LOOK INSIDE: SKA DEVELOPMENT CAMP

Daniel Bochner runs player development for SKA St. Petersburg and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (FHR).

A swift glance at the SKA Saint Petersburg development camp roster can be likened to gazing inside of a crystal ball. The youngsters who took to the ice this July are an apparition of Team Russia’s future roll call—Marchenko, Askarov, Podkolzin, Morozov, Galenyuk. And the list goes on.

While a crystal ball is tantalizing because of its opacity, the SKA system is alternatively (and refreshingly) transparent. The Petersburg pipeline of talent could be made of glass, with more likely counterparts found in soccer—FC Barcelona’s La Masia is one that comes to mind. Coaches across the MHL, VHL and KHL squads collaborate to develop the system’s players from juniors to pro, providing a well-lit runway for Russia’s future stars to chart their ascent. No matter which team they represent, Petersburg’s top youngsters are invited to a development camp each summer that marks a recalibration of their path for the year. It is as much preseason training for the players as it is for the coaches, who outline the goals for each respective prospect prior to leading their main camps.

The relationship between SKA and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (FHR) is well-documented. SKA’s coaching staff is frequently a mirror image of the National Team bench, and SKA general manager Roman Rotenberg heads the management group for Team Russia. The results of his leadership are self-evident in the nation’s trophy cases: Russia’s men are reigning Olympic Champions, and the hotly-anticipated World Juniors team captured a silver medal in Ostrava this January. Russia’s youth defeated the U.S. and Canada for victories at the 2020 Lausanne Winter Youth Olympic Games and the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup—perhaps another stolen glimpse of hockey’s future. Success at any level in the Petersburg system could result in nods as close to home as the Red Machine’s top line, or as far-flung as the NHL. One of my favorite trivia questions lately is which Russian Ranger or Hartford prospect did not pass through Petersburg. There is only one answer out of an unprecedented number of Russians who grace Broadway these days—and I will leave it to you to answer.

At the nucleus of this prospect pool—which may soon produce two first-round draft picks in a row with the rise of young goaltender Yaroslav Askarov—is Daniel Bochner, a Canadian development coach whose reach can be found from the Neva to the Potomac. NHL Network recently touted Bochner’s work with Capitals winger Tom Wilson, whose slick round robin goal versus Boston was attributed to time spent under the Toronto native’s tutelage. Hart Trophy finalist and New York Rangers celebutante Artemi Panarin also logged minutes with Bochner last summer, a homecoming for the undrafted star who was instrumental in St. Petersburg’s 2015 Gagarin Cup championship. Bochner sat down with me from the Sochi Hockey Open, where his young charges were competing on behalf of both SKA’s KHL squad and Russia’s U20 selection, coached by Detroit Red Wings legend Igor Larionov. We discussed the ethos behind SKA’s development process, prospects to watch for this season and Bochner’s interesting road to Russia.

Gillian Kemmerer (GK): I spoke with Sergei Fedorov last season, who outlined his hopes for more CSKA prospects to remain in Russia until their early twenties. Do you feel that there is an optimal path or timeline for a young Russian player's development at home?

Daniel Bochner (DB): I think it's individual. If they stay in Russia, where are they staying? And what is the development system and model within the team and program? That is going to be the foundation for whether or not they should stay here. I think that the advisors of these players—whether it's their agents or their parents—are going to look at those things. Within the SKA system, we've tried to develop a model that's going to be very attractive and beneficial for the player to stay.

I am fortunate to work with all of the teams within our system. There is a collaborative approach between myself and the coaching staff in regards to player development. We have robust conversations and strategic planning about our players and work to create a roadmap for every one of them. With this approach, we can best develop our players and progress them through our system. Ultimately, what's beneficial for the players is going to be helpful for SKA. The better we can develop our players as individuals, the better they're going to play for us as a collective on our teams.

GK: Who are some of the players that had a suite of options, but ultimately decided to stay? What kept them in Saint Petersburg?

DB: There are a lot of examples in our team—guys like Vasily Podkolzin, Kirill Marchenko and Danila Galenyuk—who have gone through our system and have decided to stay here. These guys could have all gone and played Major Junior in North America, but decided it was best to stay here based on our system. Now they're playing big minutes in the KHL, and they're having a lot of success. Podkolzin was drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft, Marchenko and Morozov in the second. They're still generating a lot of North American attention, but they're being developed at home, able to stay within their own culture, closer to their families at a young age. Often, when we look at player development, we only look at the technical, the tactical, and the physical pieces. But I think one thing that's great about the development model we have is that we've taken a multidisciplinary approach. There's a big cognitive and holistic piece to that.

GK: Do you feel that we set unrealistic expectations on young prospects, particularly with regard to how early they make the jump abroad?

