Alexander Yakovenko
Born on February 22, 1998 in Karaganda
Defender
Height 178 cm, weight 69 kg.
Grip: left
School: "Tractor" Chelyabinsk
Alexander Yakovenko was one of the main defenders of Traktor-98, which won a full set of medals in the national championship in three years. Now at the age of 17, Yakovenko has already passed all the stages of the junior teams (U 16, U 17 and U 18) and managed to get into the team where hockey players played a year older (Russia U 18) and compete at the junior world championship. The 2014/2015 season was Yakovenko's debut with the Polar Bears. For 16 meetings, the defender managed to score 4 (0 + 4) points with a usefulness index of +4.
As part of the national teams, two tournaments were especially successful for Alexander: the World Challenge Cup (U 17) and the Four Nations Tournament (U 17). At the first forum, which is considered an unofficial world championship, Yakovenko with 4 (1 + 3) points became the best scorer of the national team among defenders, and at the second, he became the best scorer, scoring 5 (3 + 2) points and sharing the title of the most productive player with teammates Vitaly Abramov and Platon Popov.
Dmitry Alekseev
Born February 17, 1998 in Chelyabinsk
Defender
Height 182 cm, weight 84 kg.
Grip: left
School: "Tractor" Chelyabinsk
Career: "Tractor-98", "Polar Bears"
Achievements: Winner of gold, silver and bronze medals of the Russian Championship as part of Traktor-98 (2013, 2014), winner of the World Challenge Cup as part of the Russian U17 team (2014), winner of bronze medals of the JHL Championship (2015).
Dmitry Alekseev is the main defender of the Russian U17 team and the Polar Bears. During his performances in the junior teams of the country (U 16 and U 17), Alekseev missed only three tournaments out of 11 and has always been one of the main characters in the defensive teams. This season, Dmitry played 23 games for the Polar Bears (including three in the playoffs) and scored 1 (0+1) points in them with a usefulness index of +4.
Vladislav Sukhachev
Born on May 14, 1998 in Chelyabinsk
Goalkeeper
Height 179 cm, weight 82 kg.
Career: "Tractor-98", "Polar Bears"
Achievements: Winner of gold, silver and bronze medals of the Russian Championship as part of Traktor-98 (2013, 2014, 2015), winner of the World Challenge Cup as part of the Russian U17 team (2014).
Vladislav Sukhachev in the 2014/2015 season played one full match for the "Polar Bears" - on the road to Kirovo-Chepetsk against the local "Olympia" and immediately managed to add "rusk" to his asset. Like Yakovenko and Alekseev, Vladislav is one of the untouchable players of the junior team of his year of birth. In two seasons, he played for Russia U16 and U17 in eight tournaments and scored in them eight (!) Matches to "zero".
Alexander Podkorytov
Born on August 21, 1998 in Chelyabinsk
Attack
Height 176 cm, weight 66 kg.
Grip: right
School: "Tractor" Chelyabinsk
Career: "Tractor-98", "Polar Bears"
Achievements: Winner of gold, silver and bronze medals of the Russian Championship as part of Tractor-98 (2013, 2014, 2015), winner of the World Challenge Cup as part of the Russian U17 team (2014), winner of bronze medals of the JHL Championship (2015).
Like many of his partners in Traktor-98, Alexander Podkorytov has been the player of the Russian team of his year since the first tournament. During this time, Podkorytov was called up to the junior teams U 16 and U 17 seven times.
In the 2014/2015 season, Alexander made his debut in the Polar Bears, playing 20 matches and scoring 6 (3+3) points in them with a usefulness index of +7.
Platon Popov
Born February 3, 1998 in Chelyabinsk
Attack
Height 176 cm, weight 66 kg.
Grip: left
School: Sergey Makarov Hockey School, Traktor Chelyabinsk
Career: "Tractor-98", "Polar Bears"
Achievements: Winner of gold, silver and bronze medals of the Russian Championship with Traktor-98 (2013, 2014, 2015), bronze medalist of the JHL Championship (2015), bronze medalist of the JHL Championship (2015).
