The Philadelphia Flyers officially announced the hiring of Oleg Znarok, the most decorated coach in KHL history, on Friday, tabbing him a European player development and scouting consultant.
Znarok, 61, quickly gained notoriety online as the mystery man seen on Instagram hanging out with Russian Flyers Matvei Michkov and Ivan Fedotov in Colorado.
But after more than 600 total games behind the bench in the KHL, Znarok is now off to a new adventure in Philadelphia with the Flyers – one that has drawn heaps of praise back home in Russia.
“I welcome any of our specialists getting a job, especially in the NHL. God willing, this work will be productive and needed by the club, and Oleg Znarok will gain new experience in working as a scout. And, as far as I understand, he will also be involved in player development,” Russian agent Alexei Dementyev said. “Znarok has a wealth of experience working with national teams. That’s why everything is working out in an interesting way.
“God willing, everything will work out well, and we will be proud of another of our representatives in the NHL coaching and scouting circles.”
The main question, understandably, most Flyers fans will have is, ‘How will Znarok help Michkov?’ Michkov’s mom and brother are both with him right now, and they’ve quickly become friendly with fellow Russian Egor Zamula and Fedotov.
The expectation is that Znarok, in his official capacity with the Flyers, will serve as a sounding board for Fedotov, Zamula, and Michkov.
“They are both Russian-speaking people. When you are in a foreign country, any support and any positive communication helps a lot. The calendar and the season are tough, you will need to unload yourself psychologically,” chimed in Vladimir Plyushchev, the former head coach of the Russian national team. “If Oleg Znarok is somewhere nearby, he will be able to give advice on some issues. The fact that he works for Philadelphia allows him to contact Matvei once again. This is actually an important factor.”
