Congratulations!

Our team overcame Finland in what was a tightly fought contest and became the world champion for the fourth time in last seven years. Gratifying is the fact that Traktor hockey school once again proved that it is one of the best of its kind in Russia. Chelyabinsk hockey alumni Yevgeny Kuznetsov and Yevgeny Dadonov became world champions, as did six other players who represent regional hockey schools of Mechel and Metallurg Magnitogorsk – Danis Zaripov, Yevgeny Malkin, Anton Khudobin, Yevgeny Medvedev, Anton Belov and Nikolay Kulyomin. Each year several talented alumni graduate from Traktor hockey school and are scattered all over the KHL which is only going to have a positive effect on the amount of Chelyabinsk’s own players in the national team. It is also uplifting to know that there are now more world champions among Chelyabinsk hockey school alumni. South Ural region should be proud to be at the forefront of today’s Russian hockey. Furthermore, this result would not have been possible without the new coaching staff headed by Oleg Znarok, an Ust-Katav (a little town in Chelyabinsk Oblast - translator's note) native who began his hockey career in Traktor. There is no doubt that this victory will serve as an impetus for further development of hockey in the region which, by the way, will host the 2018 World U18 Championship, an event revered by many fans all over the globe.

Once again we would like to congratulate team Russia on their stellar victory. Way to go, boys!

Photo by Grigori Sokolov, RIA Novosti