DB: When you're fifteen, sixteen, seventeen years old, a lot of times, because of the size and ability of these kids, we look at them like they're adults. But I think for any fifteen, sixteen or seventeen-year-old kid, to leave his home and go across the world to a different culture, to a different environment, to a different way of doing things—it can be tough. If you're not solid mentally off the ice, if you're concerned about something, if you're missing home, if you're worried about your family, if you're having a tough time with a new culture, with the city you're living in—it’s going to impact your on-ice performance. It's going to affect your ability to feel secure and develop.

We're always making sure that the players understand from the mental side that this is a great place to stay. It's positive to be close to your support network, which allows you to focus on the things you need to focus on without having to deal with all those external factors that might affect your core responsibilities as a hockey player. I think putting all of those things in place, we've created something here that is incomparable in Russia, but not just within Russia. I don't think there's a system like this in the world, even in North America, where you can go through the process of playing junior to pro, into high-level pro, while being watched and developed within that same system.

I think what SKA has created here is a pretty unique model. We now have proof of concept with the number of players going to the NHL, playing on the Russian National Team, or the players that are growing up through the system and then are able to make an impact at the KHL level.

GK: Igor Shestyorkin made waves when he arrived to the Rangers organization as a contender for the top goaltending spot. There have been some high-profile flame-outs of hotly-anticipated Russian prospects in recent years. What made the difference in a case like his?

DB: Hockey is a late-specialization sport; usually, hockey players peak anywhere between twenty-six and twenty-eight years old. When players make the jump at an early age, if they're not a high-end talent, there are many external factors at play—whether it's the way they're viewed in that North American organization, how the upper management considers them, how the coach sees them, how they integrate into the team and the culture. It can be difficult, especially if it comes when there's still a lot of growth potential in the player.

Some of these guys that have progressed through the SKA system—and spent a lot of time maturing, growing, developing and gaining experience at the junior and the pro level—are much better prepared to make that jump, whether that be across the pond, or going from a KHL player to being an impact KHL player, or to being an impact player for the Russian National Team on the international stage. We try to make certain players understand that the longer they stay within our system, within our model, the higher chance of success they're going to have down the road.

GK: Let's talk about some of the exciting names in the SKA stable this season. Kirill Marchenko is a great place to start. Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick, top line winger at World Juniors…

DB: Kirill is a talent. Great, great kid, extremely hardworking, very open and humble, and continually working on his game. He's got an athletic frame; he’s tall and he's lean. Once he fills out a little bit and gets stronger, he's going to be dangerous, but his level of skill—whether it's his hands, whether it's his shot or his skating ability—is tremendous.

Last year, coming out of the World Juniors and being on the top line and driving a lot of the offense, I think it gave him, [Vasily] Podkolzin and [Ivan] Morozov a lot of confidence. He then got the opportunity to play in the KHL in a more prominent role and had success within that capacity. I'm excited about his ability to have a significant impact in this league and our team based on what we saw last year, based on his development curve and how he's progressing. We don't think he's anywhere near where he's going to be, but he's definitely at a stage in his career where he's going to be a big help for SKA.

GK: Yaroslav Askarov stole a lot of the headlines at World Juniors, despite not having his best tournament. I recently chatted with his national team coach Nikolai Khabibulin, who said that he thought Askarov had the makings of an elite goalie. What has been your experience?

DB: He's another great kid—very humble, always working hard. I think you can look at his experience at the World Juniors from a micro perspective and say, "Okay, you didn't have the best tournament." If you make that lens a little wider and look at his performances at a macro level, I think he's been hugely successful on every team he's been on and has shown that he's a high-end talent. He's another player that is not anywhere near where he's going to be, and I think he's going to be another first-round pick, so that will be two first-round picks in a row for SKA. He's still a precious resource for us.

As I mentioned, the thing that sets these kids apart is how humble they are. They don't have the ego and come to work every day. They understand that there's still a lot of growth opportunity for them and a long road ahead. And to me, a lot of these guys—Podkolzin, Marchenko, Askarov—are focused on getting to the next level.

GK: Vasily Podkolzin has stepped up in a big way this year, on and off the ice. I noticed he was leading the charge for community service during the COVID-19 crisis.

DB: He is somebody that has a vast amount of character. What I like about Podkolzin is his mix of skills. He's not your typical Russian player. He has a little bit of a Canadian hockey player in him, if you will, where he's an elite forechecker. He's excellent defensively. His ability to track down guys and make contact is unbelievable. He's tenacious in his battles. He's a fierce, fierce competitor. He hates to lose, and he wants to win. He's not afraid to try to put the team on his back. He's a natural leader in that sense, which I think reflects in some of his off-ice habits that we discussed.