Platon Popov played for the U16 and U17 teams in seven tournaments and managed to score 14 (9+5) points in 22 matches. In the Youth Hockey League, Popov played 10 matches for the Polar Bears this season and scored 1 (0 + 1) points in them.
We can say for sure that in the new season of the KHL, the Chelyabinsk club will no longer be the same.
Offer to Gatiyatulin - "for the fans"
Information that the management of Traktor will not renew the contract with the head coach of the team Anvar Gatiyatulin, albeit timidly, but still heard during the final of the East against Ak Bars. It seemed wild - how not to extend the best coach of the season and the author of the main KHL sensation? But it is true - in the solemn words of the first persons of the club there was not a hint of gratitude to the coaching staff. And now, when Anvar Gatiyatulin (as the current coach of Traktor is a historic event!) was invited to the coaching staff of the national team, there is not a word about this on the official resources of the hockey club.
Gatiyatulin is not the coach that Traktor management needs. And they said goodbye to him a long time ago, despite the result. And the new offer the general manager was talking about Evgeny Gubarev, as people in the know say, it was made "for the fans". “But we did try,” they will say later in Traktor.
"According to a source in control of the situation," the contract was offered to Gatiyatulin the same as it was. But the very "improvements" that Gubarev spoke about are only possible bonuses. Moreover, the coach's agents offered more than real market amounts. And those 100 million, which the "insolent" Gatiyatulin allegedly asked for, do not at all paint the author of these purposeful rumors. Moreover, in “Tractor” Anvar Gatiyatulin also practically could not influence the transfer policy and even the composition. But everyone knows that there are untouchables in the team. And what normal person will decide on such conditions? Even with all his patriotism.
The gulf between the head coach and management is many kilometers long, and it will only grow. Of course, I wanted Gatiyatulin to continue working as a head coach. Even if not in the "Tractor". However, they do not refuse such an offer as from SKA. If you want to work in the national team, work in St. Petersburg, and vice versa. The national team and the city on the Neva provide such opportunities that no other club coach in the KHL will give. And it's not about the money.
At the same time, it is now completely unclear who will lead Traktor after Anvar Gatiyatulin. On the one hand, there is information about German Titov and Andrey Razine. Titov seems to be able to work with poor clubs and in extreme conditions, but he does not stay anywhere for a long time. The option with Razin seems surprising, but they, together with Gubarev, played in Magnitogorsk and are generally good friends. But it is unlikely that the indifferent Razin will remain silent when he encounters "local specifics." Even if he misses work, he will take the opportunity that has turned up.
On the other hand, there is information that the management is looking for a head coach with Chelyabinsk roots, realizing that a stranger will not last long here - there are a great many negative examples. Although most of all the top officials of HC "Tractor" would like to see "their own man" on the coaching bridge. Since last season, there has been talk of Andrey Sokolov, who was specially allowed into the coaching staff as an "airbag" and a possible successor to Gatiyatulin. But an explosion of misunderstanding in this case cannot be avoided - if the club's management is still worried about it.
Kravtsov and the realities of the KHL
Of course, I would not want a repeat of 2013, when the silver Traktor began to be taken away. But that's the reality of this league. The plundering of poor clubs who dared to rise high is a favorite tradition. Over these five years in the KHL, not only has nothing changed for the better, but it has only gotten worse.
In this case, it’s even a sin to make any claims against the Traktor management: if “someone” wants to pick up a team player even with a valid contract, they Senicheva and Gubarev will not even be asked. Everyone remembers what happened to Valery Nichushkin in 2013 He was sold "like a thing" to Dynamo Moscow, and the young forward was forced to leave for America, although he planned to play for Traktor in the KHL for another year. Otherwise, his career would have turned out differently. Plus, then Dynamo also got hold of Maxim Karpov.
