Three days before the start of the pre-season hockey tournament, people in multi-colored sweaters with the emblems of different clubs began to gather near the Lada Arena. Some delegates were wearing “congress” T-shirts, telling how many cities had already been affected by this event - the congress of Russian hockey fans. However, as it turned out, this time (and our city hosted this meeting before only in 2007) a delegation from Riga came. I don’t know how long ago foreign fans began to attend conventions, but this is not so important, because the forum is informal. This does not mean at all that anyone can come there - there is an organizing committee, quotas, and selection. For example, there may be 1-2 fans of a club that is “delegating” its representatives to the congress for the first time, but they can hold the congress only after two years, if, again, it is approved by the council of the most experienced (as they call themselves) congresses.

If you met him in...

Of course, in this crowd there are “elders” who were at all seventeen congresses (or almost all), their opinions are listened to and they are most persistently persuaded to come. The active membership of regular participants in congresses is much broader, and it is worth noting that Tolyatti residents in this environment are respected people. Many of these people meet more than once a year, but are constantly friends, come to visit, sometimes travel together, meet each other when one team plays in the other’s city, and the fans, accordingly, go “away”. This friendship has been tested over the years and is not questioned. During this time, some started families and had children, and some couples formed on trips and at conventions. This community has nothing to do with official organizations and even fan clubs, which is why they hold their conventions according to their own traditions, formed over the years. One of them - sport competitions between the teams “East” and “West”, assembled by analogy with the Eastern and Western conferences of the Kontinental Hockey League.

So the congress in Tolyatti immediately began with hockey match between Yasha’s team and Zoma’s team (this time it was not possible to divide the players strictly into west and east). The only fans at the Lada Arena during this uncompromising, although not very serious, match were the participants of the congress, who vigorously supported their teams. Although at times it seemed that the audience rejoiced at any goal. It’s probably worth making a footnote that at the congress the names of the participants are used equally with pseudonyms (nicknames), in particular, Zoma is Azamat Shamsiyarov from Ufa, one of the most respected congress members. The main referee of the match was Plokhish, and the referee who constantly fell funny on the ice was Donbass. Usually they write about such friendly fights: “Friendship won,” but nothing like that happened! Yasha’s team defeated their opponent with a score of 5:1, and everyone, happy, went on an excursion and then to the camp site. As a rule, congresses are held either at tourist centers/boarding houses, or in nature, as, for example, in 2008 on the Belaya River near Ufa.

And non-existent...

In the evening of the first day, the opening of the congress took place, at which the representative of Moscow transferred a symbolic fire from a lighter to a lighter to the representative of Tolyatti - Alexey Leshchenko, who is the leader of the Tolyatti congresses (and for many years was the chairman of the Lada HC fan club). Delegations from different cities and clubs took turns taking the stage: Omsk, Yekaterinburg, Khabarovsk, Kazan, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Cherepovets, Sochi, Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk, Riga and others. Of course, with the advent of Latvians, I would like to call it a forum of KHL fans, but even here it’s beside the point: delegates from clubs from other leagues regularly participate in the congress, in particular, this year fans of the clubs “Izhstal”, “Sarmaty” (Orenburg), SKA- Karelia. This may seem strange, but for many years fans of now defunct clubs - Khimik (Voskresensk) and Gazprom-OGU (Orenburg) - have been participating in the conventions, but for the convention this is the norm.

A total of 88 delegates took part in the Togliatti forum. What did the program include? In addition to the hockey match, there were football and volleyball matches, in both matches the Vostok team won, as well as the so-called “baby football”, where girls from western conference were able to take revenge for the defeat of men. Tastings of strong alcoholic products are considered traditional events at the congress (you can’t take words out of a song; tasting of vodka, for example, takes place in two rounds!), and this is very serious; winning in this humorous category is considered prestigious. This time, balms and vodka brought from Novokuznetsk left no chance for competitors.

