Text and video versions of press-conference of the President HC "Donbass", Boris Kolesnikov, and the coaches of the first and second team of the Club.
Boris Kolesnikov:
- Summing up the championship of Ukraine, we have made everything just what we wanted - noted the President of HC "Donbass". - There is much talk about the fact that we did not win the regular season, but won the playoffs. But it does not matter. If the champion should be determined on the results of the regular season - then we would have won it. As for the championship of VHL - it is not that simple. I would not say that the first attempt turned out lumpy. Last year we could join the Kontinental Hockey League. We gave guarantees and Kontinental Hockey League promised to take us last year. To here, for one of the matches, if you remember, came the President of of the League, Alexander Medvedev. But without the experience that we got in VHL, we would never have got to the Continental Cup Final. Suppose that many people say that it is not prestigious, but so far none of the clubs of our Country has not won it, yet. I would like to wish our clubs: the "Donbass", and "Sokol", and "Berkut" to win it. And only then begin to talk about its prestige. Then we will assume it as not prestigious one. As for the current championship, it seems to me that it was more interesting than the previous one. Of course, this does not detract from the merits of the players who won the last championship. Due to the fact that the "Sokol" has strengthened, a very good team assembled "Berkut" (they maybe physically had not had enough of time, in the summer, to fill in the roster and bring coaching ideas to life), however this team deserves respect. I think that in the upcoming season, the playoffs will be very difficult. Prospective question about the budget of the Club - it will precisely over 20 million dollars. And for how much more, will depend on two of our coaches. With regard to the principles of manning the second team, we took full course for the rejuvenation. In the second team it wont be players older than 25. The main objective - to create a battle-worthy team of 17 to 21, but maybe a bit of effort it before the playoffs, next year. Into which, incidentally, you have to get in. About the main team - certainly, championship does not exist without objectives. The task that we put before Július Šupler - is to get into the playoffs the Kontinental Hockey League. How far will pass the "Donbass" - hard to say. But I want to wish all the fans of the Club to have a desire to discuss the question: how far we will go into the playoffs, has sounded only after getting into there.
Július Šupler:
- Thank you very much. Good afternoon, everybody. I would like to congratulate all the fans. I hope that everything goes as planned, and our fans will see the Kontinental Hockey League. In the framework of which each match will be a great event. I have no doubt that our players will try to please the everyone with their game and the results: the fans, the coaching staff and the entire leadership of the club, which creates such favorable conditions. On behalf of the coaching staff I would like to promise that we will work for one hundred percent, and the guys, I'm sure, too, will try. Recently, only dreamed of playing there. We will work, will try to please our fans, and you, dear members of the media, to write about our results, and that return of your newspapers and magazines must be minimal. I wish that in this city, each game should be an event, and congratulations to all.
Question to Oleg Mikulchik:
- Do we already know who will remain in the "Donbass-2" for next season and who is not?
- Our team will be young, so we will keep around six people, probably. This is Napnenko Evgenii, Dima Nimenko, Roman Blagoi, Aleksyuk Volodya, two Russians - Valera Vasiliev and Vitaly Anikeev. There were proposals for some guys, but we shall see. Sasha Nikulnikov remains. From 25th to 5th we will have summer camp, to there are invited young boys from 18 to 21 years. There will be Ukrainians, Russians, a few people from Belarus. Carry out the camp, see who fits us, will select. In July we will have one more camp, there we are going to chose some more hockey players, and even then we will continue to form our roster. We will work so that it will be possible to fill up the first team and the national team, so there will be more Ukrainians than foreign players. Of course, if there are good legionaries - will draw them. After the Soviet-era, schools were not worked very well, so, if the Russians and Belarusians want to receive Ukrainian citizenship - please. In the national team of Belarus the same problems for now. They made three Canadians Belarusians, and I think it's right.
Then the President of HC "Donbass" took the floor:
- At this age, 21 years old, there is a lot of good hockey players. This is Kuznetsov of the "Tractor", Carlsson from the "Ottawa", but the question is how these players will believe in our Club? You need to overcome a certain way to make them believe in the our Club, if we want better.
... More complete version, see on the video.
Video by iTV-plus:
