at the World Youth Championship?

- The team was called hockey players, who showed themselves during the preparation for the tournament, and also successfully performed in the domestic championship. There are no special questions about candidates.

- At the same time, there are only four players in North America in its composition. Why did Valery Bragin bet on the representatives of the domestic championship?

- Apparently, the head coach believes that at the moment they are superior in class with their colleagues from North America. You must understand that the mentor has his own vision of the team. Speaking in overseas leagues, players acquire certain qualities that can meet the requirements of a specialist or go against them.

- Literally at the last moment, it was decided that Bayer-Como Drakkar hockey player Ivan Chekhovich would not be included in the team. Commenting on this, the player declared that his language is his enemy. Do you think there was a conflict between him and Bragin?

- It is difficult to assume what Chekhovich meant. With regard to his misses in the composition, the coaching staff gave preference to other players, which is not something special. Apparently, Ivan did not match the tasks that Bragin poses for his charges.

- Also, Andrei Svechnikov will not be able to speak at the World Championships. How serious is the loss for the team?

- The absence of any bright player is not the good news. But Canada and the United States will also not have optimal compositions. At the tournament, we definitely will not see those young players who already show themselves in the NHL.

- Is there a hockey player in the team who can adequately replace Svechnikov?

- It is impossible to find an absolutely full replacement. Any hockey player is individual and has an exceptional skill set. So is the case with Svechnikov. But I think that there is no catastrophe because of his absence in the team. Coaches will be able to rebuild the game to level this loss.

- Who can now be called the leader of the Russian national team?

- We have a very smooth team, which perfectly demonstrated the last trip to Canada. Of course, one cannot say that in the current team there are players who stand out from the rest. There are no such talents in it, like Evgeni Malkin or Evgeni Kuznetsov.

- Lack of talent puts an end to successful performance at the World Championships?

- No, the team corresponds to the level of the tournament. I think we can expect quite good results.

- In the light of success in the Super Series, can the Russian team be called the main favorite of the youth world championship?

- This tournament was a good platform for viewing candidates in the team, but it in no way affected the alignment of forces on the eve of the world championship. The best young players from North America, Scandinavia and Europe will come to the World Cup, it will be a completely different level.

- As part of the Super Series, did the Russian team meet with weak teams?

- It is necessary to understand that during this tournament the Russian national team played with the squad, which is 80–90% main. She was confronted by teams of regions and provinces, which in their class are much inferior to the majority of participants in the World Cup.

- Who do you consider the main favorites of the tournament?

- I think the fight for the trophy will unfold between the six giants of hockey - Canada, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic. Maybe someone else will join this party. Hockey is a fairly conservative sport. New leaders did not appear in it, the main contenders have long been known.

- At the adult world championships hockey players from Switzerland won silver medals. Are they able to repeat this achievement in the youth championship?

- Swiss hockey is progressing quite rapidly. From them, as from the Danes, you can expect all sorts of surprises. In recent times, European teams perform very well at international competitions.

- The fact that the Russian team fell into the same group with Canada - plus or minus?

- Rivals in the group are determined by the results of last year's World Cup. So the teams do not choose their opponents. If the team claims to be in high places, it should be absolutely no matter at what stage it meets with the strongest.

- At the same time, the well-known Canadian expert Craig Button expressed the opinion that the national teams of Russia and Canada will meet in the final. Do you believe in a similar outcome?

- Very rarely two teams from the same subgroup meet in the final. But why not?

- At the same time on the eve of the tournament Bragin's wards were successively behind the Swedes and the Americans. This suggests that the Russian team is inferior to its direct competitors?

- Any result is a topic for analysis. But it should be noted that these were only preparatory meetings. They are held to indicate the team in its weaknesses. Such defeats give an idea of ​​the direction in which the coaching staff needs to work.

- The former head coach of the main team, now Oleg Znarok, a consultant, went to Canada with the youth team of Russia. How will his presence affect the team?

- Surely Bragin and Znarok are consulting on a number of issues. But the head coach is still a more significant figure for the team than a consultant.

- For North Americans, the main holiday is Catholic Christmas, while Russians have New Year in the first place. Will the national team players be able to please their compatriots and beat the Canadians on the night of January 1?

- When you are at the World Championships, you no longer think about this holiday. I think all thoughts of the guys will be about the game, not about the New Year.