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Bob Hartley has had a busy coaching career. The 64-year-old has coached the Avalanche, Thrashers and Flames in the NHL, but was also seen in Russia with Omsk Avangard a few years ago.

That said, after the 2021-22 season, Hartley announced his retirement. He remained an advisor with Avangard, but was no longer a full-time coach.

Well, all that has just changed, because according to reports from Russia, Hartley has just accepted a new position as head coach. He’ll be taking the helm of Lokomotiv in the KHL.

We’re talking about the defending champions.

Sport-Express, a Russian-based media outlet, shared the information.

Of course, all this comes as a surprise, because we know that the coach didn’t seem to want another job behind the bench. But at the same time, when you get to know the man, it’s not necessarily a surprise to see him accept a new coaching position: after all, Bob Hartley eats hockey.

Lokomotiv is also Alexander Radulov’s team. There had been rumors of a possible retirement for the forward, but in recent weeks we learned that he would play another year with Lokomotiv.

This means that, after Ilya Kovalchuk, Hartley will be managing another former Russian forward for the Habs.

You have to wonder what all this means for Hartley’s various media collaborations in Quebec. We know he’s a regular on RDS and BPM Sports, and we’ll have to see if he retains those positions now that he’s back as head coach.

But for now, let’s wish him the best of luck in his new role. Because when Bob Hartley is behind the bench, all is right with the world of hockey, hehe.


In Overtime

– Christian Fischer announces his retirement at the age of 28.

Nick Suzuki enjoying his summer.

– Coming up.

– They sorely need it.

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

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