Now a similar situation occurs with Vitaly Kravtsov. Showing outstanding results at a young age and being called up to the national team is a harbinger of unhealthy changes in our hockey. The guy would calmly play at least one more season in the KHL in a team where they value and trust, and then go to the NHL. But then everything was decided for him. Just like for Alexey Kruchinin, who became Karpov as under Nichushkin. Kruchinin is a diligent but very unstable guy. And not the fact that he will be able to show the same game outside of Chelyabinsk.
In exchange for Kravtsov and Kruchinin"Tractor" should get some players. But the question is who it will be and how they will be useful to the new team.
It was known in advance that Traktor would leave Pavel Francuoz. The Czech goalkeeper was torn in the NHL last offseason and it's good that he managed to keep this championship. It remains only to say a big thank you to him for the season and wish his dream come true across the ocean.
The main goalkeeper should be Vasily Demchenko, and the spare is very "green" Vladislav Sukhachev. But, apparently, the management of “Tractor” is now looking for an experienced goalkeeper, realizing the big risk from the team Demchenko – Sukhachev.
Everything is more or less calm only with legionnaires. Remain Paul Schechura and Richard Gunge. Will not renew contract Linus Wiedell, but in its place must come Alexander Bergstrom from Siberia". There is also a defender Nick Bailen.
will leave Maxim Yakutsenya– and this is obvious. Not needed Alexander Rybakov and Semyon Kokuev. Until the fate is unknown Yuri Petrov and Alexandra Chernikova. Remains Igor Polygalov, Yes balls With Penkovsky.
Due to the fact that with the departure of Kruchinin and Kravtsov, a whole link will fall out, with attackers, especially productive and scoring ones, so far everything is hard. You can't get far on just one legionnaire troika.
On the defensive, except for Baylen, Alexander Shinin,Nikita Nikitin, Evgeny Ryasensky(the main thing is not to break so often anymore), Artem Borodkin, Igor Isaev. No new contract yet Alexey Petrov. Goes to Avtomobilist Ivan Vishnevsky, so strengthening the defense is necessary.
You also need to attract young people from Chelmet and Polar Bears, although, of course, do it correctly. The Chelyabinsk pupil, born in 1997, returns to Russia. Yakov Trenin, unsuccessfully trying to conquer North America, but he will not be in Tractor.
In general, while the future of "Tractor" in the fog. There is no head coach and no coaching staff in general, and without this it is impossible to conduct a normal transfer policy. There is no preparation plan for next season. And the most disturbing thing is that the management itself, apparently, does not know what it wants and what kind of team it is building. We need our own people, convenient and comfortable, but Traktor is unlikely to show such a result with them.
Millions Mamaev
A new image scandal erupted in Traktor
Danil MamaevHK "Tractor"
Danil Mamaev, son-in-law of the former vice-governor of the Chelyabinsk region Ivan Senichev, was fired from Traktor Holding Company. But the administration of the club keeps it a secret. Traktor employees unofficially confirm the information, noting that there will be no official statements on the club's website. Nevertheless, many are waiting for the name of Mamaev to appear on the KHL website in the list of those who left the team, where they publish transfer news. the site figured out what the mixture of sports and family business led to.
From the farm club to the front line
On September 3, 2016, about three thousand spectators in Khanty-Mansiysk watched a boring match between the local Yugra and Traktor, in which a young and not too well-known defender Danil Mamaev made his debut in the KHL.
A pupil of Magnitogorsk Metallurg, who lacked stars from the sky and in youth hockey, appeared in the Traktor system back in 2014, when Boris Dubrovsky became the new governor of the region and a variety of personnel from Magnitogorsk flowed to Chelyabinsk. Two years later, fate brought Danil Mamaev to the match with Yugra. He spent a total of seven and a half minutes on the ice. Traktor lost in a shootout.
