Way to Russia Talk Lounge

Harv · Frequent Guest Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 25

I'm in Moscow until early Jan, and would love to go to a game of Ice Hockey. What is the local team, where do I find a draw? Thanks

Paul Holmes · Lounge Wizard Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1071

cksa and dynimo

Tickets are regularly scalped at a low price in front of the Arena
Dynimo is probably the better game, because they are not restrictive in that you can drink beer there. The arenas are small.
If you bring pins or memorbillia from Canada (with Russian players names) you can trade and negotiate during the periods.
http://rushockey.com/
BTW many Russian fans have a hate for the NHL, because we take their best players and they miss their season and then the NHL places them in the minor leagues or the 4th line. I would be pissed off also. I do support the idea behind KHL league and cannot wait until Moscow and St Petes have a NHL team and have European NHL division.

If you are looking to watch NHL in Moscow, go to Bleachers
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&safe=active&um=1&q=Bleachers+Moscow&fb=1&view=text&latlng=9223978909488945440
It is actually owned by a Canadian and it is next to a Metro

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 676 Location: Moscow

There are 2 Super League hockey teams in Moscow. Moscow Dynamo which plays at Luzhniki stadium, and CSKA which plays at CSKA stadium.

Luzhniki Park is at the Sportivnaya Metro station, CSKA stadium is on Leningradsky Boulevard, Dynamo Metro station.

Tickets for regular season games are fairly cheap, a few hundred rubles. Neither stadium is large by western standards and all seats have a good view. Games are almost never sold out in the regular season, even weekend games have empty seats.

But there is a reason for that.....buying tickets is an art. Particularly if you speak little to no Russian. Tickets are sold from the freestanding box office acres away from the actual stadium. Called a Kacca, yes? The ticket ladies inside could care less if they ever sell another ticket, just don't care. Sometimes they will try to overcharge you and if you refuse the extra *fee*, they will refuse to sell you the ticket. In fact this is common practice in all box offices all over Moscow for all kinds of venues.

Handwritten on tiny postcards taped to the Kacca window is a list of ticket prices. This is the only way to know what the cost is. Usually there is no seating chart available either. Just get the 200 or 300 ruble ticket and be done with it. There's no reason to pay more than that for these two stadiums, they're just not that big.

I've attended many hockey games in Moscow. If you need more information say so and I'll help you through.

You didn't mention if you speak Russian at all?

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 676 Location: Moscow

I'm pretty sure Bleachers went out of business about two years ago. And soon afterwards the Canadian who owns it left town in short order. He's back in Moscow now, keeping a much lower profile..... Cool

Paul Holmes · Lounge Wizard Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1071

Yes, went back and reread some news. DS lost his businesses due to some poor management.

David T · Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 2:11 am Post subject:

hi.
in the KHL (Kontinentalnaya Hockeynaya Liga), you have the following teams in Moscow :
Dynamo, plays in Luzhniki stadium
CSKA, plays in Dynamo stadium
Spartak, plays in Spartak sport arena

Then not far from Moscow (suburbs or nearest cities) you have :
HC MVD, plays in Balashiha
Atlant Mytishchi, plays in Mytishchi
Vityaz Chekhov, plays in Chekhov
Khimik Voskresensk, plays in Voskresensk

Here you have the actual standings : http://www.khl.ru/statistics/?lang=en

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 676 Location: Moscow

I knew there was another super league team in Moscow but I couldn't remember the name. Spartak, thanks.

But for whatever reason I don't remember anybody ever going to Spartak games or following the team at all. Nobody ever talked about them.

We always went to Dynamo games. I really didn't like CSKA stadium at all. The bathrooms in all of them are unspeakable...... Silenced

David T · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:57 pm Post subject:

the only arena I saw is Khodynka, when I was there for the 2007 world championship, it's great, brand new and big (14000).
Do you know who is playing there now? Or is it only for the national team?

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 676 Location: Moscow

Yeah you're right, that's a new arena finished in time for the hockey World Championships last year.

I've never been there, it's outside the MKAD therefore outside of the realm of the Metro. It can be reached by elektrichka, but if you don't speak damn good Russian the elektrichka system is completely incomprehensible and unmanageable.

I don't know who plays in Khodynka. Look at the website provided in an above post, rushockey. It's the only Russian hockey website in English. Rushockey has hockey news and schedules and also forums. You can ask there.

David T · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 10:22 pm Post subject:

Thanks I'll check there.

By the way Khodynka arena is not so far, it's only 10-15 min walk from metro station "Dynamo". During the WC there were busses going from the metro to the arena, but I guess they're not working now.