By Yegor Glebov
Canadian Glen Hanlon arrived in Minsk from abroad on August 10th and immediately began work. He has approved a plan of training for the national squad, with the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation, in readiness for the 2014 IIHF Championship in Minsk, and has chosen his coaching staff.
Eduard Zankovets boasts huge experience of working with the national squad, having been head coach from 2010-2011, as well as assistant to the head coach from 2005-2009. Mr. Zankovets helped Mr. Hanlon at the World Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2009.
From 2005-2007, Mr. Zankovets headed the Belarusian junior team (U-20) and led it to the elite division in December 2005. He has also played in four world championships, for the national squad, in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2002, alongside two Olympiads in 1998 and 2002. In 1993, Mr. Zankovets was named the country’s best hockey player.
Oleg Mikulchik will be working with Mr. Hanlon for the first time but has liaised with Mr. Zankovets in the past, being an assistant to the head coach of the Belarusian junior national squad for the 2006/2007 season. In the 2010/2011 season, Mr. Mikulchik was head coach of the junior national team, but failed to lead his trainees to the elite group, losing to Latvia in a home match during the World Championship in Bobruisk (in 2011). Before joining the national squad, Mr. Mikulchik conducted two seasons in Ukraine and played for the Belarusian national team in four World Championships — in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2005 — as well as in the 2002 Olympiad.
