Ex-coach of the Russian national team: “In Omsk, Avangard and the players’ agent are loudly breaking the dishes”

The former coach of the Russian national hockey team and Ak Bars, Vladimir Plyushchev, gave an interview to the media, where, using the example of Avangard, he spoke about the negative impact of agents in the KHL on hockey itself. According to him, they fit into everything and dictate too much.

Hockey coach and expert Vladimir Plyushchev, at the request of journalists, expressed his opinion about the negotiations of the agent Shumi Babaev on the topic of new contracts for his client-players Sergei Tolchinsky, Vladimir Tkachev and Arseny Gritsyuk with Omsk Avangard. Earlier it was already known that Babayev demands higher salaries for them than before.

IN interview He literally spoke to the Russia-Hockey portal like this:

“In Omsk they beat the dishes loudly, everything gets out in the press. Tkachev, Tolchinsky, Gritsyuk are strong forwards by the standards of the KHL, they all entered the market, they all knock out maximum contracts for themselves. The perfect time for their agents to twist the hands of the Vanguard, which, apparently, is happening.

Who is to blame here? First of all – club leaders. Where there is no built-in system and there are gaps between managers, coaches, players, nimble agents will definitely climb into them. You have to be a hockey pro to understand that. But Omsk, it turns out, does not understand – and every year steps on the same rake. On the fingers of one hand I can count the KHL clubs where such internal disassembly is impossible.”

And he added: in the KHL, some agents know everything – how to train, what kind of hockey to play, by whom, for what money and for how long. The most amazing thing is that they voice all this in the press.

“Funny story! Which in principle is impossible in the NHL – there everyone should do their own thing. I repeat, those managers who are not professionals and who allow this are primarily to blame.

This situation, Plushev stressed, is a big problem for hockey in Russia. It hinders his development.

The specialist told the story of the times when he led the Russian junior team. One of the world agencies, which then actively worked “around” this team, allowed itself to give assessments of the team’s game and the work of coaches – unpleasant and very doubtful. According to Plushev, they were then focused on the benefit of the agency itself. And the very next day there was a reaction from the NHL. Those “experts” were warned – “once again you will get into your own business, lose your license in the NHL!”

The coach did not fail to sarcastically recall how in 2021, due to the same conflict with Babaev, Avangard missed their forward Yegor Chinakhov, who left for the NHL. In addition, even the more talented Lokomotiv player Denisenko was promised mountains of gold by agents, he left for the NHL and, by and large, disappeared there.

“The list is ready to go on and on. I would not want the same Gritsyuk to go down this sad path now, ”Plyushchev noted.

Earlier, Omsk fans have already discussed the insider that Tkachev’s agent demands a salary of more than 100 million rubles for the season, although even forward Reed Boucher, his teammate, is only 95 million a year. In their opinion, no one else will be able to pay Vladimir in the KHL anyway, taking into account the existing “ceiling” of salaries in the league.

As for Tolchinsky, before that we already wrotethat he would like to sign a contract with the hawks at once for 5 seasons. The club is fine with it. But the salary has yet to be negotiated.

Also “MK in Omsk” informedthat forward Alec Broadhurst will allegedly leave Avangard for Barys for two seasons, but so far this insider has not been confirmed in any way.