President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Luc Tardif in an interview with TASS spoke about the advice he used to lead the organization. He shared his view about the situation with the suspension of Russian and Belarusian teams from international tournaments and spoke about the experience he got from his predecessor Rene Fasel.
Mr. Tardif, you came to the IIHF nearly 15 years ago, when you were just a member of the competition committee. What professional and life lessons as a man and a manager did you get during this period?
When I started, you are right here, you've got the right information. I started with the competition committee because I'm a sport guy, so players, coaches, so I'm always interested by sport and the competition itself. So that was my entrance into the IIHF and in 2010 when Rene Fasel was elected in the council as a member, he asked me to take the lead of the finance department as a treasurer. I've got the experience because of my professional path in the construction company I get used to handle money if I can say. So between 10 years, I had some good experience working close to the president, how to solve problems and the issue, and it gave me good experience in the global leading of an international federation. And now I’m president. I think that’s a kind of job you can’t jump into.
We all in our life have teachers. What persons in life, sports and especially ice hockey you can call your teacher?
Not only in ice hockey, I worked for a huge building company, I had a boss, he always taught me how to solve problems and I did not have a different view to solve the problem. He said always get out of the box to see things and we can use it also for sport. But the mentorship about ice hockey. I think that's not one person. But I know the way how Hockey Canada do as an organization, not only driven by one man, that more by an organization. And as I would like to do with the IIHF, share the task, work as a team. I learn a lot about this kind of an organization and I’m trying to find the way to get out of the box a little bit and bring new breath that’s not that everything was not good, not at all. But think what is good and try to find some other way. Because I think in the modern life, we have to adapt to the players, young kids and they don't think like [when] we were kids. The world has changed. So, we have to get ready for that.
Can you call yourself so young as a chief of such a big organization, like the IIHF?
For a long time, I asked myself if I was ready to do that. I was the last candidate to come for the election. That was not a strategy or anything like that because I asked myself: can you do the job? Do you have enough experience to do the job? Finally, I said let’s go, I think I was ready for that. With the difficult start and everything I think I was ready for that. I like the job.
I know that president of the International Ice Hockey Federation - that’s not only give trophy, flowers, do [a] speech, you have to solve problems, but I want to do this, as a team with the council.
As a former IIHF treasurer, IIHF financial committee chairman now you should calculate each International Federation step, you agree I think. How can it help you and the IIHF in that difficult situation in the ice hockey in the world?
At the moment, I'm not treasurer but I still got the view but I've got a new treasurer. So that means I've got some other issue and so that means when I said we have to share the job, but we've got more than only a financial issue for this time. We have too on the legal side. We have to make sure with an insurance when there is a lot of adaptation we can capitalize. That's important. Also have some when you cancel events, you have some appeal, claim, we have to protect ourselves. So that's important for the future. And that's not only a question of finance. That’s really sustainability of the IIHF and sometimes that's not only final, that’s legal. That's a part of the good governance.
What kind of experience did you get from your predecessor Rene Fasel?
I think one the most important things and I was proud as a treasurer to continue his politics. Rene used to say money should go for sport and we don't have to be happy like some organization and sit down as a treasurer and say: “I’m rich.” So that means I like this philosophy because, yes, we have to be prudent for the future. So we need some funds for [a] crisis, for COVID, you need some funds to make sure that you can continue your activity. But just enough to continue activity.
And this philosophy that getting along with that. I want to continue with and the second thing, Rene also took care about bringing the family together between the high level and the lower countries. So that means that I'm getting along with that and we want to continue because that’s our job to do, expansion of our sport, more players. And that's two things we want to continue this kind of politics.
How often do you talk one by one and what questions did you ask from him often?
We didn’t talk together since the Olympic Games, but we will. Because first of all, we had our way went differently this time, but I was focused on this first Congress.
I was focused on the World Championship. We didn't play in a normal way since 2019 with spectators. So that means we had to move a tournament to Latvia in the middle of the road, we have to stop tournament in the middle of the competition of the junior, so I was focused on that, but he followed the Congress and quickly right after this Congress our lead is coming about the way we want to go. I want to go my own way but I will ask what he thinks about that. I will not ask him to protect me, I don’t want, we used to have direct language with each other.
Important question for Russians, who are, including the ice hockey awards, are comparing you with Fasel, and you should be ready for the long term. I mean, after your elections in September, they waited, Russians waited that you have sympathy for Russia. Are you like Rene or not like Rene in this case?
I would like, but the circumstances are not the same, believe me that’s difficult to understand, but I want to protect. You asked me yesterday is there a motion to suspend the federations of Russia and Belarus, I will never do that.
We keep contacts, we talk to the federations. I really want to protect that because as soon as possible, we have to reconnect and restart. I think that's important because we have a good relationship with Vladislav Tretiak. He came back as a president and I know because we talked together, I congratulated him and he answered me back.
I know he's like me in a hurry to bring back Russia and Belarus to the family, and we too because a tournament without these two nations that’s not the same. And everybody knows that one day the family of ice hockey will be together.
I hope as soon as possible, but them and us we don't handle all the situation so get ready as soon as possible to come back, naturally both sides will be super happy. I hope this will happen soon.
Can you call yourself a diplomat? Do you think there are things that are hard to say yes or no to?
I think that I’ve got a part of a diplomat but after that, I have to protect my federation. But I always think that when there is a problem, first, we have to explain to each other and convince [one another] but after that you have to be online with your philosophy, and your way to approach, but never break the contact. That’s like diplomacy.
Another important question for Russia – Russian representatives took part in the congress virtually, even I feel some tension between them and the IIHF, we can read a press release after last postponements. Would it be better if somebody from Russia’s ice federation came to Tampere, so you can talk and explain to each other about the situation for a better understanding. What I mean is a live talk, you understand.
I want to be focused on sport and I wanted to control to make sure that in Congress there isn’t any protestation or political movement. And that was the price to pay. But I explained to them that before I took the decision I got in touch with personally Belarus, I got in touch with Dmitry [Executive Director of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation Dmitry Kurbatov] and Alexander [President of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation Alexander Bogdanovich]. And I explained why, they didn’t agree. With Pavel [member of the IIHF Council Bure] that's not a problem because we work together in the council, he participates in the council meetings.
They’ve got their right, we always talk about safety of our institute, safety of Belarus and Russian people also. I think the condition was not there to make sure that all our focus is on sport. So, I hope next Congress will make it clear.
In conclusion, let’s remember the World Junior Championship in Canada which was postponed to August due to COVID. This was your first big tournament. Did you feel any sort of frustration or learn a big lesson here as a president? Maybe there were some people who disappointed you?
That’s [cancellation of tournament] more than disappointment. I like to finish things, and to stop in the middle of the road the tournament of that level - but we did not have any other choice. There was Omicron COVID and it stopped the NHL Championship too. We had to stop for about a month.
But the most important thing is that at the end of the summer, all the tournaments, even those we cancelled in January will be done. So that means, yes, we had to cancel, but at the beginning of September all the tournaments and our usual activities will be done.
In that context, I'm happy. But the moment when you have to say we stop the competition believe me that's not a good moment to live, but we're still there.
Interviewed by TASS correspondent Rustam Sharafutdinov