Postseason press conference 2023/2024
14.03.2024
Today at Neftekhim Arena Neftekhimik Director General Igor Larionov, Neftekhimik head coach Oleg Leontyev and Reaktor head coach held a press conference on the results of the 2023–2024 season.
– We did not make playoffs. We are preparing for the next season and drawing conclusions about the past season. Obviously, the unsuccessful start of the season, like we had last year earlier, prevented us from making top 8. 22 out of 68 games, we ended in a draw in regular time, but in 17 of them we lost in overtime or in shootout series.Now we are on the path to building a new team. We believe that we are moving in the right direction. We welcomed six of our players to our team, who came from our hockey school. Four of them never even made it to the first team, that is, they trained, played and were declared for the games. We found 9 young talented players who joined our team during the season.
In our system, Neftekhimik – Izhstal – Reaktor – Neftekhimik Hockey School,goaltender Filipp Dolganov got a great chances and proved by his hard work, that he is a great player and got excellent result. Filipp got 4 shutouts this season. In eight games Filipp conceded only one goal. He received the MVP pendant seven times, the most on the team.
Another positive thing I would like to note is that in the last season we got a top 9 power play. We have not had this for a long time, unfortunately, at the same time, got a 21st place pk. Here it is obvious that we have work to do in this direction.
If we analyze the game in periods, we see that in the first and second periods we play on equal level with other teams, but we did not have advantage in the third periods. We won only 14 third periods and lost 31, almost 2.5 times more. There is something to work on, something to pay attention to.
After the end of the regular season, we gave the guys a rest for two weeks and yesterday, on March 13, we continued our work. During this training cycle we plan to play three exhibition games – against Naberezhnye Chelny, Izhevska and Yelabuga. Also, we will held master classes with the participation of our leading players in Mendeleyevsk, Menzelinsk, Mamadysh, Chistopol, Zainsk and Agryz.
The stable development of the club would be impossible without the attention of our partner. I would like to express my deep gratitude to SIBUR, and in particular Nizhnekamskneftekhim, for their help and support in the development of the Hockey Club Neftekhimik. We appreciate this support. Such support allows us to look forward with confidence and build our work for the future. Largely thanks to this support, Nizhnekamsk nowadays can be called one of the key centers of hockey training in Russia. Objective figures speak about this. Nizhnekamsk, according to calculations by sports analysts, has become the leader, among Russian cities, in the number of Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) players per 100 thousand population. This is the result of the great efforts of coaches, sports schools, the main hockey club of the city and, of course, our sponsor.
We are focused in our strategy on long–term contracts with players, coaches, including Izhstal. We currently have 25 players under contract for next season. Therefore, now we will deal more with such point enhancements. Now we are forming our position on those players whose contracts have expired and are negotiating with their agents. Many of the guys who came to us during the season showed their best side and had the best season of their careers with us.
This season we evaluate the work of the coaching staff positively and note that they work harmoniously. We signed a long–term contract with Oleg Leontyev and are now jointly negotiating with other coaches.
Compared to last season, I think our youth team has taken a step forward. If in the 2022/2023 season Reaktor got fifth place in the Silver division, then in the current season our guys became third and won the right to play in the play–in. In 50 games, there are 19 wins in regular time, three in overtime. Before the start of the 2023/2024 season, we significantly rejuvenated the team. The average age of Reaktor is 17.9 years. Out of 30 hockey players, 19 players can play as part of Reaktor next season. This suggests that the team is in for big changes. This season, Danil Sherstobitov, Nikita Khoruzhev, Raul Yakupov, Pavel Anokhin played as part of Reaktor and Neftekhimik. In addition, these guys, as well as Maxim Ustimkin, gained good experience playing for Izhstal.
Neftekhimik head coach Oleg Leontyev:
– Last season did not turn out as we planned. Although we played well, despite the fact that, the first eight games, where we conceded 4.5 goals each, lost points, and this fact did not allow us to make playoffs. The lost points were just not enough for us. As the season progressed, we made changes in our goaltending line. There was a game, we fought in all games, the fans love it. According to the results of the people's love rating, Neftekhimik takes 5th place. Fans come to see us, our fans support us, for this we are hugely grateful. It is like a positive moment of the season. Active selection work is currently underway and agreements have been reached with a number of players. Therefore, we look into the future with optimism. I am sure that we will succeed.
Reaktor Head Coach Igor Fyodorov:
– JHC Reaktor was ready for training camp on June 18, 2023, underwent an in–depth medical examination, passed the necessary tests and began the training process. The tests passed and the results of the medical examination showed that the guys approached the training center in good physical shape.
From June 18 to July 5, 2023, Reaktor training process was held, for the first time, at the Almash base. Excellent conditions were created here for training and recovery after heavy physical exertion. The nutrition of the hockey players was at a high level. For all this, we are very grateful to the club’s management and all the staff of the Almash.
Compared to last season, we have noticeably rejuvenated the roster. It was based on players born in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Throughout the season, most of the team's newcomers have showed good hockey. These are A. Gizyatov (2007), K. Stolyarov (2007), Muissu J (2006), Borodinov I. (2005), Urakov T. (2005), Rukhlyadev V. (2006), Reshetnikov K. (2006), Sokolov S. (2006). In the next year or two, these guys should progress and become the leaders of Reaktor. We are counting on it.
