City Moscow Location Moscow, Russia Folded 1983 | Arena Sokolniki Arena Date founded 1947 | |
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League Soviet
Vysshaya Liga
Pervaya Liga Home arena Sokolniki Ice Palace
(Capacity: 5,530) | ||
HK Lokomotiv Moscow was an ice hockey team in Moscow, Russia (then Soviet Union). They played in the Soviet Championship League, and various other lower-level Soviet leagues from 1947-1983.
Contents
History
The club was founded in 1947 as part of the Lokomotiv Moscow sports club. In their first season, they took part in the Klass B, the second level of Soviet hockey. In 1949, the club won the Klass B, and were promoted to the Klass A, the top level of Soviet hockey.
Under the guidance of coach Alexander Novokreschtschenov the team in its premiere season finished in twelfth place, and were relegated to the Klass B. In the middle of the 1950s, Anatoli Kostrjukow became the coach of the club . When the Klass A expanded to 15 teams in 1955, Lokomotiv Moscow returned to the league. In the 1960-61 season, they finished in third place in the Klass A, their best finish in their history. The trio of Viktor Yakushev, Nikolai Snetkov and Viktor Zyplakov, who also played together on the Soviet national team were the best players on the team. In the 1964-65 season, Viktor Zyplakov with 28 goals became the top scorer of the Klass A, while Viktor Yakushev was chosen for the all-star Team.
In the late 1960s, Valentin Kosin was the teams top player, and regularly finished among the top scorers in the Klass A. In 1970, the club was relegated to the Klass B, but were promoted to the Klass A just a year later. The club won the multi-national invitational tournament, the Spengler Cup, in the 1967 and 1969 seasons.
The 1971-72 season was the team's last in the Klass A, they finished with only five wins in 32 games, and they were relegated after the season. From 1979-1982, while the Sokolniki Ice Palace was being renovated, Lokomotiv played its home games at the Moscow Sports Palace.
After the 1982-83 season, the ice hockey section of Lokomotiv Moscow was dissolved, due to falling popularity, and low attendance.