Bob Hartley talks about his holidays adaptation from afar

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Jeff Drouin
December 24, 2021 (11:57)

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When you are a Quebec hockey coach and you are coaching on the Russian side (KHL) in this pandemic, it's not possible to spend a Christmas with the whole family. This is the case of Bob Hartley, who has coached the Omsk Avangard since 2018.

For Hartley, this is a situation he has been facing for a long time, but he finds a way to celebrate Christmas with his people, thanks to technology.

"Over the course of my career, I've missed a lot of events. Graduations, concerts. But it doesn't just happen in hockey. I would certainly like to be there, especially now that I'm a grandpa, but I talk to them two or three times a day, every day.

And by spending an hour or two on FaceTime at Christmas, it's like I'm here, minus the glue and the kisses! I live it as best I can.» - Bob Hartley

This is also the life of head coach of a professional hockey team that plays at a distance of about 7,000 kilometers from home. But, as the greats say, there is a solution to all problems.

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