Extreme wit

Permanent leader of all mass events(openings, closings, etc.) has been a showman from Kazan, Mahmud, for many years. When you listen to his often vulgar statements (and Mahmud uses any vocabulary) with glimpses of genuine sparkling humor, the first time it is a little awkward and very funny. The second time it somehow starts to get boring, but years later it is taken for granted, although it’s less funny. Why do I know this? This is my fourth fan convention (I attended two conventions from beginning to end), so I can judge. It is people like Mahmud who possess the fullness of the congress traditions and experience. When the newcomers took the stage to take an oath to honor the traditions of the congress, the leader Once again advised: “Don’t get drunk! Otherwise you won’t remember anything about your first congress!” In response to one of the participants, Mahmud retorted: “Why are you saying this? Do you think she likes fat men?” I don’t undertake to quote anything else; I already wrote as carefully as possible about a community that from the outside may seem marginal. But these are very worthy and kind people who spend their time like this at their own expense (although the “organizations” still have to look for partners for the convention in order to conduct everything “on the level”). Unlike football fans, hockey fans do not fight among themselves, but are strong friends. So much so that they enjoy communicating for three or four days in a row.

The congress has one more rule: if you receive a complaint from at least one person, you will be kicked out of the congress. I don’t know if this is true, I think I heard that someone was once expelled, but I didn’t see it myself. The next congress, already the 18th in a row, will take place in Yekaterinburg, it was announced at the closing, but for a few more days I came across some delegates at the Lada Arena, some stayed to support their teams at the Lada Cup, and others - because we missed hockey over the summer. Or maybe they just don’t want to part?

Link to news     Download video 07/18/2018

All-Russian Congress of Hockey Fans in Novokuznetsk

Today Novokuznetsk hosts the annual All-Russian congress of hockey fans representing various clubs playing in professional leagues. This is the first time such an event has been held in our city.

The ice arena of the Kuznetsk Metallurgists was noisy and crowded today! Novokuznetsk is hosting the traditional All-Russian Fans' Congress! Hockey fans of various types came to our city KHL clubs and VHL to be surprised again in person, have a great conversation and just have a great time. The fans were very happy about the Novokuznetsk match.

The geography of fans who came to the annual convention, which Novokuznetsk was honored to host, is diverse. Here are representatives of KHL clubs, both the eastern and western conferences, as well as Major League. The composition of which, in particular, not of its own free will, like “Metallurg” a year ago, has now been replenished by the Khanty-Mansiysk “Ugra”. Russian clubs V Continental League is getting smaller.

Asya BORODINEVSKAYA, fan of the Ugra team (Khanty-Mansiysk): “It seems to me that, on the contrary, domestic clubs should be left, and not those foreign clubs. We must show ours Russian hockey on high level, and not so that we are relegated to the lower leagues.”

Novokuznetsk fans, who have been participants in the convention for several years now, this time acted as organizers. By the way, one of the veterans of this movement, Magnitogorsk resident Alexey Chernyadyev, upon his arrival in our city, revealed a little secret of how the idea of ​​holding an All-Russian congress was born. And Novokuznetsk, as it turns out, occupies an important place in this story!

Alexey CHERNYADYEV, fan of the Metallurg team (Magnitogorsk): “It was 1999-2000, we came to the Steel Cup, there was such a tournament in Novokuznetsk, where the “metallurgical” teams played. We've been coming here for 2 years. And so, in 2000, we were driving home, returning, and one of our comrades said: Listen, let’s organize a theme: we’ll gather hockey fans once a year.” Moreover, in Novokuznetsk we were greeted so well by the local guys! And so we decided to organize such a gathering of online hockey fans. Wrote - people supported. And now the 19th Congress is taking place. But it all started in Novokuznetsk.”

For out-of-town hockey fans Novokuznetsk fans We have prepared an interesting and varied program. Starting from excursions and competitions to trips into nature, where all the necessary conditions for emotional communication will be created.

Changes in the entire system of the army club, by inertia, also affected Zvezda. Due to the fact that CSKA moved to the “Park of Legends”, the army farm in the VHL also changed its location, whose home is now the CSKA LDS on Leningradsky Prospekt. By the way, they have also undergone disturbances coaching staffs all three teams of the CSKA system. After the final series with Ak Bars, Igor Nikitin’s assistants changed, and Vladimir Chebaturkin and Albert Leshchev were sent to Zvezda and Red Army, respectively.

These personnel reshuffles will definitely strengthen the vertical of the system’s clubs. Chebaturkin, for example, has been working there for four seasons already, during which time the capital club has become a bronze medalist KHL, reached the finals of the Gagarin Cup twice, and also won the Continental Cup three times. V.V. Tikhonov.

