Igor Larionov is the next Russsia U20 head coach

[Kshahdoo]

His first head coach job, and he's 60 in December.

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[PanniniClaus]

Nice to see Igor get a chance.

 

[Caser]

Not a done deal yet though, as it is a likely option if the current coach Valeri Bragin is promoted.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

That's a great news to Igor and good luck for him in U20 Team Russia.
Hopefully the players will take notes and learn a lot for hockey professor Larionov.
But what Bragin will do will he retire his coaching career or is he going to coach some KHL team.

 

[themelkman]

Great for him, very happy to hear it

 

[Czechboy]

Those Russian U20 teams are amazing... I'm sure he'll do well!

 

[Kshahdoo]

That's a great news to Igor and good luck for him in U20 Team Russia.
Hopefully the players will take notes and learn a lot for hockey professor Larionov.
But what Bragin will do will he retire his coaching career or is he going to coach some KHL team.

There is a rumor, Bragin will lead SKA.

 

[Kshahdoo]

So he's officially the one. Bragin is now SKA and Team Russia head coach.

 

[theVladiator]

Just looked up Larionov's coaching resume. 1 year total experience. 1 year as an assistant coach, last year's U20 team. 0 years as a head coach. What happened here, nobody else wanted the job?

 

[Kshahdoo]

Just looked up Larionov's coaching resume. 1 year total experience. 1 year as an assistant coach, last year's U20 team. 0 years as a head coach. What happened here, nobody else wanted the job?

Well, Larionov was a legend in Russia, so they gave him the job, it's just that simple.

 

[theVladiator]

Well, Larionov was a legend in Russia, so they gave him the job, it's just that simple.

I mean, it's clear he did not earn it the way other coaches do. I am expecting to see some bad times for Team Russia U20, akin to what we've seen with Phoenix Coyotes when Gretzky was coaching. I do not think great players have ever managed to become good head coaches, for whatever reason.

Any reaction from fans in Russia?

 

[Fantomas]

Does anyone really know what to expect from Larionov as head coach? It's an interesting hire, but what else can I say.

 

[Atas2000]

Well, Larionov was a legend in Russia, so they gave him the job, it's just that simple.

What? Since when is Larik a legend?

 

[Atas2000]

Does anyone really know what to expect from Larionov as head coach? It's an interesting hire, but what else can I say.

He will have two more exerienced assistants who worked their way through the junior NTs ranks, so there is that. As to what to expect from him personally, no idea really. One possibility might be is he pulls the Bykov card and creates a nice atmosphere in the l0cker room. Bykov's undoing was the realization that you have to actually coach too.

 

[Atas2000]

I mean, it's clear he did not earn it the way other coaches do. I am expecting to see some bad times for Team Russia U20, akin to what we've seen with Phoenix Coyotes when Gretzky was coaching. I do not think great players have ever managed to become good head coaches, for whatever reason.

Any reaction from fans in Russia?

I am going to watch way less U20 games. I don't like Larionov. I don't expect him to get more on the ice than the roster gives him on paper like Bragin did.

 

[Kshahdoo]

What? Since when is Larik a legend?

Since forever?

 

[Jussi]

So he's officially the one. Bragin is now SKA and Team Russia head coach.

Because of course.

 

[Jussi]

Since forever?

He was in that position since the late 80's already even here in Finland. His success with Detroit as an "old man" solidified that even more.

 

[Atas2000]

He was in that position since the late 80's already even here in Finland. His success with Detroit as an "old man" solidified that even more.

LOL Not in Russia. In Russia he is just a part of the Green Unit of which he never was considered the most prominent player, that being Fetisov and Makarov. There is no bias to it whatsoever. I don't like Fetisov one bit on the personal level either, but it is what it is. He will go down as a defenceman legend for his playing career. Just like Makarov will be remembered as one of the very best among a very small group that is superhumanly hard to break when we are speaking about soviet/russian forwards. Larionov is clearly a tier below.

 

[Atas2000]

Since forever?

Is everybody a legend now? To me he is a part of the Green Unit and that's about it. Add to that the fact that he is easy to dislike as a person and his legend status is not even in question, it's not a thing at all.

 

[Yakushev72]

He was never my favorite, but he was an incredibly talented player in his era! Whether he will be an effective coach remains to be seen, given his empty coaching resume. He was schooled in all of the advanced CSKA training methods, but he was always the loudest critic of Tikhonov's methods, so that leaves no clues as to what his methods will be. I liked Bragin but thought it was time for a change. He has fallen short with excellent talent and depth in the last few years. My hope was that they would elevate the U16 coach (Loginov??), but I guess Tretiak in the end tapped one of his old cronies on the shoulder. I wish him well, but have no idea what to expect!

 

[Yakushev72]

I mean, it's clear he did not earn it the way other coaches do. I am expecting to see some bad times for Team Russia U20, akin to what we've seen with Phoenix Coyotes when Gretzky was coaching. I do not think great players have ever managed to become good head coaches, for whatever reason.

Any reaction from fans in Russia?

There is a theory that when great players like Gretzky become coaches, they have a hard time identifying with and understanding what it is like to be less than gifted, the category which most guys on any team fit into. I have no idea how Larionov will do as coach, but I hate to see him walk in at this stage of his life and step right in front of a guy like Filatov, who looks like an up and coming young guy who has great potential to be a great U20 coach in the near future! And then if Larionov is unsuccessful, its harder to fire him because he is such an icon!

 

[Albatros]

LOL Not in Russia. In Russia he is just a part of the Green Unit of which he never was considered the most prominent player, that being Fetisov and Makarov. There is no bias to it whatsoever. I don't like Fetisov one bit on the personal level either, but it is what it is. He will go down as a defenceman legend for his playing career. Just like Makarov will be remembered as one of the very best among a very small group that is superhumanly hard to break when we are speaking about soviet/russian forwards. Larionov is clearly a tier below.

Makarov might have been the slightly more prominent Soviet star, but Larionov has three Stanley Cups on top of that.

 

[Atas2000]

Makarov might have been the slightly more prominent Soviet star, but Larionov has three Stanley Cups on top of that.

Oh, he has won the North American championship three times. Great! That's like on page 10 of important achievements from my russian POV.

And "slightly more prominent" is a huge understatement. Again, Makarov was considered back in the day the one star on that line and he is still.

 

[Yakushev72]

Makarov might have been the slightly more prominent Soviet star, but Larionov has three Stanley Cups on top of that.

Larionov was never a game changer, never someone who was counted on to produce when it was time to win Olympic medals or Stanley Cups. He was a playmaker, an assist man, and he had great stickhandling and skating skills that made him effective in his role. Makarov, in my opinion, was one of the two most dynamic Soviet (and maybe Russian) forwards of all time, close behind the incomparable Valery Kharlamov. As a skater, he could blow you off the ice, he was so explosive! As a side note, I believe that Makarov and Mario Lemieux were probably the only skaters in history that were never stopped on breakaways! They scored every time, and made it look easy!

Of the members of the "Green" line, Vladimir Krutov was the second most valuable member, in my opinion. He was incredibly tough and strong to complement his beautiful stickhandling and great scoring touch. Krutov was unhappy in the NHL and didn't even try to succeed - he was homesick and wanted to return to Moscow. In contrast with Krutov and Makarov, Larionov had no physical side to his game whatsoever. To be effective, he had to be paired up with guys like Makarov, Krutov, Sergei Fedorov and Steve Yzerman.