The Championship of the Professional Ice Hockey League has gone on vacation. While the National Team of Ukraine headed by Anatoliy Khomenko will be training to work out good teamwork and contest the leading teams from Hungary, Poland, and Romania, the ice hockey club Berkut will leave to conquer Alpine summits. The team of Dmytro Markivskyi will spend the period of December 12 to 18 in Switzerland. The press service of the HC Berkut discussed the foreign direction of the club’s development with the club’s president David Zhvaniya.
– Berkut is going to play abroad for the first time. Whose idea it was to play with Switzerland? Did it take a lot of efforts to convince the leading Swiss clubs to play with the Ukrainian team which is not well known yet?
– During its first international pause, Berkut played with Metallurg Zhlobin. Before the match, many were saying there was no sense in the match with the Belarusians as their level was much higher. However, it turned out that Berkut won 1:0. To improve ourselves, we need to play with strong rivals, as strong as possible. Participants of the championship of the National Ice Hockey League are like that.
God grant, soon Ukrainian clubs will be able to play different Winter Classics with the teams of the National Ice Hockey League; however, now these are only dreams, not more. If we turn our attention to Europe, the most popular championship of the Old World is the Swiss one. In March this year, IIHF announced the rating of the most popular championships of Eurasia: Swiss – the first, Swedish – the second, Russian – the third. I repeat myself, at this stage, we need strong rivals. We have found them. And we are very grateful to ZSC Lions, HC Fribourg-Gotteron, and SCL Tigers for their consent for those plays. I am sure that Swiss fans will not be disappointed.
– Strong rivals can be found in Russia also. For example, the Continental Ice Hockey League has a break now.
– Sokil performed earlier in the Open Championship of Russia, now Donbas is playing in the Supreme League of our neighbors. Before the season started, Dynamo Riga and SKA St. Petersburg played in Donetsk. The teams are active, one can see broadcasts of the matches. But we would like to try new horizons. Let’s say, Donbas is opening the East for Ukrainian ice hockey fans, and we will try to open the West a bit.
Except the Continental Cup, the ways of Ukrainian club ice hockey and the European one have never crossed, in fact. Europe is on its own, and we are singly. Of course, the level of Ukrainian ice hockey has been impeding development of active cooperation during the last five years. But now the situation is different. Ice hockey is starting to develop here; high ranking people are interested in it. Thus, an exploratory attack can be started. As far as I know, several years ago, they discussed establishment of a European Ice Hockey Federation which would be in charge of the European Championship only. Again, the question of resuming the Hockey Champions League is still open. Berkut is doing its first step on its way to Europe; I am sure, the games with the Swiss clubs are only the beginning.
– By the way, what about Ukrainian fans. Will they be able to follow Berkut’s matches in Switzerland?
– Of course, they will. That will be either live or recorded broadcasts.
– Do you believe these matches are able to arouse interest in Europe?
– On the contrary, we are the ones who are interesting for them now. Because European clubs, in fact, do not know how we play. As there have been no matches at such level before, we played separately. This year, almost all members of our national team are playing in Ukrainian clubs, we have established the Professional Ice Hockey League, many players from Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and the USA came to Ukraine. I know that, for example, ZSC Lions is organizing a tourist trip to Leukerbad for its fans for the match with Berkut on December 15. If they did not take us into consideration, they would not have done anything like that.
I’d like to mention that these days Ukrainian national team is gathering for trainings. In Berkut, there are five candidates for participation in the national team. Still, its coach agreed to let our players leave for matches in Switzerland. Thus, Swiss fans will have a possibility to watch a unit of Ukrainian national team in action.
– In other words, a unit of the Ukrainian national team is being trained in Berkut?
– You understand it right. We have already talked out this issue with the coaches of Berkut. So now, we are ready to make a proposition to the national team of Ukraine. In Switzerland, on our behalf, Karaulschuk-Hnidenko-Salnikov will play in the forward line, whereas Isaienko-Dvoretskyi will play in the defense. We are ready for cooperation regarding this issue, because the national team is the country’s trademark. That is why we are interested in success of Ukrainian team at the future world championship that will be held in Slovenia.
– Is Berkut planning to organize a tournament of its own and invite European teams to participate in it?
– I think, next year already Ukrainians will have an opportunity to visit such a tournament. We plan to organize a hockey cup for the best European teams. Well, ideally there should be two such tournaments: one organized before the season starts and the other held during the interseason period. Apparently, such competitions are urgent. First, they will promote this sport and exceed its geographical borders. Ukraine can’t stay isolated all the time. Second, it will promote Ukraine in Europe. What do Europeans know about us right now? They’ve heard of the Klichko brothers, Andriy Shevchenko, Serhiy Bubka, and that’s it. Now, Europeans are talking about EURO-2012, but what will be left when this championship is over?
We should open up for Europe. You know, some people think that you don’t need to advertise yourself, if you are good. Well, that doesn’t work now. No one is looking for us. We should go to Europe ourselves and advertise ourselves. Sport is a very good advertisement; and such a spectacular sport as hockey is especially good in this respect. And then, you know, if the country gets good advertising, investments will increase, and so will our living standards.
– For instance, the best European clubs are competing in the European Trophy ice hockey tournament. Berkut would definitely benefit from participating in such a tournament. Moreover, even Ukrainian League and Ukrainian hockey would benefit.
– We know about this event. Twenty four teams participate in it. It is considered the best pre season tournament in Europe. The problem for us is that every year some of the games start in August, while the play off games are held in December. It is hard to tell now whether Berkut will participate in the European Trophy, but we are working out all the possible variants. You will soon be notified of our choice.
– At the beginning of the season the leadership of the club said that their goal is to apply for participation in the Continental League in a year or two. Is this goal still on the agenda?
– Yes, we are still interested in the Continental League. And negotiations regarding this issue should be held soon. But again, I don’t want our aspirations to be considered a pure populism. Yes, we have such ambitions, but without having a developed infrastructure of our own we should not try to play in the Continental Ice Hockey League. The major issue is an ice arena. Ukrainian fans remember the story about the unsuccessful Ukrainian team which tried to play in the Continental League. It was Budivelnyk from Kyiv. Berkut can’t be the project of that type. Before entering the Continental League, we should be sure that we have the place to hold matches, to train, and to accommodate our guests. Only then we are ready for this step. But for now, we don’t have anything of the aforementioned. But we have a wish, and this is our first step.