The JHL championship started on September 4. The team as a whole showed itself with dignity, played all the games with high dedication, not inferior to older and more skilled opponents.
A particularly important moment for the team was the end of the regular season (February 2024). In six games, Reaktor won five. This allowed us to beat our competitors Loko–76, Molot, Tyumensky Legion, Sputnik and make it into the play–in. A big role in the victory over the competitors was played by the team leaders (who received playing practice at Neftekhimik and Izhstal during the season): D. Sherstobitov, M. Ustimkin, R. Yakupov, G. Morozov, N. Khoruzhev, M. Murtazin.
In the play–in, our opponent, as you know, was Stalnye Lisy from Magnitogorsk. On February 28, in a home game, with excellent support from the stands, we won a convincing victory – 4:1. However, on the road we lost twice 4:6 and 0:4. I would like to note that we lacked a little experience in the playoffs game. For most of the guys these were their first cup games.
As a result, JHC Reaktor in the 2023/2024 season got third place in the Silver Division of the East Conference. We believe that despite being relegated to the play–in, a good foundation has been created for future seasons, and the players have received invaluable and rich gaming experience. They are growing professionally and I think we are successfully preparing players for our first team.
Special thanks to our fans, who were with us both in moments of joy and when it was hard for us.
Media questions:
– During this season, an innovation appeared that prohibited passive action behind the opponent’s net. How will you evaluate the new rule already at a distance?
Oleg Leontyev:
From the first day of the presence of the coaching staff, this was prohibited. This did not affect us at all. We do not stand behind the net, we only move forward.
– Neftekhimik head coach noted at the post–game press conference at the end of December that the team should have been strengthened by one foreign defenseman. Ultimately, the transfer was not a successfull one due to the fact that he would not arrive at the club's location until February. Is it possible that this player will strengthen the club during off–season?
Igor Larionov: This is not a secret, this is Zac Leslie, with whom we actually signed a transfer contract. There were many reasons why we did not find mutual understanding in signing a new contract on the date of his arrival in the decisive games in December, when we fought to maintain the opportunity to remain in the playoffs zone. That is why he will not join our team.
– During this season, we extended the contract with a number of leaders – Dergachyov, Shafigullin and Seleznyov. Based on your experience, is it more difficult to reach agreements with players during the season or at the end of the season?
Igor Larionov: This is an individual work. We proceed from the desire of both parties. It is more effective with someone as the season progresses, when we see the prospect and his participation in the next season. And someone postponed this issue until the end of the season. There is a reason for both parties to wait until the end of the entire season to assess the level of play before signing. In our strategy, we adhere to building relationships on a long-term basis, and this is a right way. This allows you to form the core of the team. We have three quarters of the players signed, we can focus all our efforts on targeted reinforcement. This will be a foreign forward and defenseman. On the goaltending line, Filipp Dolganov has been signed for another year, and we are in active negotiations with Artyom Zagidulin.
– Are there any specific names that you will strengthen with, who are you ready to take now?
Igor Fyodorov: I will not say names yet so that the boys do not relax, they are currently having a season going on. Of course, I would like to have more local players on the team. There are boys from 2007 and 2008. We go and watch games all the time. We will conduct a selection of non–resident players, analyze, and dig into the market.
– Viktor Sharpanov spent the last season in the JHL. Do you want to enter the new championship with the Rukhlyadev–Lyubalin or are you looking for a new goaltender?
Igor Fyodorov: The goatender is 99% of the team’s result, so we work on this position. Priority and bet on local player Vlad Rukhlyadev. We are looking for competition among goatenders, especially in youth hockey. If we find it, we will be happy.
– Amir Gizyatov and Kirill Stolyarov, guys born in 2007, spent their first seasons in the MHL, how would you rate their play against older guys?
Igor Fyodorov: Amir Gizyatov is a great guy, with character, goes where it is hot, fearless. According to statistics, he did a good job in terms of sports performance. According to Stolyarov, he is an interesting boy, has a good skating, hands, play reading, but you have to be a little bolder, angrier, because hockey is a typical sport. But they both had a good season, which is great for a first experience.
Igor Larionov: Yesterday they signed their first professional contract with our team. We have them as part of Reaktor for three years.
– Those guys who played their last year in the JHL, how many people will try to gain a foothold in the main team?
Oleg Leontyev: A number of players have been selected, they will be invited to pre–season training camps, we will see the results.
– Will there be changes to the budget?
Igor Larionov: Our salary floor will increase from 405 to 450 million. We will increase our budget by this amount. The shareholders support us, and we follow the requirements of the KHL.
– Yaroslav Ozolin spent the end of the season on loan at Dynamo. Is there an agreement in principle for the next season with the player?
Igor Larionov: Yaroslav was on loan, and we got him back. We are also taking Buruyanov now. Their contract with the Dynamo St. Petersburg club ends in April. And from May 1, we have a valid contract with him signed until April 30, 2025.
