“The power of Maurice is that he studied the experience of even Soviet hockey” – former vice president of Metallurg Velichkin

The former vice -president of Magnitogorsk Metallurg, Gennady Velichkin told Match TV about what the strength of the coach of Paul Maurice, who won the second Cup of Stanley in a row.

58 -year -old Paul Maurice won the second Cup of Stanley in a row with Florida. In the 2012–13 season, a Canadian specialist worked in Magnitogorsk Metallurg.

– Paul Maurice won the second Cup of Stanley in a row. It turns out that they pumped mentality in Magnitogorsk?

– Well, what are you! But in Magnitogorsk there was always the best. Including in 2012 we found the best young Canadian coach. And it turned out to bring him to the Urals.

– Was it easy to agree with Maurice?

– No, not at all easy. I had to talk a lot. At first it seemed at all fantastic. As I remember now, when I laid out several candidates to Viktor Filippovich Rashnikov (owner of Metallurg)then he looked, looked, picked up a dossier at Maurice and says: “Listen, but it will be almost unrealistic to bring him.” However, the candidacy of the floor hooked us. And we tried to make reality out of unreality.

– What is the uniqueness of Maurice?

– He delved deep into every detail. And he tried to study the experience of Russian and even Soviet hockey. I remember that we had an unsuccessful series of matches in our regular season. And our team was then thank God! Malkin, Gonchar, Kulemin, Mozyakin and even Ryan O’raili! The composition be healthy, but three defeats in a row occurred.

And so Maurice says to me: “Listen, I know that you had this in the USSR – to raise the discipline from the guys, they were put to the base.

And the base in Magnitogorsk is good, we built it not so long ago. Well, that’s all, Maurice announced that the team was sitting there.

Malkin runs to me: “What did you arrange here? What kind of circus? What is the hell of the base? ” I answer him: “Zhenya, believe me, what have I to do with it? This is all Maurice. ” – “Yes, it cannot be! He doesn’t even know words such as “base”! ”

We go together to Maurice. Zhenya says: “We will do everything. How many matches do you need to win in a row? Five?” – “Well, let’s.” So it happened. So Malkin kept his promise to Maurice, ”Velkin told the correspondent of Match TV.