From the second half of that season, the defender began to play regularly in the KHL. Largely because Traktor was confidently at the top of the table, and the director of the Chelyabinsk club, Ivan Senichev, “persuaded” head coach Anvar Gatiyatulin to give the player, who had long known Senichev’s daughter Elizaveta, a few chances. That season, Mamaev played thirty-six matches, in the third or fourth links, without showing anything outstanding in general, having one assist, several blocked shots from the opponent and not a single power reception.
Then events developed in a predictable manner. Senichev, guided by personal motives, decided to raise the status of Mamaev.
Until the spring of 2017, the defender worked at Traktor on a bilateral contract that expired in 2018. He could play both in the KHL and in the VHL - for the Traktor farm club Chelmet. But when he was transferred to the VHL, he lost a lot of money.
In May 2017, Traktor signed a new labor agreement with Mamaev - unilateral for three years. At that time, none of the players of the main team had such a long contract.From the point of view of the hockey business and team building, it was a completely pointless action. Mamaev, even according to statistics, was not one of the strongest defense players in the entire Traktor system, and according to all scout reports, he could not become one in the future, his progress and professional growth looked extremely doubtful.
45 million as a wedding present?
The site sources estimate the amount of Mamaev's contract at 45 million rubles over three years, without bonuses. For the first season, the player received 12 million, for the second - 15, for the third - 18. These are quite small numbers by hockey standards. The leaders of the Chelyabinsk club have contracts of approximately 60 million rubles per season.
A month later, Danil Mamaev and Elizaveta Senicheva played a wedding, and the hockey player's contract case sparkled with new colors. No one had any doubts that the player's three-year contract with Traktor was nothing more than Senichev's luxurious wedding gift to his daughter. Moreover, this gift was organized, in fact, with the money of taxpayers, since the basis for financing Traktor is the budget of the Chelyabinsk region. At the same time, Senichev would insure himself in case of a change of power - if he himself left the club, and the new owners wanted to get rid of his son-in-law, they would have to pay Mamaev a substantial penalty.
The daughter of the former vice-governor marries the player of HC "Tractor"
A one-sided three-year contract guaranteed the player and his family certain money, since according to the KHL regulations, with such a contract, the club cannot transfer the player to the VHL. The exception is the waiver draft procedure.
A little later, in February 2018, it played for Mamaev. When the KHL interrupted the season due to the Olympics, Traktor players Artem Penkovsky, Vitaly Kravtsov and Alexander Sharov, who have bilateral contracts, went to Chelmet to get game practice. Mamaev didn't go anywhere. Although it was he who needed this business trip for professional growth in the first place.
Comments closed after interview
In the 2017/18 season, Mamaev should have played a lot and often, and he played a lot and often. Everyone in the KHL understood the level of the defender, but Senichev's insistence on imposing the player on the head coach knew no bounds. This was superimposed on the team's unstable results at the start of the championship and caused serious protest moods among Traktor fans. Their peak happened in October, when Mamaev gave an epic interview during the break of the match with CSKA. In order to somehow extinguish the protest, Senichev ordered to disable the ability to comment on all social networks of the club. There is still no such possibility.
But in the bronze playoffs, Mamaev played only two games. "Tractor" needed a result. Senichev stopped putting pressure on Anvar Gatiyatulin about being in the roster of certain players - and as a result, the coach led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
At the same time, Mamaev did not remain for nothing, earning decently by the standards of an ordinary person. For example, in March, he played in only three matches, spent less than thirty minutes on the ice, but received about 1.2 million rubles a month due to him under the contract. One game minute of the hockey player cost Traktor approximately 40 thousand rubles.
Mamaev's last match for Traktor was exemplary. With the score 4:1 in favor of Traktor, he became the culprit of two goals against his team and called into question the overall victory in the series with Neftekhimik. Fortunately, everything ended well. "Tractor" brought the matter to victory in the match and the series. After that, the general manager of the club, Evgeny Gubarev, explained Mamaev's bad game with a cold.
