Russia sack coach Bykov after disappointing worlds

Published November 20, 2014

The Russian ice hockey federation (RIHF) made a unanimous decision to part company with Bykov and assistant coach Igor Zakharkin after the national team finished out of the medals at a world championship for the first time since 2006.

"Their contracts had a clause that they could be fired if the team fails to secure a place on the podium," RIHF chief Vladislav Tretiak told reporters. "The executive board was unanimous in giving both coaches a failing grade."

Tretiak declined to comment on Bykov's possible replacement, who would get a chance to lead the team through the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but local media named Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, coach of AK Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League, as the front-runner for the job.

The Russians had been one of the favorites for gold in Slovakia after drafting big-name players from the NHL such as Alex Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk.

However they failed to shine on Slovakian ice as Russia set a dubious record of losing more games than winning for the first time since they began competing in world championships in 1954.

"At the RIHF's meeting I was hoping to hear an assessment of our performance in Slovakia," said Fetisov, who coached Russia to a bronze medal at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

"But no adequate explanation was given and there was also no plan for the future. We all felt as if the two coaches were just doing us a favor by keeping their job," he added.

"I think we should have made that switch much sooner, right after the Vancouver fiasco, but now is the time. We can't wait any longer with the Sochi Games less than three years away."

(Reporting by Gennady Fyodorov; Editing by Clare Fallon)

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