HC Norilsk

HC Norilsk
CityNorilsk, Russia
LeagueVHL
Founded2023
Home arenaArktika Sport Palace
(capacity: 2,184)
Head coachSergei Golubovich
Websitehcnorilsk.com

Hockey Club Norilsk (Russian: Хоккейный клуб "Норильск") is a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Norilsk. They play in the All-Russian Hockey League (VHL), the second level of Russian ice hockey.

History

NordStar Boeing 737 painted in an HC Norilsk-themed livery

A professional hockey club in Norilsk was founded in 2023, for the first time since HC Zapolyarnik folded in 2001.[1] HC Norilsk immediately became the northernmost professional ice hockey club in the world.[2]

The team played their first game on July 19, 2023, losing to Chaika Nizhny Novgorod, the Youth Hockey League's reigning champion.[3]

They played their first official game was on September 2, 2023, losing to Neftyanik Almetyevsk 2-3 in the shootout. Before the game, there was a performance by the Olympic champion in figure skating Anna Shcherbakova.[4]

The team's first head coach was Aidar Musakayev, who previously coached HC Chelny.[2] On January 18, 2024, he was fired, and Evgeny Filinov took over as the interim head coach.[5] Despite that, Norilsk made the VHL playoffs in their first season, but were defeated by Rubin Tyumen 1-4 in the first round.[1] The team's captain and top scorer Vladislav Kaletnik reached third place in goals across the VHL regular season with 22 and fifth in points with 51.[3]

In October 2024, HC Norilsk started a promotion with NordStar Airlines, which painted one of their Boeing 737-800 aircraft into a livery themed after the club.[6]

Before their second season, the club appointed Vladimir Gusev as the new head coach.[7] Under his lead, Norilsk won a playoff series for the first time, defeating Gornyak-UGMK 4-2.[8] In the second round of the VHL playoffs, they were swept by Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk.[9]

In the 2025-26 season, Norilsk would go through several head coaches: on October 6, 2025, the team fired Gusev and appointed Nikolai Zolotukhin as the interim head coach[10] then Alexei Zhdakhin became the new head coach on November 15,[11] then Sergei Golubovich on January 29.[12] Vladislav Kaletnik would also leave the team during the season.[13] The team finished the season 30th in the VHL and missed the playoffs.[14]

Rivalries

Norilsk's games against the regional rival Sokol Krasnoyarsk have been called "the Frosty Derby" (Russian: "Морозное дерби").[15][16]

References

  1. 1 2 "Хоккей на родине льда. В Норильск вернулся профессиональный клуб" (in Russian). Sovetsky Sport. 3 June 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Хоккейный клуб «Норильск» дебютирует во Всероссийской хоккейной лиге" (in Russian). Taymyrsky Telegraf. 29 August 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Итоги первого сезона «Норильска»" (in Russian). HC Norilsk. 17 April 2024.
  4. ↑ "Фигуристка Щербакова исполнила программу "Кометы" перед дебютным матчем "Норильска" в ВХЛ" (in Russian). TASS. 2 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Айдар Мусакаев отстранен от должности главного тренера ХК «Норильск»" (in Russian). All-Russian Hockey League. 18 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "Авиакомпания NordStar поддержала ХК «Норильск»" (in Russian). Gazeta.ru. 30 October 2024.
  7. ↑ "Владимир Гусев стал главным тренером ХК «Норильск»" (in Russian). All-Russian Hockey League. 24 April 2024.
  8. ↑ "ХК «Норильск» вышел в четвертьфинал плей-офф" (in Russian). Zapolyarnaya Pravda. 5 April 2025.
  9. ↑ "ХК «Норильск» завершил игровой сезон" (in Russian). Zapolyarnaya Pravda. 17 April 2025.
  10. ↑ "Владимир Гусев покинул пост главного тренера ХК «Норильск»" (in Russian). All-Russian Hockey League. 6 October 2025.
  11. ↑ "Алексей Ждахин — главный тренер ХК «Норильск»!" (in Russian). HC Norilsk. 11 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "Сергей Голубович — новый главный тренер «Норильска»!" (in Russian). HC Norilsk. 29 January 2026.
  13. ↑ "Спасибо за работу, Владислав Калетник!" (in Russian). HC Norilsk. 21 November 2025.
  14. ↑ "ХК «Норильск» завершил регулярный сезон 2025-26 на 30-м месте" (in Russian). Taymyrsky Telegraf. 3 March 2026.
  15. ↑ "«Может, будет даже пара драк»: «медведи» и «соколы» готовятся к #МорозномуДерби в Норильске" (in Russian). Taymyrsky Telegraf. 3 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "«Норильск» обыграл в «морозном дерби» красноярский «Сокол»" (in Russian). Sovetsky Sport. 17 December 2024.
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