Ovechkin will prepare for the season with Kovalchuk
On July 21 [2010] the Russia's national team and Washington's forward Alexander Ovechkin, who recently became an advisor to the President of unified Dynamo team, arrived to Novogorsk to take part in the evening friendly training game between the club members and the veterans of the MVD. Before the training started Alexander talked to the press service of the club.
Alexander, when you visit Dynamo training facilty, do you have nostalgic feelings?Source: www.dynamo.ru/newsclub.php?full=13678
Of course. It's my alumni, my native walls. So it's always nice to come back.
Do you know all of the employees here?
Of course. However some people have retired now. I'm talking about the grandma's and grandpa's who rooted for us and did everything possible so that players would feel comfortable.
Are you going to prepare for the season in Novogorsk?
Yes, I am. I think I'll start practicing in Novogorsk sometime on August 15th. In the meantime I will prepare individually with Kovalchuk and his personal fitness coach.
Do you plan to skate today?
Yes, I do. I need to "shake my fat" a bit. Get out on the ice and play for a half hour.
Everybody now knows that you have become an advisor to President of Dynamo club. How do you feel yourself in this position and what you think what is most important in the new job?
I think it's a positive thing for me and for the club. I will be asked about the NHL. I will be asked about the players, I think, too. I am all for it, always ready for the dialogue. If anything, they know my phone number.
Was it easy for you to agree to this offer?
Of course. You can't refuse such proposals.
Some of the fans are rather skeptical about the changes that have occurred with the Dynamo. Can you say something encouraging to them?
At first I was also upset because of the merge with HC MVD. But now I see that these people came to the club to make it better. Perhaps even better than now. So I look at this situation with the optimism.
So who is the president of Dynamo United Mikhail Tyurkin who hired Ovechkin?
I had no idea, but I googled it, and the guy has an impressive resume. He guided HC MVD club to the Gagarin's Cup finals last season, a Russian equivalent of Stanley Cup finals. The HC MVD has one of the lowest team's payrolls in KHL, not even close to such a billionaire owned teams like Ak Bars with Jaromir Jarg and others.
The head of Russian INS, president of Moscow Dynamo United hockey club Mikhail Tyurkin. July 21, 2010.
He was born on September 30, 1967 in Siberian city of Irkutsk. He is a Doctor of Laws (PhD) and also has a military rank of Major-General. But what is impressive, he participated in the clean-up operation on the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident. Not too many Russians who were there are alive today.
Nowadays he heads the Russian INS, for God's sake... :-)
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8 comments:
So Ovie is going to prepare for the season with Kovalchuk and Kovalchuk's personal fitness coach? I thought Ovie had his own personal Russian trainer. However, this Russian trainer was supposed to help fine tune Ovie before the playoffs. And considering how that all ended, maybe Ovie ended his connection with the trainer. If anyone here has any news about this, please pass it along.
Has Ovie heard that the NHL has rejected the huge contract Kovalchuk signed with the Devils? The NHLPA can take the case to arbitration but it isn't a done deal, at least not yet.
Thanks for all the updates TJ. Ovie looks so young in that pic with Kovy. What year was that taken?
BobbyG, Ovie has been preparing for the season with a bunch of NHL players in Russia for the past few years. The workouts were run by his trainer Dmitri Kapitonov. In the past Ovie was joined by Semin, Feds, Gonchar, Malkin, Afinogenov, Kozlov, Andrei Markov, and some KHL guys. I didn't see any mention of Kovy working out with them in 2007-2009 so I don't know if he has a different trainer. I don't think you can blame his trainer for what happened in the playoffs. Instead praise him for making Ovie a nearly indestructible Russian Machine the past few years.
@AB: Please excuse the misunderstanding, and let me clarify because obviously I wasn't being clear. I had a bad day today with chemo so my thinking and articulating aren't what they should be. I'm not blaming anyone for what happened in the playoffs.
I was just being sarcastic/cynical because I thought Ovie was now training with someone else's trainer. My mood is a result of the after effects of the chemo, and being sick and tired of having to go through this. That plus I'm not as up-to-date with Ovie's training regimen as some other posters like you are. Thanks for the follow-up information.
BobbyG, waiting rather impatiently for the indestructible Russian Machine to return to the US and for the Capitals season to begin
HK MVD didnt won the Gagarin Cup, they were only in the finals.
Thanks, I will correct that.
Join us at the first Annual Street USA Open Cup!
Friday, July 30, 2010 to Sunday, August 1, 2010 at Washington Kastles Tennis Stadium on 10th and H Street in Washington DC!
16 Teams will compete for the chance to be crowned the first ever Street Soccer Open Cup Champions.
Schedule of play will be divided into 4, 2-hour time slots, with 3 games guaranteed. Matches will consist of 4v4 competition, adhering to Street Soccer rules of play. The winner will receive a trophy and the title Street Soccer Open Cup Champions.
This evening event will also include live entertainment and raffle prizes, Food, beverages and Street Soccer gear will be for sale at the venue.
Registration Requirements
* $250 per team
* Minimum of 5 players, maximum of 10 players (men, women, coed)
* Each team member must be 18 years or older
* Each team must assign a Team Captain for registration and correspondence purposes
Entrants receive
* Free courtside seat passes during the Street Soccer USA Cup
* Discount on SSUSA t-shirts
You guys should check out what Ted Leonsis said about Street Soccer USA.
http://www.tedstake.com/2010/07/15/sport-for-social-change-comes-to-dc/
What is with the sudden rush of website advertisers on this site? (And that post by Neha was so random it made me laugh).
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