Vladislav Tretiak attended the opening ceremony of a tournament on Red Square

Vladislav Tretiak, the President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF), spoke at the opening ceremony of the MGIMO Rector Cup which was staged at the GUM skating rink.

The RIHF is actively working to develop student ice hockey, increase its mass participation and expand the geography of student competitions. In the near future, it's planned that student tournaments will be renamed in honour of Tretiak and other legends of the Soviet national team.

President of the RIHF Vladislav Tretiak:

- In my time, even professionals could not dream of playing hockey on Red Square! Nowadays, even amateur players are receiving such a unique opportunity. Such events help to inspire young people to engage in sport, compete with passion and show the desire to improve their skills.

The RIHF is taking serious steps to develop student ice hockey across the country, and I'm glad that Moscow universities are actively involved in ice hockey. Furthermore, the popularity of our sport is increasing across the nation; almost 100 teams are participating in the Student Hockey League, with games being broadcasted on the internet.

Ice hockey opens new windows of opportunity for young people, and the RIHF will continue to pay special attention to socially important aspects of the development of our sport.