“We will play all home games of the season in Norilsk.” What you need to know about the northernmost hockey club in the world

29 clubs will participate in the new season of the All-Russian Hockey League (VHL). Among them are HC Norilsk .

Immediately there were a lot of questions about the new team. How to get to Norilsk during the regular season? Where to live there? Where to play? And how do you get out of town if the weather is bad? And what about the famous Taimyr jelly?

“” asked the general director of HC “Norilsk” Yevgeny Nikitin questions. What kind of team would that be?

“We are building a new hockey arena by 2026”

— As wrote on April 4, businessman Vladimir Potanin said that a professional hockey club is being created in Norilsk for the first time in history. Only three months have passed and HC Norilsk has already been accepted into the VHL, recruited and are preparing for the season. Are you in emergency mode?

– The decision to create a team was not born in April, but much earlier. At least last year when they started talking about it. And this year, at the stellar gala match, Vladimir Olegovich announced that if everything was so good with hockey in Norilsk, then it was time to create a professional club. But the work has been going on for a long time, not three months. We don’t have an emergency. The team has been created, is training and in September we will make our VHL debut at our arena – the Arktika Sports Palace, which is being upgraded and is fully compliant with VHL regulations.

– They said that Norilsk will play mainly in the Moscow region, because Taimyr has a difficult climate, there is no flight time. Is it true ?

– What do you mean, in the suburbs? Do not comment on rumours. I responsibly declare that we will play all home games in Norilsk. The team was created for the people of Norilsk, and for at least three years we will perform at the Arktika Sports Palace.

– And then?

— A new 2,500-seat arena with two boxes will be built in our city. The planned commissioning date is 2026.

— How will the departure of the invited teams to Norilsk be ensured? In the winter, it can be -50 and flying-free weather for several days.

Nothing is more fun than talking about the weather. You can get stuck in Moscow, not fly to Murmansk, Sakhalin – anywhere. There are always natural disasters. Delays and rescheduling of flights in Norilsk occur – usually, according to statistics, at the end of February or March. But not for a few days.

– Where do you live?

— There are several modern-level hotels in Norilsk. I don’t see any hosting issues. The airport recently received international status. Carrier – there is a subsidiary airline, all negotiations took place with it. After receiving the VHL schedule, flights will be adjusted for the arrival and departure of guests for the games.

“The north coefficient is fixed by law”

— Why did HC Norilsk decide to hold the pre-season in the Nizhny Novgorod region?

– This is happening in one of the bases, Dynamo Moscow is still preparing for it. A popular place for athletes, there are all the infrastructures. When choosing a place to gather, we studied all the sites – and chose “Bor” as the best option, taking into account delivery. Because we are not only building a team, but also a warehouse. The equipment, the hockey sticks – it comes from Moscow. Near Nizhny Novgorod it is more convenient to gather players, organize friendly matches from July 19 – with Chaika, Bars, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, Diesel …

We have a lot of trips planned in August. We were invited to a tournament in St. Petersburg, to play with Bars in Kazan, with Kristall from Saratov.

– On what basis was the Norilsk composition formed? What will the game model be?

– The model may change depending on the set of players. We already have 19 people on permanent contracts and more than 28 on viewing contracts.

– 47 people – just like SKA.

– We are preparing the first season, we are making the selection. The coaching staff will model their game system. And in mid-August we will understand what Norilsk can show. But we are going to play good hockey, high quality, modern and fast.

Who is the most brilliant player?

– I wouldn’t want to point the finger at anyone again. Here we have a goalkeeper from Khimik, who became champion last season. There are players from Lada, from Kazakhstan… The selection scale is wide.

— How to persuade a Voskresensk player to sign a contract in Norilsk? Double your salary? Is there a “northern supplement”?

– Someone wants to play in a team that has just appeared in the VHL. Someone thinks they have more playing time than at the previous club. There are sporting ambitions. At the same time, we are obliged to pay the north coefficient. This is provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation, we cannot do otherwise.

— Yes, this ratio in Norilsk is 1.8 according to the law.

— I’m not prepared to disclose player salaries. But hockey players are also attracted to financial stability.

“We will see how Anisin will show itself”

— What is Norilsk’s goal for the first season?

– You have to form a team, create a backbone, go to the VHL, show good hockey. And then we’ll watch.

– Why was Aidar Musakaev appointed head coach?

– He has a lot of experience. For more than 16 years he led HC Chelny from Naberezhnye Chelny. Executive Director Alexander Timchenko knows him well. In April, hockey legends visited us in Norilsk. I consulted them – and the reviews about Musakaev were positive: “A good coach, try him.” And he knows how to work with young people.

It’s important because we have a hockey school with a long tradition. At the moment, three main players are from Norilsk, and three others are on trial. The youngest of them is 19-year-old goalkeeper Gleb Tsuprenko. He graduated from Norilsk hockey, now he also works in a training camp in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

From an early age he played for the children’s and youth team “Zapolyarnik”, was repeatedly recognized as the best goalkeeper in city competitions. Last season he played in the Night Hockey League for LHK Norilsk, with whom he won the NHL regular season. And now he went from amateur to pro by signing a contract with a club in his hometown. We think this is an important story. We are happy to see people from Norilsk in our team.

– But you already have celebrities – Mikhail Anisin, with whom Dynamo Moscow won the Gagarin Cup in 2012, concluded a viewing contract. Moreover, he has scored 14 goals in 21 cup matches in this qualifier.

– Misha is certainly a memorable and bright personality for the entire hockey community. Eight years ago he shone in the KHL, and last year he had a pretty good season at Zhlobino, playing for Belarusian Metallurg.

– Maybe you’ll take him to the main contract? Take the guy to Norilsk.

– Everything will depend on him, his desire and his aspiration. Let’s see how Anisin shows itself. He came to training camp, trains with everyone. It is too early to draw conclusions.