The Russian Hockey Federation isn’t too happy about losing its top players to the United States and Canada. The Russian junior league is inferior to the USHL and Major Junior hockey and players know it. Apparently so now does the Russian Hockey Federation.
Sticking true to cold war tactics, the RHF is going to steal the ideas of another program that is working. Those ideas are the ones that USA Hockey is using with the National Team Development Program.
How closely the Russian program resembles the USA Hockey program has yet to be seen. But if history holds true, the RHF will take the model, and make so many changes to it, that it will not be as effective.
To begin though the NTDP like program will play in the Russian junior league, the MHL this season. Just like the NTDP plays in the USHL.
What the Russian version wont have is the ability to play against NCAA D-1 teams like the USA Hockey version does. This is a critical element for player development that will be missing.
Sticking true to Russian arrogance and style, Head Coach Vitali Prokhorov has said “Players who left Russia and play overseas won’t be invited to U18 national team.”
Prokhorov later went on to say that he believed that players entering the Russian NTDP program will be stronger at the end of the season when compared to the USAH NTDP team.
Of course, President Putin has been talking about how much better the Russian economy will be than that of the United States too.
Joe Hughes