No family - no contract
Back in mid-April, Danil Mamaev and Elizaveta Senicheva were present together at the Traktor award ceremony with bronze medals at the residence of the Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region. But by the end of the month, their couple broke up. In mid-May, the media spread information about the breakup and the cruel consequences for Mamaev - the termination of that very unilateral contract.
The public outcry did not allow Senichev to do everything in the spring: the director of the club, who had a reputation that was not at all impeccable, needed to save his own face, and he turned the “arrows” to the new Traktor head coach German Titov. The rhetoric was simple: if Mamaev suits Titov and proves himself, he will play.
Mamaev even began to prepare with the team for the new season, went to a training camp in Finland and played in one friendly match. But a few days after Traktor's return to Russia, everything was over.
First, the player's father, Pavel Mamaev, was fired from the club, who, under the patronage of Senichev, also moved from Magnitogorsk to Chelyabinsk four years ago and worked at Traktor as the head of the base. The next day, the fate of the director's ex-son-in-law was decided.The site Allhockey.ru was the first to report this: “A source in the club reports that defender Danil Mamaev was offered a bilateral contract by Traktor, which the player refused. The club's agreement with the hockey player was terminated.
Of course, there is still no official information about the termination from Traktor. Information about the scheme by which Traktor terminated the contract with Mamaev and what compensation, which is mandatory under the KHL regulations, paid to the player, is also available.
However, the approximate amount can be calculated without difficulty. According to Article 30 of the KHL Legal Regulations, in case of early termination of the contract at the initiative of the club - no later than seven days before the start of the championship - the hockey player is paid remuneration for the time actually worked and a severance pay in the amount of 25% of the amount of wages unpaid for the current season, and 20% of the amount of wages provided for the remaining seasons of the contract.
The media reported the dismissal of the son-in-law of the club director from Traktor
The first part of the severance pay is paid within two months from the date of dismissal, regardless of his subsequent employment, the second part - in equal installments, starting from the start date of the season following the one in which the contract was terminated, with an installment plan for the period of the terminated contract. The payment of the second part stops from the moment the hockey player signs a new contract with any professional hockey club (with the exception of VHL clubs).
For two years, Mamaev played 87 matches for Traktor, made 4 assists, 22 shots on goal, a record minimum 5 power moves, blocked 39 opponent's shots, forced opponents to break the rules 2 times. He averaged just over nine minutes on the ice per game. Now the hockey player is actively looking for an agent to try to continue his career in the KHL.
I would like to hear answers to numerous questions about this case, which has an extremely negative effect on the image of Traktor, from Ivan Senichev, Evgeny Gubarev or any other representatives of the club.
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The question is not at all idle - according to the official website of the KHL, on April 30, out of 25 people from the main team of Traktor, the contract will end immediately for 17 players (!). Among them are goalkeeper Alexander Danilishin, six defenders (Vladimir Denisov, Nikita Zhuldikov, Deron Quint, Philip Novak, Alexei Petrov and Alexander Shinin), as well as ten forwards (Semyon Afonasevsky, Anton Glinkin, Ilya Zinoviev, Semyon Kokuev, Alexei Kruchinin, Vyacheslav Osnovin, Dmitry Pestunov, Andrey Popov, Martin Ruzicka, Alexander Rybakov).
Of those who have contracts valid for the next season - both main goalkeepers (Vasily Demchenko and Pavel Francouz), three defenders (Artem Borodkin, Egor Martynov and Konstantin Klimontov) and three forwards (Maxim Yakutsenya, Alexander Sharov and Danila Gubarev).
It is also worth noting that among those who play for Traktor's farm club Chelmet, but already have experience playing in the KHL, forwards Mikhail Mokin and Alexei Zavarukhin's contracts are ending. Defender Nikita Khlystov, forwards Artem Penkovsky and Andrey Erofeev, as well as goalkeeper Yegor Nazarov (he was announced for Traktor matches, but has not yet played on the ice) have contracts for one more season. Contracts are also ending for three promising young forwards of Chelmet - Vladimir Ionin, Alexei Zakarlyukin and Artem Sevankaev.
