MOSCOW, December 26 (Shaiba.ru) - The Seattle Bears’ season is over. After leaping over the New York Americans in the final game of the regular season to gain qualification to the play-in by virtue of finishing in fifth place, the Bears struggled against the heavily fancied Vancouver Wolves. The battle of the Pacific Seaboard was won by the Canadian side, who swept away their American counterparts in three games.
Thus ends what has been a frustrating season for many on the Seattle Bears. The management bought into strengthening their defence, through free agency moves to sign Tavish DeGroot and Alessandro Nano, and activity in the trade market to acquire Ryuji Sakamoto and Deron Nesbitt. That along with the strong play of Dusty Wilson in net made the Bears one of the top defensive teams in the VHL throughout S86.
However, this strong defensive play came at a cost, especially when it failed them, as it did in the play-in round against Vancouver. The Bears struggled mightily all season to score goals. In a rarity in the modern-day VHL, the Bears did not have a player who scored more than a point per game. DeGroot, a pending free agent, was the team’s top scorer with 65 points. Hulk Hogan 2, who moved from defence to centre, put in a solid two-way effort, but only managed 34 goals and 64 points in total.
The lack of scoring depth on Seattle’s second line was clear for all to see. Down the depth chart, it was often the case that Chip Stone, who had 38 points, was left to carry the pail for rookie Yaroslav Bogatyrev and Black MacTavish, the latter of whom managed just 14 points in 72 games.
Speaking of Bogatyrev, Shabia.ru sat down with the Russian forward, who returned to his homeland for the New Year holidays following the Bears’ elimination from the postseason.
Shaiba.ru: Thanks for your time Yaroslav. Your rookie season in the VHL is over, what conclusions have you drawn from the season that was.
Yaroslav Bogatyrev: Always a pleasure. I think if I could sum up the season in one word, it would be frustration. I think we all wanted things to go better than they did. The mood from the management, as seen by their moves in free agency and in the trade market, was that Seattle would not be rebuilding. That the rebuild was over, and the team was in a position to be contending for a place in the playoffs. I think there were opportunities there for us to really challenge this season, but as it turns out, we’re much further away from where we want to be than we thought we were.
S: What do you think was the primary cause of the team’s struggles, particularly offensively?
YB: Look, the coaches wanted us to play to our strengths, and play a defensive style of hockey. We know that we’re a good team without the puck, and I think our metrics showed that this season. Teams didn’t really enjoy playing against us. We battled for every puck, we put our bodies on the line, and we also had Dusty in net who had a great season. The problem was, is that I don’t think there was really a plan of what to do when we had the puck. Our powerplay struggled all season, I don’t want to throw the coaches under the bus, but at times it felt that our strategies and plays weren’t working. I think that means that there is a lot to work on going forward.
If I am to speak about myself personally, then the management already knows about my views on how my season went. I don’t want to repeat them in the press, because it won’t be fair to the people involved. All I can say is that I think I’m ready to have more responsibility on this team. I think that I have shown that I can put the puck in the net [Bogatyrev had 16 goals in 72 games, ed], and it’s time that I am given the opportunities to play with players who can generate chances, or finish the chances that I can create. If I am to look at the positives, I think that a season of playing in this system has once again improved my two-way game. Perhaps when I came over to Houston in the VHLM, I was used to playing the Russian system. Sure, I cheated on defence. Now I think that I have all the tools to be a truly responsible two-way forward. For me now, after several seasons in North America, it’s time to bring the best of Russian hockey to the VHL. It’s time to unleash my offensive talent and use that to make the plays that the fans want to see, and with that, also the offense that I think this Seattle team needs.
S: Were there times throughout the season that you were looking at the Seattle roster, at how things were going, and thought ‘I don’t want to be here.’
YB: It’s difficult to speak on moving, whether that be now, or in the future. I have two more seasons with Seattle at least. At least that’s what my contract says. Whether that means I’m moved down the line by Seattle, or whether I leave by myself, that’s a story for another day. I think that I bring a lot to this team, but I know that I demand a lot from management, from coaches, from teammates. But that’s because I demand a lot from myself. I feel that I’m truly putting in all the effort I can to make myself better. If you do that, you want to see other people feel the same. Everybody has to be pulling on the rope at the same time, and if I don’t see people in Seattle doing that, well it will be time to reevaluate my future. I think there are moves that the team can make this offseason to really strengthen in a number of key areas. We need more scoring. That means that the top guys have to score more, and in the modern VHL, the second line cannot be just a shutdown line. It has to generate its own offence. The question of whether that is through new personnel, or new strategy, well, I’m not the coach.
S: How have you found your time in North America? Is there any desire in the future to move closer to home?
YB: I’m slowly but surely getting more used to life in North America. I can’t say that I particularly enjoy it. The weather in Seattle is horrible, so much rain. And there’s something about being so far away from friends and family that make it incredibly challenging for me. Throughout my junior career, my parents were able to come to almost all my games. Now they struggle to even watch them on TV because of the time difference. I think maybe later in my career I might have more of a pull to move into Europe, when I know that my days are numbered so to speak. For now though, I know that I have a job to do in Seattle. They took a chance by drafting me so highly in the draft last season, and I feel that responsibility. I can’t just turn around now and say ‘thanks guys for that but I want to do something different’. There’s a responsibility that comes with having people put their trust in you, and it’s something that I am well aware of.
S: What do you want to do during the offseason. New Year’s is close, but then also the new season will soon be with us.
YB: To a certain extent, I’m incredibly happy to be back in Russia for the New Year holidays. There’s so much that goes into it that makes this period so special. The weather is glorious, and it’s so good to see everyone after a difficult season away, in essence, on my own. I’ll enjoy the holidays, do everything that comes with it, but then I will turn my full attention into preparing for next season. I’m looking at S87 as my opportunity to make people know who Yaroslav Bogatyrev is, and why he should be considered as one of the top players in world hockey.
S: What will be your goals for the following season? Do you want Seattle to be in the playoffs? Are you targeting the Dustin Funk Trophy [for most improved player, ed.]?
YB: I don’t want to set those personal goals yet. I’ll only be in a position to do that once I realize what shape I’m in going into the season. Of course, personal accolades would be nice. It’s something that I want to look back on when I hang up the skates, whenever that will be, with pride. However, for me, I want to be on a winning team. With Houston, with Cologne, we got close, but I’ve yet to taste victory in the VHL and it’s affiliated leagues. Now it’s time to change that, and I want to think that I can do that with Seattle.
3 weeks claim as 1500+ words.
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