I think he's going to be a special player in the years to come. He can score and make plays and be effective on the offensive end. But to me, what makes him unique, is what he does when he doesn't have the puck. If you play 95% of the game without the puck, it's essential what you're doing without it. Whether it's backchecking, whether it's tracking guys, whether it's on the forecheck, whether it's winning battles to get the puck—he is tenacious, and I think a great example for everybody. He understands the game at a high level, and obviously, he's mature beyond his years from a cognitive perspective. With Podkolzin, we've focused on that technical piece—getting his skating better, elevating his core skills. He's another guy that had a big boost last year. He was able to take his play at the World Juniors level and carry it into the KHL.

GK: Is there anyone I haven't mentioned yet that you think we should all be keeping an eye out for this season?

DB: I like Danila Galenyuk too—he’s a 2000 defenseman. He's another guy that came up through Neva [SKA's VHL team], and he also played on the World Juniors team. Last year, he had a tremendous season for us as a defenseman at a young age, and was able to be remarkably consistent on the back end. I think that was a great surprise for the coaches. I was extremely happy for him because he's a kid that's been working very hard since I got here.

GK: Take me through an average day at SKA's development camp.

DB: What I am proud of in development camp—and I think SKA's the first team to set up something like this across their whole chain of teams—is that we've created something special for all the staff and all the players involved within the organization. There's a lot of pre-camp planning amongst all coaches. We have coaches representing all teams within SKA—coaches from 1946 [SKA's junior team], coaches from SKA Neva, and coaches from the KHL team. It's an excellent opportunity for dialogue and analysis of all the players on the ice.

We have a video session in the morning to discuss the technical and tactical components of the skills that we're going to be working on with the group that day. We'll talk about our skill curriculum and how it benefits both the individual and the team. We go from video to on-ice and work on those specific set skills. Mindset and our approach to practice are other focus points. There's a lot of context behind our on-ice sessions and development approach.

GK: What are the intended takeaways for both players and coaches before they head to their respective main camps?

DB: It's about making sure that the players understand that within SKA, we are concerned about them as individual people, their development as players, and that they know that we have a plan. The coaches continuously communicate the program, and everyone's working together to make sure accountability is there. It's not just about 1946, Neva, or the KHL team doing well. It's about developing the individual components. When players feel that the club is mindful about them and has taken steps to nurture them as individuals, and as players, you get a lot more from them.

Every day, there's a pre-meeting and post-meeting with the coaches about what we're seeing. What are some of the things that we need to address throughout the season? And I think that's one of the great things about the development camp: it sets the foundation for evaluating, analyzing, and creating those plans to develop individuals throughout the season.

GK: I have heard from a lot of coaches—and players, for that matter—that the why of a drill is equally, if not more important, to communicate than the details of the drill itself. Do you agree?

DB: The new generation of players is continuously exposed to media and an abundance of information. There's a thirst for knowledge and understanding that maybe wasn't there before within the culture. I feel it's a critical bridge within coaching. It's not just about having a great program, but connecting with them as individuals to make they understand the why behind the what.

GK: Nearly every Russian in the New York Rangers system has passed through SKA in recent years. What do you think is the main factor, aside from the fact that the heritage Leningrad jerseys are identical to the Rangers' threads?

DB: [Laughs] I was going to say, it's probably just the jersey! I think I've counted nineteen free agent signings from SKA to the NHL. Whether it's [Alexander] Barabanov going to the Leafs, whether it's [Nikita] Gusev going to New Jersey, whether it's [Nikolai] Prokhorkin going to LA. We had [Alexei] Melnichuk, one of our goalies, signed in San Jose. Artyom Zub just signed in Ottawa. Shestyorkin in New York. There have been so many since I've been here—the amount of free-agent signings to various NHL teams has been just unbelievable. SKA players continue to be an attractive option to many NHL teams. I'm sure there are a lot of guys that have opted to stay in SKA that could've signed in the NHL.

GK: Lastly, what was your path to Russia? I find expat coaches and players always have an interesting story about what led them to the KHL.

DB: Through my academy in Toronto, I was coming to Russia for a long time and running a lot of master classes and development camps. One of the first things I did in Russia was a lecture. I did a conference on youth development of ice hockey players at the university here in Saint Petersburg. I then ran a master class for SKA Saint Petersburg—not the pro teams, but all youth teams.

A couple of years ago, they asked me to come and run the development camp for SKA. I was only supposed to go and do a couple of weeks, but I ended up signing a long-term deal. I was blown away by the facilities and the infrastructure. For somebody who's in development, it was astonishing to see everything you need to create a robust development system and model.

It was a player development dream, so the opportunity was attractive to stay here and build upon what was already in place.

You can find Daniel Bochner on Twitter and Instagram. All photos and videos in this article are courtesy of Bochner and SKA.