In total - guaranteed in the "Tractor" clip for the next season - a full line of goalkeepers of three people, two pairs of defenders (of which only one is at the level of a solid "base"), and a motley three-one and a half attacks.
Among those whose contracts are ending, five young players (defender Zhuldikov, as well as forwards Afonasevsky, Zinoviev, Kruchinin and Osnovin) have the status of “restricted free agents”. That is, the club can keep them in its squad by making a qualifying offer, while in three cases (Zhuldikov, Afonasevsky and Zinoviev), if this offer amounts to 150 and 170 percent of the current salary for the next two years, then the players do not even have the right accept contract offers from other clubs.
But what is more important is that among the remaining 12 players whose contracts are ending are all the current leaders of Traktor (except perhaps deep reserve goalkeeper Danylyshyn).
Namely, all experienced defenders (40-year-old Quint, 33-year-old Novak and Petrov, 32-year-old Shinin and 31-year-old Denisov), three leading scorers of the club (Rybakov, Popov and Kokuev), one of the symbols of the current Traktor Anton Glinkin as well as experienced Dmitry Pestunov and Martin Ruzicka.
For each of them, you can make a whole list of arguments both for extending the contract with them and for not doing so, and wish them good luck in the new club. In addition, the set of factors that actually influence the signing or non-signing of a contract is much more extensive than one might imagine. The financial possibilities of the club and the general economic situation in the region and the country, the "wishlist" of the players and especially their agents, the situation within the team and the club, relationships with the coach, the reputation of the management, the tasks facing the team, and the real resources (not just money) invested (or not) in their execution, and so on and so forth.
It is very important how the head coach sees the game of the team and its composition.
But, perhaps, the most important thing is how its leaders see the strategic development of the team and the club. Not for the next season - for three to five, or even ten years. It is on this basis that plans are prepared in serious clubs, immediate and medium-term tasks are determined, resources are “knocked out” and their sources are determined, a financial and, no less important, personnel policy is built, part of which is selection work, as in the “external” for club market - in Russia and abroad, and on the "internal" - among its own system of farm clubs and a children's school ("vertical" that Traktor has: the main team - the VHL club - the MHL team - a children's school, according to in many respects the best in Russia).
Chelyabinsk Traktor, which recently experienced another change in leadership and structure, practically did not declare the existence of a strategy for its own development. Well, except for the words of the president of the club, the governor of the Chelyabinsk region Boris Dubrovsky, who spoke about the need to rely on his own students. However, there is and never was anything more detailed, public and written, in the public space. Exceptionally beautiful words about good intentions.
The situation is also complicated by the fact that the club's sports management, firstly, is relatively inexperienced (the mentor of the "black and white" Anvar Gatiyatulin is a smart and promising coach, but he has been working in the KHL for only a couple of months, and has never been engaged in full-fledged selection on the "external" market, and the first vice-president Sergei Gomolyako and general manager Evgeny Gubarev have been in their positions for only the second year), and secondly, the competence of key managerial figures raises serious doubts - Traktor, in fact, failed the breeding campaign for the last two seasons.
If the club management has some kind of long-term development strategy, it would be nice to announce it publicly. This, among other things, will help Traktor to operate more calmly and confidently in the transfer market. Fans may not forgive another failure.
29 July 2015 Natalia Kalentieva Photo: Vyacheslav Shishkoedov
Hockey is not only about pucks, passes and adrenaline from the crowded stands. It is also a complex system of contracts, negotiations on which sometimes drag on for months. Why the contracts of KHL hockey players are a secret with seven seals, how much ballast is in the league and whether “black-and-white” vacation pay is received - Yevgeny Gubarev, general manager of HC Traktor, told UP about this and many other things.
viewing contract
- Evgeny Mikhailovich, several contract forms are practiced in the KHL: one-way, two-way (KHL-VHL), one-way MHL and review contracts. What are they and what is the difference?