TWO CUPS FOR TWO WINNERS, FIRST ROUND UP TO THREE WINS, NEW PARTICIPANTS AND CALENDAR

In the 2018/19 season, 29 clubs will compete for the championship. Sputnik left the league, and Kunlun Red Star Heilongjiang will continue to perform, changing its name to KRS-OERJI. Lada, Yugra and Tambov joined the VHL.

Also, the league will now award two trophies to two different winners: the Silk Road Cup will go to the winning team of the regular season, and the Petrov Cup will go to the winner of the playoffs. The playoff format has changed slightly. In order to pass the first round, it is now enough to win three victories instead of four.

The long-awaited season will open on September 5 in St. Petersburg, where, according to the old Russian tradition, a reconstruction of the final will take place: Dynamo will host SKA-Neva in Yubileiny. And the very next day several fans are waiting interesting matches, including several other derbies, many of which will become premieres: “Saryarka” - “Torpedo”, “Rubin” - “Yugra”, CSK VVS - “Lada”, as well as the “VHL classic” - the confrontation between “Buran” and “ Ryazan".

CONGRESS OF HOCKEY FANS IN NOVOKUZNETSK

The 19th congress of hockey fans was held in Novokuznetsk, where fans of clubs from three leagues gathered - KHL, VHL, MHL. Such events have been held since 2000. As a sign of support for Metallurg, expelled from the KHL, they decided to organize the current congress in Novokuznetsk.

The forum began near the Kuznetsk Metallurgists Arena and continued outside Novokuznetsk. At the Yuzhnaya recreation center, fans not only communicated in a friendly atmosphere, but also competed in various competitions, such as a culinary battle and a hockey ditty competition.

CSK VVS: REBRANDING

Everything new is well forgotten old, they say at the Samara club. CSK VVS decided to return to its roots, changed the colors and returned the emblem used by the club from 1996 to 2017. The logo concept hasn't changed much. The “pilots” game jerseys will, as before, be decorated with an upward winged star with the inscription “CSK VVS”, which will now acquire more airy outlines and a new white and blue color scheme. The colors of the sweaters were also changed. The main colors of the jersey are white and blue, and the secondary colors are red and blue. As the club explained, the colors of the Samara province were used in the design.

MUSATOV - IN "BURAN"

For the entire month of August, Buran will receive a new striker for free. In order to get in shape and get playing practice, Igor Musatov will join the Voronezh team in the Lipetsk region, having signed a trial contract with Dynamo Moscow, the head club of the Hurricanes, for one month.

The 30-year-old forward missed last season, and in his last club - Slovan Bratislava in the 2016/17 season - he scored 8 (6+2) points, 10 penalty minutes and a usefulness rating of “+10”.

ON THE COACHING BRIDGE “TSENG TOU” - ANDREY KIRDYASHOV

Despite the first and immediately successful season, in which the Jilin squad managed to make it to the playoffs, the club delayed extending the employment relationship with Sergei Berdnikov, and from March to July the team was left without a helmsman. On July 26, the Chinese club signed a one-year contract with Andrey Kirdyashov. Andrei Pavlovich is a real old-time coach in the VHL, working since the very dawn of the League. His highest achievement was the Bratina Cup final

together with Saryarka, however, in the last Petrov Cup, Kirdyashov failed to take Rubin to the playoffs, so Tseng Tou is a new challenge, a new motivation. Dmitry Andreev will help Kirdyashov.

VHL Press Service

Decision of the week. Jokerit and SKA will play outdoors

The regular season match between Jokerit and SKA on December 2, 2017 will take place outdoors. The initiative to hold the game in an unusual format belonged to Jokerit. The match will be timed to coincide with three anniversaries at once: the Finnish club turns 50 next season, Finnish hockey turns 100, and the Continental hockey league celebrates its 10th anniversary. The game must take place on natural ice bay between the urban areas of Siltasaari and Kaisaniemi. It was there that the first Finnish hockey fans played more than 100 years ago.

As part of the event, which is called the “Helsinki Ice Challenge”, on December 5, 2017, a match of the Finnish regular championship will take place at the same place. Grandstands with 18,000 seats will be built especially for these games, which will set a league record for attendance. Almost all seats are expected to be standing. Ticket sales for the match started on June 8.

Number of the week. 12 clubs have debt to players

Transfers of the week. Seven newcomers of “Kunlun” and Ivannikov in “Lada”

Last week, clubs were active in the transfer market. Goalkeeper SKA Evgeniy Ivannikov moved to Lada.

