Tommy Lyams, former head coach of Continental Hockey League (KHL) club Salavat Yulaev, spoke about his work in the league after the start of events in Ukraine.
“It’s very unfortunate. What you said and to whom you did it was like walking a tightrope. I came out of dry water. It was the playoffs. The players left and the coach’s role is very important there. I tried to finish things well and get out of there alive. There was no direct threat to me. I guess everyone wanted to leave as soon as spring. I do not know other people’s stories, but I understand what situations you can get into there, ”says the coach illegitimate.
Since 2017 Lyamsya has been a member of the Salavat coaching team. In the spring of 2020, Fin headed the Ufa club. In the 2020/21 season, their ward reached the 1/4 final of the Gagarin Cup, where they lost to Ak Bars Kazan (0-4).
Last season, Salavat Yulaev reached the quarterfinals of the KHL playoffs, losing to Traktor Chelyabinsk (2-4).
It is worth noting that many foreign KHL players left Russia due to the situation in Ukraine. Some federations opposed the performance of hockey players in the KHL.
Alexei Sopin, former general manager of Dynamo Moscow Swedish hockey player spoke of Lilja’s desire to break his contract with the team.