- Unilateral differ only in salaries. A year ago, if a player lowered the requirements for himself and ceased to suit the club's management, he received the same money when moving from the KHL to the VHL. Leadership had no leverage. Last year, the leadership of the KHL decided to reduce the contract by 40% when a player moves to a lower league. That is, if a player reduces the requirements for himself and starts to play much worse, then we can put him in a rejection draft, while reducing the contract by 20%. If any other KHL club does not buy him within two days, then after a certain time we can again put him up for a draft refusal, reducing the contract by another 20%. Thus, the contract is reduced by 40%, thereby saving the club money. When concluding a bilateral contract, the player’s salary “floats”: playing in the KHL, he receives one money, going down to a lower league level, he, accordingly, receives other money. As for viewing contracts, they are concluded before the season for a period of two months. A viewing contract allows you to watch a hockey player before signing an annual contract, and not waste money. I liked it - they signed a normal contract. Didn't like it - broke up.
At 80 percent, we refuse the services of these hockey players. You need to understand that, as a rule, guys who have not signed up anywhere go to viewing contracts and they have nothing else to do to get into the league.
- By what criteria does the management evaluate the players, then making them different proposals on the terms of the agreements?
There are a lot of criteria. First of all, the age and skill of the player, his desire to play. The club management weighs all the positive and negative qualities of the player. Up to discipline in everyday life and character.
- Can the players dispute the term or size of the contract?
Not hockey players, but their agents can, roughly speaking, bargain. If we need a hockey player, we see that he is progressing, he is young and talented and will bring us results, we can increase his contract ourselves in the offseason. So last year it was with Artem Borodkin. We understood that he could go to another club, so with Sergei Yuryevich (Gomolyako. - Approx. Aut.) We decided that he needed to raise the contract.
Is the contract system built the same way in the NHL?
Differences, perhaps, only in finance. In North America, the financial situation is more stable, and contracts in the NHL are concluded for up to eight or nine years. In Russia, this is not yet possible.
Plus a scholarship for the gifted
- At what age can you sign contracts with young players?
We sign contracts with young players from the age of 17. Until this age, they have contracts with the hockey school, and they belong to the school. If a young hockey player wants to go to another club, then according to the regulations, this club must pay compensation to the SDUSHOR.
- Does the choice in the draft somehow affect the wages of young people?
This year we signed 18 or 19 people on the condition that they do not go to the draft. This will allow us not to lose the guys. When they enter the draft, their salary, of course, will be different.
- Scholarships are paid to talented hockey players in the KHL. Who falls under these criteria and are there scholarship holders at Traktor?
By decision of the Board of Directors of the KHL, annual personal scholarships may be established for the most talented hockey players aged 17 to 20. To date, no one receives scholarships as part of Traktor. Evgeny Kuznetsov was the last scholarship recipient.
- Who and how much pays gifted pupils of the sports school?
The size of such scholarships in each case is established by the League at the request of the club. I will not announce the amount, but, believe me, the money is good.
Lots of ballast
- What can affect the termination of the contract with the player?
Any situation: decrease in skill, unwillingness to play, misunderstanding with the coaching staff - in a word, there are many factors.
- What is the termination mechanism and how much is the compensation?
The mechanism is very simple. Take, for example, Kostya Panov, who had a contract until 2016. Konstantin is a very good player, but the coaching staff did not see him in their system, so we had to terminate the contract with him. Provided that the termination occurs in the off-season, we were obliged to pay him 25% of the current contract as compensation. If the contract was for two years, then for the second year we would be obliged to pay another 20% of the contract amount.
- As far as I understand, last season a number of players were in the team because of too large releases, although they did not correspond to its level one hundred percent.
Yes. If the compensation is very large, we cannot terminate the employment relationship with such a player, although he does not help the team much. No one wants to go for the exchange of such personnel either. Why would a club take a hockey player for big money whose contract does not correspond to the level of the player?
