Postseason Press Conference
03.04.2026
On April 3, a press conference was held by Neftekhimik General Director Igor Larionov, Neftekhimik Sports Director Anton Marchinsky, Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin and Reaktor Acting Head Coach Ilnar Misbakhov.
Neftekhimik General Director Igor Larionov:
– We have agreed to extend Igor Grishin's contract for another two years. I rate the overall result as positive, and I believe that this coaching staff will be able to improve on this result next season.
Neftekhimik General Director Igor Larionov:
– We played well, the team made it through the season without any prbolems, and there was a good chemistry between the team, team staff and coaching staff. The team's statistics have improved compared to last season.
We weren't able to get past Avangard, but we showed great character, fought hard, and the guys fought through pain and painkillers; they are true heroes. The guys gained invaluable experience; for many of them, this was their first playoffs.
Neftekhimik General Director Igor Larionov:
– About VHL club we'll be working with, we're not working on this matter yet. After the season is over, we'll analyze our entire partnership, see what we've accomplished, and then jointly decide whether to continue working with Izhstal or another club.
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin:
– It was not a secret that I want to stay with the team. We've developed a complete understanding with the management; they give us a chance to work, didn't bother us with unnecessary questions. On the contrary, they give useful advice, and the coaching staff felt calm and comfortable. We had some not-so-great games, but that's okay. We worked together to reach the right level, and I liked the city, so I was happy to extend my contract. I'm happy to work here.
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin:
– For this team's first season, with a new staff, new demands, and new conditions, things didn't go smoothly right away. There were some difficulties in preseason games and at the start of the season, but we got used to each other and established a good atmosphere. There were some downturns, we had some one-goal streaks, but overall, we had a strong season, identified our leaders, developed our young players. For example, Sevastian Sokolov came into his own during the season, and many others improved. We hope to continue to nurture the young guys from Reaktor and the VHL. We need to strengthen our team in targeted ways. There were times when we weren't scoring enough. We'll be looking for forwards who can capitalize on opportunities to inject fresh blood."
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin:
– For me, a great result isn't the first round of the playoffs, but at least a podium finish. Personally, my teams' results have always been better than the first round, so this is definitely not the limit. A good result can only be discussed in the context of a team's development; some things worked, others didn't. In some areas, we lacked experience.
I liked that we fought to the end. Only one game in the playoffs was a real failure; all the others were close calls. In Game 5, we were down eight seconds. There were a lot of guys on the ice at that point who were playing in the playoffs for the first time. Perhaps we should have played a little closer to the net in that episode. But everything comes with experience. Next year, we'll be stronger; we're trying to instill that in our guys.
Neftekhimik Sports Director Anton Marchinsky:
– Nobody was happy with the outcome of the series against Avangard; the locker room was deathly silent. We wanted to bring the series to our home arena, and then we would have had a chance. But the overall effort was good, and the fans were pleased with the team's performance. We will strive to improve the result.
We understand that this is impossible without strengthening, and we are counting on our players to improve, but we also need targeted reinforcements. We are working to strengthen the offensive line and add depth to the defense. Everything is in defense. Every year, the goals are set higher.
Neftekhimik Sports Director Anton Marchinsky:
– What about foreign players? What's the point of filling foreign positions just for the sake of filling them? If there's a strong foreign player, we would sign him, and we'll see. Looking at the trends of recent years, who has come to our league at a high level, with NHL experience? Perhaps Kevin Labanc and Daniel Sprong. We have plenty of Russian players who can play on the second and third lines. We would sign truly strong players from abroad, but we don't have any.
Reaktor Acting Head Coach Ilnar Misbakhov:
– Reaktor got best power play of this season among all JHL teams. Four Reaktor players – Muissu, Reshetnikov, Krivolapov, and Sokolov, were called up to the main team (Neftekhimik) during the season.
You can watch the full video version of the press conference below:
