The head coach of Team Armenia shared his thoughts on the third game of the World Championship against Kuwait (4:5 OT).
— Mentally, we didn’t fully recover and couldn’t process the previous win in time, unfortunately. That needed to happen. We worked on it both theoretically and in team discussions, but in the end, this is a bitter lesson we must learn for the future of Armenian hockey. I’ll say it again — coming back from 0–4 to 4–4 and forcing overtime was a fantastic effort. That’s really impressive, but we still have a lot of growing to do as a team.
— What would you like to say to the fans?
— We’re grateful to the fans in the stands for their support. They pushed us forward, gave it their all to help us, and believed in us until the very end. For that, we owe them our deepest thanks and respect. It’s a great feeling to play in a stadium like this, and we’re truly sorry we couldn’t live up to the trust of such a large crowd and deliver the result they deserved today.
— Do you regret that wins are worth three points?
— That’s something we’ll analyze after the championship. Right now, it doesn’t make sense to focus on calculations or point scenarios. What really matters is what’s happening inside our locker room. We need to prepare and concentrate on the next game. Nothing is over yet.
There are important games ahead — two extremely important ones. Every game here is crucial. I keep saying this and will continue to repeat it: every match is the most important, the most pivotal one in each athlete’s career.
— What did you say to the team in the locker room?
— We insisted that they forget the scoreboard, forget the score. We emphasized tracking back and reminded them that every big achievement starts with very small steps. Everyone needed to stop thinking about making highlight plays or trying to be the hero. They just had to do their job with pride — and that’s exactly what they started doing. They cleared their minds, stayed calm, and that allowed them to get back into the game.
— What would you like to say to the fans?
— We’re grateful to the fans in the stands for their support. They pushed us forward, gave it their all to help us, and believed in us until the very end. For that, we owe them our deepest thanks and respect. It’s a great feeling to play in a stadium like this, and we’re truly sorry we couldn’t live up to the trust of such a large crowd and deliver the result they deserved today.
— Do you regret that wins are worth three points?
— That’s something we’ll analyze after the championship. Right now, it doesn’t make sense to focus on calculations or point scenarios. What really matters is what’s happening inside our locker room. We need to prepare and concentrate on the next game. Nothing is over yet.
There are important games ahead — two extremely important ones. Every game here is crucial. I keep saying this and will continue to repeat it: every match is the most important, the most pivotal one in each athlete’s career.
— What did you say to the team in the locker room?
— We insisted that they forget the scoreboard, forget the score. We emphasized tracking back and reminded them that every big achievement starts with very small steps. Everyone needed to stop thinking about making highlight plays or trying to be the hero. They just had to do their job with pride — and that’s exactly what they started doing. They cleared their minds, stayed calm, and that allowed them to get back into the game.