HC Sokol negotiates transition to Polish championship

Yuriy Kirichenko, head of the sports department of the Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation, said that HC Sokol is negotiating for participation in the Polish championship.

However, FHU wants the people of Kyiv to play in the Ukrainian championship if it starts.

“Negotiations regarding Sokol’s performance at the Polish Championship are really ongoing. The Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation assists the people of Kyiv in the negotiation process. But on the condition that Sokol also take part in our national championship. It is clear that it is physically impossible to play on two fronts with one team. In Poland, teams play 40 matches per season. The same amount should be played in the Ukrainian championship. 80 fights is an NHL load. Neither here nor in Poland will anyone compare and adapt the Sokol match schedule.

“Last year, three young hockey players from Kiev – Mikhail Simchuk, Denis Goncharenko and Daniil Korzhiletsky – occasionally played for the team in the Youth Hockey League. But not in all matches, only in cases where there is a risk of losing points. And at the same time, they missed the matches of the adult championship of Ukraine.

“Whether he will play in different tournaments with one or two teams should be decided under Sokol’s leadership. We understand that in conditions where the level of the national championship drops, for the national team it would be better for the people of Kyiv to play in more competitive competitions, in which many candidates are included in the main team of the country. But we will not encourage or prohibit Sokol’s participation in the foreign championship,” he said.