Celebratory event organised by the RIHF on Red Square

On January 8th, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) organised a children's friendly match between the Red Machine Junior team and CSKA Moscow on Red Square in Moscow.

The game was staged on the GUM skating rink.

President of the RIHF Vladislav Tretiak was in attendance. The legendary goalkeeper spoke to the young players involved in the match, presenting them with autographs and New Year gifts.

The match itself - which included 12 goals - finished in CSKA's favour.



President of the RIHF Vladislav Tretiak:

- It's symbolic that this children's friendly game was held on Red Square, near the walls of the Kremlin. After all, ice hockey is the national pride of Russia, and everyone knows how much attention the country’s top leadership pays to our sport. Our President Vladimir Putin is the captain of our large ice hockey family, he provides great support for the development of ice hockey.

I was impressed with the quality of the game. The guys from two strong teams received the opportunity to display their skills in the very centre of the capital, even if they had to compete in freezing temperatures.

We're continuing to pay special attention to the development of youth ice hockey in all aspects including educational and training work, the advanced training of coaches, the introduction of advanced innovations and the popularisation of competitions. Who knows, maybe even future world and Olympic champions played on Red Square today! Our sport promotes respect for teammates and coaches, hard work and perseverance to achieve your goals.