Author's column by Ruslan Vasilyev. How important is the NHL experience for domestic hockey?

While the hockey players of Dynamo Minsk with varying success are looking for themselves in the regular KHL championship, their season in the NHL started overseas. Can this be considered a significant event for Belarusian fans? Judging by how enthusiastically the realities of the “strongest league in the world” are covered in the media, yes, of course. But not everything is clear.

Let me state my private attitude to the National Hockey League: I am not a reactionary hater of the NHL, although it has been operating in vacuum mode for many decades. That is, it sucks talented guys from all hockey countries, including Belarus, into its American and Canadian clubs. And this is not just a “vacuum cleaner”, but a “vacuum-parasite”, insane and irresponsible. Overseas Scouts have no moral obligation. And the idea of allowing young European hockey players to form into full-fledged masters at home does not bother these figures. Opposite! Green dreamers with sticks, or rather their parents, are seduced by sour banks and milk rivers almost in infancy. Children are literally pulled from their native penates, turned in the competition of minor leagues, and then often thrown out with broken illusions and tarnished reputation, which sometimes leads to the irretrievable destruction of a professional career. However, this also applies to more mature hockey players.

My attitude towards the NHL is very good, honestly. Here the KHL is an extremely disturbing league, because I often experience the turbulence of Dynamo Minsk in a childish, acute and angry way. However, her overseas older sister does not disturb my peace! And even more so at night. Which, as you know, is the piquancy. After all, most matches overseas are held in the late night of Minsk time. So to be honest, I haven’t watched a game live in the last few NHL seasons. And I did not address the records before the playoff stage. And I believe that this attitude is a mass phenomenon.

The answer to the question “why so, and not this?” will be multi-component. First, you need to sleep at night, or at least fight insomnia counting sheep. Second, with all due respect for the native Enhaelites – past, present and future – their individual accomplishments are the thunder of a distant storm. Or nothing more than "facts in the world of the galaxy." Because hockey is a team sport. Finally, thirdly, I banally question the thesis according to which the palm in the game with the puck is given to the NHL. Why on earth, if there are a lot of boring, gray games overseas and even in the Stanley Cup playoffs there is no long-standing fun?!

But I’m not going to get in the bottle trying to prove the KHL superiority theorem. That's a real mess, too. But we must change our attitude to the transoceanic realities, get rid of idolatry. Don't make an idol! Here is the guide to action and the commandment “number of times”. By the way, it worked properly in the 70-80s of the last century, when Soviet hockey did not slavish, did not please, but dominated opponents from the NHL in various formats: Challenge Cup, Canada Cup, exhibition matches of clubs. I don’t remember the vicissitudes of the very first Super Series in 1972, but then the joys of the young fan from the “duels of two systems on ice” prevailed over the sorrows. Although one New Year's Eve and had to end in tears: CSKA lost to Montreal. But here it is important to understand why the child burst into tears under the tree! I was sure that all these Guy Lefleurs and Bobs Gainey were not suitable for Valery Kharlamov and Boris Mikhailov! I knew perfectly well that CSKA was brazenly sued, and Montreal was also horribly faked. Out of here sobbing! And it never occurred to anyone at the time that the NHL towered above the rest of the national championships, aki Everest above the Amazon lowlands. Now everything is different: the cult of the NHL is skillfully imposed and implanted in the heads of players, coaches and fans. There is no doubt that we are dealing with a carefully thought out imperial strategy to take all club hockey in the world under “external control”. The money that lures players into the league in the NHL is enough to pay recruits-propaganda and other “soft power”. Although I am sure that very often journalistic attention to the slightest sneeze in the overseas league is explained much easier and funnier: here is the content – put and do not worry.

But these are fellow journalists. I remember one of the former chairmen of our hockey federation dreamed of 50 or more domestic hockey players in the NHL. The answer to the question “Who will play for Belarusian fans?” did not bother him. Or here is the dream of the young talent of Laman, who now acts in the MHL for the Omsk Hawks: “I dream of becoming the first Belarusian hockey player to win the Stanley Cup.” In this hope, unfortunately, everything is beautiful! Moreover, the fact that Laman is fixated on the overseas trophy is still a trifle - a boy in a fashion trend. But he's self-centered, because he doesn't want any Belarusians before him to win the Stanley Cup! This is the bitter result of the cult of the NHL.

Of course, my arguments can be countered by referring to two positive factors. The first: the guys from the NHL will someday help the national team of Belarus. Second: playing overseas, domestic hockey players make promotions to their blue-eyed homeland. And that's a strong argument! Not indisputable, though. Getting guys out of the NHL into the national team will be problematic, even when Belarusian hockey returns to the world stage. Giant insurance, mismatch of terms and other problems. As for promotion, unfortunately, when I spoke with the Canadians at the 2010 Vancouver White Games, I was unable to convince them that Grabovsky was a Belarusian. They called him Russian and continued to call him Russian. And take Ovechkin's greatest example. So what? Could Alexander seriously change the attitude towards Russia in North America?

Finally, we Belarusian hockey fans should also take care of our own interests, of which the main thing is that our best masters play at home and for us! From September to June, at least twice a week. What's wrong with wanting? The more so that the path in the NHL is not strewn with roses, and each expoundment for the “rejection draft” is a blow to self-esteem, which in professional sports requires grooming and undead. But how long is it to break into the NHL the same right-handed forward Klimovich, who managed to play in his youth at the World Cup - 2021! And how many clubs have replaced the defender Kolyachonok, who was made a bargaining chip and signed solely for the sake of the depth player! That's because he's an outsider with a low draft number. And it's like a sentence. For NHL clubs are reluctant to admit mistakes with the players they picked in the first rounds of the draft. And of course, local young stars are always given more chances, they are easier to forgive mistakes.

So I, wishing success in the conquest of the NHL former forwards of Dynamo Minsk Pinchuk, Moroz and Borikov, still have to note: if the guys slow down with goals and assists, they will have serious problems with the place in the squad. Because in the "laborers" legionnaires are taken reluctantly. North American coaches prefer to put local “siloviki” at the bottom, who can catch the puck on themselves and make hits. And a technical foreigner ends up behind, losing practice and skills.

But it is important not to prolong stagnation overseas. If you don't, come back, guys! We love you and welcome you to the KHL. For general joy in hockey.