Ice hockey: fans say coach can bring Russia world title

Vyacheslav Bykov has come a long way. His early years were spent with home-town club Traktor Chelyabinsk, but the playmaker went on to win two Olympic golds – one  with the USSR in 1988 and another with the Unified Team in 1992.

A gifted centre during his 20-year career, which also included playing in Switzerland, Bykov went on to become a coach who takes player discipline very seriously.

The 47-year-old has always enjoyed the support of his family off the ice rink. His wife Nadezhda said hockey often came first in their marriage.

“I am a person who doesn't like changes. I didn't want to come to Moscow when Bykov was invited to CSKA, and moving to Switzerland later on with our two little children was also difficult. But since that's what he needed at the time, I put my husband first. I gave birth to daughter Masha in Chelyabinsk and he didn't get to see her until she was a month-and-a-half old. When our son Andrey was born he was at the Olympics,” Bykov's wife Nadezhda recalls.

After wrapping up his stellar career and a brief coaching stint with Friebourg in Switzerland, Bykov was named head coach of the Army Men, CSKA, four years ago, and went on sideline double duty two years later to also lead Russia's national squad.

And the weight of the world is once again on his shoulders as he looks to lead the Russians to a first place finish at this year's World Championships in a country, where he’s won two Olympic golds as a player.

Now Bykov's men look to redeem themselves after a disappointing third-place finish at last year's World Championships in Moscow.

Bykov was captain of the last Russian team to win the world championship. That was 14 years ago. The nation’s hockey fans say it’s time to end the run of bad form at the World Championship.

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