Press releases
Belarus president team to square off against IIHF team in first game of Christmas Tournament
MINSK, 2 January (BelTA) – The Belarus president team will play the first game of the 15th Christmas Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament for the prize of the President of Belarus against a team of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) on 3 January, BelTA has learned.
The game will take place in Chizhovka Arena. The Belarusian team will test their mettle against renowned players with NHL experience, the world champions Andrei Nikolishin and Dmitri Khristich. The next day, 4 January, the hosts will take on the Baltics team, which will include the Lithuanian Dainius Zubrus, one of the most famous defenders, who has played more than 1,000 matches in the NHL.
In the run-up to the international tournament the Belarus president team has taken part in the 12th national ice hockey amateur tournament where it now tops the tournament bracket with four victories.
During the preliminary stage of the Christmas Tournament 12 teams are divided into four groups with three teams in each. Winners will proceed to the semifinals.
The small ice rink of Chizhovka Arena will host games of the national junior ice hockey competition Golden Puck on 3-7 January. It will feature eight teams in the older age group: six will represent the regions and two will represent the city of Minsk.
The prominent ice hockey players Dainius Zubrus, Andrei Nikolishin, Dmitri Khristich, and Ivan Novoseltsev will host a master class for participants of the Golden Puck tournament on 6 January. A Christmas ice hockey forum will take place in the National Olympic Committee on 4 January. During the forum experts will discuss the development of ice hockey in the world. On 5 January representatives of the teams will take part in a charity event and will visit children's home No.7 in Minsk. The institution has already received a donation of Br32,000. The charity event has been organized by the Presidential Sport Club and the Ice Hockey Federation of Belarus.
The Belarus president team has won the Christmas Tournament 11 times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018). Team Russia is a three-time champion (2007, 2011 and 2015).
print version
make home page
add to bookmarks
