65 years of our game

Dear friends! Today is a very special date in world sporting history – the 22nd of December 2011 is the 65th anniversary of the founding of Soviet hockey.

Exactly 65 years ago four cities - Moscow, Leningrad, Kaunas and Arkhangelsk - hosted the very first games of the USSR championship. Dynamo Moscow was destined to become the first ever champion.

In the years following that memorable day, the history of hockey in our nation is a glorious one, full of victories – the USSR and Russian national teams have won the world championship 25 times, Olympic gold 8 times, and also captured many various prizes and awards in numerous tournaments all across Europe and North America. The national hockey school, which has given so many great players and coaches to the world, has over the decades set the trend for others to follow and is justifiably considered to be one of the best on the planet.

On this day, the 65th anniversary of USSR and Russian hockey, the Kontinental Hockey League would like to express its heartfelt congratulations on this special occasion to all veterans of Russian hockey, be they players, coaches, staff or owners of clubs which play the sport, supporters, and everyone with an interest in this wonderful game. We wish all of you, dear friends, happiness, success, the best of health, and for our hockey – new and resounding victories!