Spartak forward Alexander Belyaev assessed the possible return of Khanty-Mansiysk “Yugra” to the KHL, noting that the team’s performance corresponds to the level of the strongest league in Russia.
— My close friend plays there. And I generally consider Khanty-Mansiysk my second home, because I grew up there and, one might say, lived a very conscious hockey life. He graduated from university there, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree. Every year, I come there to train and I am warmly welcomed by the youth school coaching team. There are many comrades and close friends. Of course, I’m watching and I’m very worried.
Should the club return to the KHL? A very difficult question. The first thought is yes, it is necessary. But let’s also look honestly. At the moment I think it will be difficult to come back due to many factors. Not for the game. They are fine here. In terms of organization, in everything… But I don’t understand that very well. You can write it like this: I am not an expert on the subject.
If we’re talking about people, management, players, then it’s 100 percent the people need it and the district needs it. First of all, the district needs it, because in terms of hockey it is a very promising place. Many children play hockey in the street. Our people love winter sports because everyone understands the weather there very well. And they are really passionate about it. Even if we take Khanty-Mansiysk, it is a very sporting city: biathlon and hockey are developing a lot. A lot of resources are invested in it and the efforts are in vain. And I believe that if in the future “Ugra” returns to the KHL, it will be a plus not only for the district, but also for the entire championship, Belyaev said at the Championship.
“Yugra” spent eight seasons in the KHL, playing in the league from 2010 to 2018. In the first two seasons, the Khanty-Mansiysk club reached the first round of the Gagarin Cup, where it lost to Metallurg (2-4 ) and Traktor (1-4).
Watch Fonbet matches of the KHL championship on the channels of the Match holding company, as well as on the sites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
Championship
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