Metallurg extended the contract with the Finnish striker Oscar Osala for one year. Osala previously played in Magnitogorsk, but at the end of the 2016/17 season his contract with Metallurg expired and he became an unrestricted free agent. In addition, Magnitogorsk has added a forward Matt Ellison, who played for Dynamo Minsk.

Kunlun Red Star was also active in the transfer market. The Beijing club has been replenished Jesse Blacker, Brandon Vaughn, Brandon Defazio, Vili Sopanen And Mathias Myttynen. In addition, , who previously played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, announced on his Twitter his transfer to the Chinese team. The forward signed a two-year contract. And another newcomer to Red Star was Arturs Kulda, who previously played for Jokerit.

Defender Konstantin Korneev and Salavat Yulaev terminated the contract by agreement of the parties. Korneev spent one season in Ufa.

Good deed of the week. Neftekhimik students visited a children's hospital

Pupils of Nizhnekamsk "Neftekhimik" Nail Yakupov, Pavel Kulikov and Bogdan Yakimov went to the local children's hospital to give a holiday to children forced summer days carried out in a medical institution. The hockey players bought gifts for the children and walked along the floors of the emergency room, getting acquainted with little patients and handing out toys, movable and Board games, balls, books and coloring books for the little ones. The children thanked the hockey players and asked to take a selfie together.

- Nobody warned us about this in advance. Everything is unexpected, and therefore doubly pleasant. Thank them so much for coming to us! The mood lifted after that. I'll probably get better faster now - little patient Tanya shared her joy.

“We organized today’s action with great desire,” said Bogdan Yakimov. - After such visits, I personally have a lot of positive emotions in my soul, it becomes somehow lighter. By the way, I would like to add that our dear “Neftekhimik” began to organize such events more and more often. I hope that we will continue to give joy to children and make ourselves happy.

Finally, the players wished all the children a speedy recovery and invited them to Neftekhimik matches next season.

For a whole year, hockey fans have been waiting for a significant event for them - the only summer event that is truly to their liking. This year the Congress took place in Yekaterinburg and lasted exactly four days. The traditional informal meeting brought together more than 100 people. They all represented different cities and leagues. Summing up the results of the past season, fans, in particular, discussed the situation that had developed in Novokuznetsk in connection with the exclusion of Metallurg from the Kontinental Hockey League.

The hockey fan convention is an annual event. In 2017, it was held 18 times in a row. The idea of ​​holding get-togethers of this kind originated with fans of Magnitogorsk Metallurg, but, remarkably, just at the moment when they were visiting here - in Novokuznetsk. Then Magnitogorsk residents came to cheer for their team, and after the match they sat down and discussed that it would be nice to organize informal meetings where hockey fans of different clubs would gather.

Now, 18 years later, only “initiates” still know about this event. Moreover, many passionately dream of getting there. As a rule, the same ones are collected from year to year. But it can’t do without newcomers. True, this is quite strict here. Once a year, only one newcomer from each team can attend the Hockey Fans Convention. And even then on the condition that this is “one of our own,” as they say, a trusted person, so as not to violate the established atmosphere and traditions with which this event grows over time.

This year three people went from Novokuznetsk. Spouses Sergei and Alena Gorelov are quite famous in the city hockey family, and another prominent representative of the fan community, Mikhail Petrik. A guy from Tomsk went with them to Yekaterinburg. He, like the rest, is a devoted fan of Metallurg.

Friendly communication was not complete without words of support addressed to Kuznya fans. We can say that hockey fans from other clubs are no less indignant than the Novokuznetsk residents themselves. What is there to hide: the KHL management has clearly expressed itself about the future fate of a number of other teams, such as the Tolyatti Lada or the Khabarovsk Amur. If now they still remain among the top echelon, then in a year their participation in the league will already be in doubt.

Sports principles are inherent even in this format of meetings. That is why there is its own Challenge Cup, which at the end of the event, by voting, is sent to the city where the next Hockey Fans' Congress will be held. It has already been decided that the 19th Congress will take place in the southern capital of Kuzbass. Not only because in 2018 Novokuznetsk will celebrate its 400th anniversary, but above all, as a sign of universal recognition of the oldest club from the friendly fraternity of domestic hockey.

Text: Elizaveta Chernyak.