Slitty
Registered User
- Oct 23, 2005
- 3,875
- 8
Kovalchuk joins Yuskevich, Zhitnik, Korolyuk, Varlamov, Koshechkin, and Nabokov as players availble (except Nabokov) players confirmed not to be partaking in the upcoming World Championships. While the reasons for others vary from injuries, newborn children, suspensions, or undefined.... Kovalchuk was publicly ripped by Russia's national coach, for, get this, drinking and partying at majour tournaments.
Krikunov was unwilling to give the already unenthusiastic Ilya another chance with the national team. He cited two cases of Ilya drinking instead of preparing for games as well as an attitude of coming to tournaments merely to have a good time as the reason. Kovalchuk has not preformed well for Russia, and recently went on record saying that he is not utilized in the right way: he does not get enough playing time and the team doesn't rely on him enough. He also suggested Russia needs different, younger coaches. He denied widespread allegation that he doesn't try for the national team by saying that he goes to international tournaments to win, and if he wanted to have a good time, he would be lying on the beach in Hawaii instead.
Krikunov said that Kovalchuk can wait for a younger coach to come along and utilize him properly along with wishing him a relaxing vacation in Hawaii.
As you can tell, the Russian hockey federation is a joke:
http://www.sport-express.ru/art.shtml?120029
http://www.sport-express.ru/art.shtml?120027
Krikunov was unwilling to give the already unenthusiastic Ilya another chance with the national team. He cited two cases of Ilya drinking instead of preparing for games as well as an attitude of coming to tournaments merely to have a good time as the reason. Kovalchuk has not preformed well for Russia, and recently went on record saying that he is not utilized in the right way: he does not get enough playing time and the team doesn't rely on him enough. He also suggested Russia needs different, younger coaches. He denied widespread allegation that he doesn't try for the national team by saying that he goes to international tournaments to win, and if he wanted to have a good time, he would be lying on the beach in Hawaii instead.
Krikunov said that Kovalchuk can wait for a younger coach to come along and utilize him properly along with wishing him a relaxing vacation in Hawaii.
As you can tell, the Russian hockey federation is a joke:
http://www.sport-express.ru/art.shtml?120029
http://www.sport-express.ru/art.shtml?120027
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