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But while the skaters were making history together, Shpilband and Zoueva's relationship started to come apart in 2012. Zoueva told the skaters that Shpilband wanted to coach students exclusively and that that would affect their training and ice time. Shpilband denies this and says he was blindsided by the questions about his commitment and dedication to his students. He says that Zoueva was scheduling training sessions without consulting him and that there were "lots of lies in the story--people and skaters [got] manipulated."
As the coaches continued to feud--including in a public argument in the arena's lobby--the rink's management asked Davis and White whom they would choose if the coaches split. They chose Zoueva, so Shpilband was fired. He sued, Davis and White were deposed, and although the case was settled, the bitter feelings remain. "I don't have any relationship with her," Shpilband says.
Only Chock and Bates opted to move one suburb north with Shpilband to the Novi Ice Arena, and they said their training didn't miss a beat. The skaters who stayed with Zoueva have been mum about the split but are still on good terms with Shpilband. "I don't regret anything that I have done," he says. "Life goes on. I'm really happy to see Meryl and Charlie and Tessa and Scott and the Shibutanis succeeding. We spend so many years together, and you give not just your time but your life and your passion. That's not going away. I will always be cheering for them."