“Inviting Hartley to Avangard probably has some meaning or subtext” – Plushev

Honored coach of Russia Vladimir Plyushchev, in an interview with the Championship, suggested that there was some meaning or implication in the return of Bob Hartley to Avangard as a consultant to the club’s hockey academy.

Earlier in September, Avangard announced that Hartley had arrived in Omsk and would work as a consultant at the club’s academy.

— It’s hard for me to say something about Hartley’s return to the Avangard academy. It is difficult to say what he will do there. Perhaps this is the same option as Bilyaletdinov in Ak Bars. Although I don’t know. Indeed, Hartley was leaving, explaining his position, what it was connected with. What will happen in the future, it is difficult for me to guess. I don’t want to be a fortune teller in this situation. Discuss and argue should be people who really own the situation. There is probably some meaning or subtext in the fact that Hartley was invited.

Will he want to return to the first team? I don’t know, you have to ask Hartley. Wants to come back. I’m not going to answer for him, – said Plushev.

Avangard, with Hartley as head coach, won the Gagarin Cup (2021) and played in the final of the tournament (2019). At the end of last season, the Canadian left the post. This season, the Omsk team, led by former assistant Hartley Ryabykin, has suffered four defeats in four matches.

• Bob Hartley returned to Avangard as a consultant to the club’s academy