- Is there a lot of such ballast in the league?
Unfortunately, for now, yes. Everyone makes mistakes, including managers.
- There is a players' union that defends the interests of the players ...
Moreover, the trade union wins, probably, in 50% of cases. But Traktor had no problems with the trade union in my memory.
No vacation or sick leave
- A banal question: do the players have vacation pay or the contract is automatically decomposed into 12 months?
Traktor players have a 12-month contract. There are holidays. Another thing is that some hockey players, for example, legionnaires, are asked to pay them the minimum under the contract, and pay the main amount at the end of the season.
- The contract has a main part and a bonus part. How are they divided as a percentage and what are bonuses paid for?
In percentage terms, bonuses cannot be calculated, since they are completely different for everyone: for goals, points, assists. With the agent of each particular hockey player, we sit down and agree on everything face-to-face. Since last season, we have introduced the following practice: bonuses are awarded to a hockey player, provided that with him the team scores more goals than it concedes, that is, the plus or minus indicator is positive.
- In recent months, Chelyabinsk has been closely following the developments in the Voinov case. Do you know the details of his contract? Litigation and arrest can affect the contract?
Yes, the contract is subject to change. I recently spoke with an agent of Glory in Canada. He said that 70 percent of the Warriors would remain in the NHL. But he will definitely not play for the Los Angeles Kings. If he returns to Russia, the rights to him belong to Traktor. True, he will play for his native club, provided that we can offer him the money that he asks. If we cannot offer him a worthy contract, then we have the right to sell him to any other club, earning good money on this.
- Lokomotiv striker Sergei Plotnikov bought out part of the contract from the club in order to leave for the NHL. Do you think this is good practice?
In our time, Petri Kontiola wanted to play in the NHL, he also bought his contract from Traktor. As a result, he did not play in the NHL, he returned to Russia. After that, he asked for a lot of money, which we could not give him, so we exchanged him at Lokomotiv for Kruchinin and Martynov, saving a fairly large amount. In general, the NHL is the best league in the world, and every player dreams of playing in it. There would be an offer, as they say. Therefore, it seems to me that any hockey player in such a situation would have acted like Plotnikov. This is fine.
- By the way, in the NHL there is no salary ceiling for clubs or the amount of contracts. In Russia, everything is exactly the opposite. Why?
We are just mentally not ready for it. Everyone understands that there are poor and rich clubs. In general, this is not an easy question, both from a financial and ethical point of view. Not in vain, after all, the players' union is against the disclosure of information about contracts.
Hockey educational program
A hockey player who has a signed contract acquires the status of a “valid contract”.
A hockey player who accepts a contract offer from a club or receives a binding offer from a club acquires the status of a “player assigned to the club”.
A hockey player becomes an "unrestricted free agent" if he has reached the age of 29, his contract expired on April 30, and he did not receive a qualifying offer from his former club.
A hockey player who has entered into a junior contract (a contract for training at a sports school) acquires the status of "junior".
The “conflict” status is assigned if a hockey player who has a valid contract leaves the KHL, JHL or VHL club without permission or terminates the contract ahead of schedule on his own initiative and does not pay the club the compensation provided for by the regulations.
A hockey player who was selected by a KHL club in a junior draft is assigned the status of "selected player". The status of "assigned rights" is assigned to a hockey player if he, in the status of "OCA", having a qualifying offer from a KHL club, JHL or VHL, arbitrarily leaves the system of the corresponding league. If a player returns to the KHL under the age of 29, the club has the right to make him a new contract offer.
In the event that a hockey player is injured or ill and the specified player is moved to the list of injured, this hockey player is assigned the status of "injured player".
In relation to a Russian KHL club, a hockey player has the status of a "foreign player" if he is not a citizen of the Russian Federation; has the citizenship of the Russian Federation, but is declared to participate in the KHL championship on the passport of another state; has the citizenship of the Russian Federation, but at the same time has a “sport citizenship” of another state in the IIHF system.