KHL - Magnitka, over the Urals to the stars

(KHL) (Igor Osolic) In the recently completed KHL season Metallurg Magnitogorsk won their second Cup Yuri Gagarin, the trophy that is awarded to the winner of the league. This "Magnitka" number of trophies increase to 5, since before the KHL's won three times the Russian Championship, 1999, 2001 and 2007. By winning Gagarin this year's Metalurg became the most successful Russian ice hockey team in the history of the area outside of Moscow.

But how it all began? History Metallurg Magnitogorsk was a small town right on the border of the European and Asian parts of Russia, on the southern slopes of the Urals. The discovery of high-quality iron ore in the area, the city began to develop rapidly, and today is one of the world's largest centers of ferrous metallurgy. Being a hockey enjoyed enormous popularity in the Soviet Union, somehow it was normal that Magnitogorsk get one hockey club. The club was founded in 1955 by the steelworkers who gave it the name it carries today, Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Almost until the collapse of the USSR the club has not played a major role in the Soviet hockey, unlike neighboring Traktor from Chelyabinsk, the club from the same area, which was then regarded as the most successful club outside of Moscow in the USSR. Before Matallurg, Traktor was the biggest club outside of Moscow and gave lots of great players, like legendary Sergei Makarov. At the time of the Soviet Union Metallurg is considered a provincial club, but at the end of the 80s of the last century, things began to change. USSR was falling apart, the best players are going abroad, and Moscow (state) clubs are losing privileges. In hockey increasingly entering private capital and that developed provincial clubs like Lada, Ak Bars, Avangard, and also Metallurg. The emergence of Russia in the club, as the main man, enters Viktor Rašnjikov, investing immediately in the beginning of large funds.

Metallurg in 1993 was one of the founders of new Russian league. The club was initially established itself as one of the strongest clubs league, a coach was Valeri Postnikov, who as head coach led the club on two occasions, the first time since 1971st to 1976th and the second time from 1979 to 1996. Under his leadership, club did not win any trophies, but in the Russian championship consistently been at the top. Trophies started arriving when the rudder assumed legendary coach Valeri Belousov. Under his leadership, Metallurg won two championships and the club once played in the finals of the playoffs. The last title before KHL was won in the Russian championship in 2007 under the guidance of coach Fedora Kanareykin. That season the club has brought prevail attack Kudrna-Marek-Rolinek that dominated the whole league, and the members of this team were also present players Kaigorodov (the player with the most appearances in the club's history), Platonov and today's coach Ilya Vorobyov.

In the first few seasons in the KHL club was at the top, but he was not able to go to the end. 2011. The big change, encourage a little worse results in recent years brought two big stars of KHL's; Zaripov and Mozyakin. Since they both slowly approached veteran years seemed to be a very risky move, but two great players with great centers, Czechs Jan Kovar brought two titles KHL- in Magnitogorsk. It should be noted that in the last 20-odd years since Rasnjikov entered the club a lot invested in the youth academy, which produced one Malkin and Kulyomin, and a large number of today's players originated in the club (Antipin, Pechurski, Kaigorodov, Kosov, Bereglazov, Potekhin, Tereschenko, Khabarov etc.). MHL branches Staljnje Lisi (Iron handcuffs) was the first MHL winner in history. Great work in the youth academy and excellent shopping have made of Metallurg exactly what club is today, twice winner of the NHL's. Mozyakin as odds We should also mention the phenomenal Mozyakin. Although he turned 35, the former NHL draft choice of the Columbus Blue Jackets is still in great shape.

Before Metallurg Mozyakin played in CSKA and Atlant, and is now in his fifth season in Magnitogorsk. This is a player who is already four-time top scorer KHL's, and also the Russian national team player, two-time world champion and twice won the silver medal at the World Championships. Mozyakin has a great feeling to score a perfect sets in the attack and must not be a moment out of oponnent sight. In combination with two other great players, Zaripov and Kovar, this trio is the most dangerous attack in the league as proved already many times. The curtain came down on the eighth KHL season. New starts in late August. "Foxes" are no longer the hunters, they become the hunted ...

KHL (Kontinental Hockey League)

The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; Russian Континентальная хоккейная лига / Continental Well Chokkejnaja league shortly russian КХЛ) is the top division in hockey Russia, also attended by teams from other Central Asian and European countries take part. The KHL-winner will receive at the end of the season the Gagarin Cup, named after the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

KHL Teams:

Bobrov divison:
Dinamo Minsk, Dinamo Riga, Jokerit Helsinki, Medvescak Zagreb, SKA St. Petersburg, Slovan Bratislava, Spartak Moscow

Tarasov division:
Vityaz Moscow, Dynamo Moscow, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Severstal Cherepovets, Torpedo Novgorod, HC Sochi, SCKA Moscow

Khlarlamov divison:
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, Ak Bars Kazan, Lada Togliatti, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, Traktor Chelyabisnk, Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk

Chernyshe division:
Avangard Omsk, Admiral Vladivostok, Amur Khabarovsk, Barys Astana, Kunlun Red Star Beijing, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Sibir Novobirsk