Where We Stand, as July Approaches

Our new arena's construction is underway in Shenzhen. We can’t wait to play our first game at new home! #KRS #VankeRays pic.twitter.com/ZOBx26RJ28

— HC Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star (@KRSVankeRays) June 11, 2020

KRS Vanke Rays Shenzhen of the Russian Women’s Hockey League will have a new home rink in the (hopefully) near future!

Russian hockey teams are beginning to return to the ice in preparation for the new season, with the KHL clubs starting their camps in mid-July. And while we still do not have official team lists for 2020-21, there has been some news over the past couple of months regarding which clubs are in, and which are out. Read on, as we take a preliminary look at how the various leagues in Russian hockey will look in the coming season, all being well.

Hockey and the Coronavirus: Updates

Below the jump, an attempt to put together a running list of hockey competitions that have been cancelled, suspended, or otherwise disrupted by the outbreak of COVID-19. The list will be updated, and heads-up notes etc. will be much appreciated! Read on, and do check back for further updates…

LATEST UPDATE: March 26th (international hockey update)

Finals Week in 2019! (Updated)

Saryarka Karaganda players celebrate after their remarkable performance in the VHL semifinal. (Image Source)

The KHL’s 2019 Gagarin Cup Final is set! The trophy will get a first-time name on it this season one way or the other, as CSKA Moscow get set to take on Avangard Omsk Oblast. And there will be a full preview of that series here in a couple of days. But for now, it is time to check in on the playoff doings in a number of other Russian men’s leagues, junior and senior — Read on, for a look at the approaching championships in the VHL, PVHL, MHL, and NMHL!

Links, and Many of Them!

You will notice a new link on the bar at the top of this page!  It’s a project I’ve been poking at for some time, and finally got finished, namely a list of links to the websites and social media accounts of various Russian hockey entities (leagues, associations, and teams)!  Some notes:

• Teams are mostly listed in the leagues in which they competed in 2017-18, but Lada, Ugra, and HK Tambov have been moved to the VHL table, as they are expected to compete in that league in 2018-19.  Other such changes will be made as we get official league rosters for next season.
• Over the summer, I will also be adding the teams from the Asia League and the amateur League of Women’s Hockey, and perhaps some other things as well (major media sites and the like).
• Links to websites are to the the “top-level” site for that team or organization, whatever language it may be in (usually but not always Russian).  Links to versions of the site in other languages are included.  Links to social media accounts are in the language indicated.
• Sites and accounts that have not posted new material since December 31st, 2017, are not included.
• I will be checking this and updating it regularly, but if you can fill any of the gaps on these tables, or spot any errors, please do let me know via the comments (here or at the page itself) or by e-mail (peterboriana@gmail.com).

More Finals!

Dynamo Balashikha celebrate their 2017 Bratina Cup championship on Tuesday.  (Image Source)

The KHL may have wrapped up its action for 2016-17, with SKA St. Petersburg the Gagarin Cup champions, but there are still games being played in some Russian domestic leagues.  We noted yesterday that HK Rostok had won the country’s third-tier professional men’s championship; today, the second-level VHL wrapped up its title race, so read on for a recap of that result, and some other notes as well!

Playoff Updates!

In which the puck goes from the Metallurg Magnitogorsk goal-line to the back of the Ak Bars Kazan net in three seconds, courtesy of Mister Lee and Mister Moyzakin.

The KHL’s Conference Finals are now well underway, and producing some interesting storylines to follow!  Read on, as we take a quick look at those, and get you caught up on playoff happenings in a number of other leagues as well.

Some News Notes: Schedules & the Like

Dynamo vs. Spartak at the Arkady Chernyshyov Memorial Tournament last week. (Image Source)

Time to take a quick break from the previews in order to get a little bit of news out of the way.  Schedules and full team lineups are now out for several different Russian leagues, and we have KHL pre-season hockey to talk about as well.  Unfortunately, not all of the pre-season goings-on have been of the good variety… read on!

Weekly Russian Hockey News Notes: April 4th, 2016

Team Russia celebrates after winning the Bronze Medal at the 2016 Women’s World Championship. (Image Source)

So what do we have in this week’s set of notes?  A job well done at the Women’s World Championship, the finalists for the Gagarin Cup, superstars (maybe) on the move, and all kinds of other matters… So read on!

Weekly Russian Hockey News Notes: March 29th, 2016

Goalie Anna Prugova and the Russian women’s national team prepare to take on Canada on Tuesday. (Image Source)

More news notes!  This time, we have an update on the early doings at the Women’s World Championship in Canada, and will also get you caught up on the state of the playoffs in several different leagues.  There are other matters up for discussion as well, so read on!

Weekly Russian Hockey News Notes: March 7th, 2016

He’s back!  Ilya Kovalchuk in action for SKA against Dynamo on Monday. (Image Source)

This will be a record-breaking edition of the news notes, I believe; in this one, we’re going to update you on the playoffs, championships, etc. in six different leagues.  Six!  And that’s not counting a quick peek into the NHL, either…  Read on, for those stories and others!