Farewell night in Yekaterinburg, Uralets Arena gets last game in history

The Motormen will bid farewell to their home ice in a game against Ak Bars – they will return in Yekaterinburg at their new rink on March 10. In Omsk, Avangard faces Vityaz, while Metallurg hosts Barys on a light KHL Wednesday with only three games on tap.

The Hawks will wrap up their four-game home stand with a great opportunity to secure their seventh consecutive victory. In their last two outings, Avangard recorded identical 2:1 wins over Metallurg and Amur. Vityaz arrives in Omsk after a 2:1 loss against Avtomobilist in Yekaterinburg. With 49 points, the visitors remain second-to-last in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the hosts have 70 points and currently sit sixth in the East—putting them in contention for a top-four finish as the regular season winds down.

Then, a crucial evening awaits Yekaterinburg. Avtomobilist will not only play its 1,000^th KHL game but also bid farewell to the legendary Uralets Arena, the rink that has been the team’s home throughout its KHL tenure. After facing Ak Bars, the team will embark on a three-game road trip before making its debut at the brand-new UGMK Arena on March 10, which boasts a capacity of over 12,000 spectators.

Nikolai Zavarukhin’s squad will be looking for revenge against Kazan after suffering two defeats earlier this season (2:6, 1:4). Heading into the matchup, Avtomobilist is coming off a 2:1 win over Vityaz, a much-needed rebound after a heavy 0:4 loss to Severstal. With 79 points, the Urals team holds onto second place in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of Ak Bars. The visitors, meanwhile, hit the road after securing back-to-back home wins over Lada (2:1) and Neftekhimik in the Tatarstan derby (3:2 OT).

In the concluding game of the matchday, Metallurg will keep on its hunt for a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference’s standings. The Steelers will play the second game of their four-game home stand. Metallurg started its stretch with a convincing 4:1 victory over Severstal. With 74 points, the hosts currently sit fifth in the Eastern Conference but remain well in contention for a top-four finish, which would secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the elimination stage. Next up for Metallurg are visitors from Astana, who are enduring an eight-game losing streak. In their most recent outing, Barys suffered a 4:2 home defeat against Admiral. Earlier this season, Andrei Razin’s team won two of three meetings against the Kazakh side (1:2, 2:0, 3:1).

16:30: Avangard (33-21-4, 6^th E) vs Vityaz (21-30-7, 10^th E)
About the game

Avangard ends a four-game home series on a six-match winning streak.

Vityaz is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost to Avtomobilist on Monday (1:2).

Injury list

Avangard: Sergei Boikov, Reid Boucher, Nikita Kholodilin, Vladimir Tkachyov.

Vityaz: Ivan Chekhovich, Vladimir Galuzin.

Milestone alert

Avangard’s forward Nail Yakupov may reach 200 KHL points (currently at 199) and 100 league assists (currently at 99).

Vityaz’s defenseman Ruslan Pedan lines up for his 300^th league appearance.

Vityaz’s goalie Dmitry Shikin may record his 10^th KHL shutout.

17:00: Avtomobilist (36-15-7, 2^nd E) vs Ak Bars (37-19-2, 3^rd E)
About the game

Avtomobilist ends a four-game home series following a win over Vityaz on Monday (2:1).

Ak Bars starts a three-game road trip following two straight wins.

The season series between the two teams is 0-2 (2:6, 1:4).

Injury list

Avtomobilist: Jesse Blacker, Curtis Valk.

Ak Bars: Yegor Babenko.

Milestone alert

Today’s game is Avtomobilist’s last match at the Uralets Arena and its 1,000^th in the KHL.

Avtomobilist’s goalie Vladimir Galkin may record his 50^th KHL win.

Ak Bars’ forward Ilya Safonov lines up for his 300^th KHL appearance.

17:00: Metallurg (35-19-4, 5^th E) vs Barys (11-40-7, 12^th E)
About the game

Metallurg enters the second game of a four-match home series following a win over Severstal on Monday (4:1).

Barys starts a three-game road trip on an eight-match losing streak.

The season series between the two teams is 2-1 (1:2, 2:0, 3:1).

Barys’ forward Roman Starchenko is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points over that span.

Injury list

Metallurg: Vladislav Yeryomenko, Danila Yurov.

Barys: Nikita Boyarkin, Maxim Mukhametov, Kirill Savitsky.

Milestone alert

Metallurg’s forward Igor Geraskin may reach 200 points in the KHL (currently at 199).

Barys’ forward Alikhan Asetov lines up for his 300^th league appearance.