Moscow Sports & Outdoors

While I was in Moscow, I played in a hockey league 2-3 times per week. We played at Mala Sportivna Arena, at Luhznicky Park, which is home of the Dynamo Hockey Club, and where some of the legendary games of the 1972-1974 Canada-USSR games were played. It was a particular pleasure for me to play in this historic arena, which means so much to both Russians and Canadians.

I alternately wore the jersey of number 32, Alexander Ovechkin of Moscow Dynamo (see photo above) or my Team Canada jersey, when we played or scrimmaged. Ovechkin is tapped to be the highest Russian draft choice into the NHL this season for lots of money for him and his old club. I quite often saw him play for Dynamo in Moscow, and if you are in town, I would reccommend taking in a game. It is not NHL hockey, but there are some good players, and the arenas are smaller and have more intimacy, so you feel like you are at a Junior's game.

It costs very little to attend a game, but they start quite early, so check in advance for game time. You can buy team jerseys on Stariy Arbat, so you can cheer your chosen team on with the rest of the hockey mad fans.

Great fun.

Equipment: Ice Skating at Gorky Park - Ice-skating and loud music
Krymsky Val, 9 (Gorky Park) Moscow
+7 095 237 0713; +7 095 237 1251

Moscow Dynamo - Legendary hockey club
Luzhnetskaya nab. 24 Moscow
+7 95 201 1785

Spartak Moscow - The pride of Russian hockey
Sokolnicheskiy Val 1- b (Ice Palace Sokolniki) Moscow 107113
+7 95 269 2887
+7 95 269 2887

Welcome to the Russian Superleague, which -- thanks to big contracts and an NHL labor dispute that has brought homegrown talent back home -- is now being called the strongest professional hockey league in the world.

NHL owners unanimously approved a long-awaited decision Wednesday to lock out its players after the two sides butted heads for months about changes in labor contracts. NHL management has insisted that the changes are necessary because teams are losing money, while the NHL Players' Association maintains they would put into effect an unnecessary salary cap.

The NHL's loss was the Russian Superleague's gain.

Close to 30 Russian players that played in the NHL last year are competing in the 16-team Superleague this season. You can see which players are playing for whom by checking out the webpage at

http://www.thn.com/en/headlines/detail.asp?id=26138&cat=954945254361

NHL players in Russia may not earn as much as they did in the NHL last season, but the Russian league with its big oilgarch sponsors is still one of the richest leagues in the world, and this is attracting talent back to Russia this season, so don't miss it.

To watch the ice-hockey matches is one of the way to spend evening or weekend time. The main arena for the international games is Luzhniki which is situated near of Sportivnaya metro station (just follow people and you will easily find the stadium). Besides now in Russia we have Continental Hockey League (www.khl.ru) and there are a lot of games in Moscow (in Luzhniki Dynamo club plays, Spartak plays in Sokol'niki area and CSKA played in the stadium with the same name near of Aeroport metro station). The price in ticket office of the stadium depends on the game and varies in RUR 300-500 (USD 9.8-16.4). The ticket office in the city and on-line service have 10% mark-up to the original price.

There are several Moscow football teams and there are some stadiums where the matches are. It is Luzhniki in Sportivnaya metrostation, Lokomotiv in Cherkizovskaya metro station. Dynamo stadium is under re-construction and Dynamo team as well as CSKA are played in Khimki arena (in suburb of Moscow). Every year you have a chance to see Champions League in Moscow. In the picture is exactly such match and Spartak played with Sporting, Lisbon (autumn 2006, the ticket in the central places to sit was RUR 700-900 around (USD 23.0-29.5).

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The Russian Premier League consists of 16 teams; 6 of them come from Moscow (2005). They are: CSKA Moscow, FC Moscow, Dinamo Moscow, Lokomotive Moscow, Spartak Moscow and Torpedo Moscow.

During the football season there is always a chance to see a match in or around Moscow.

I was lucky enough to attend a match between CSKA Moscow and Dinamo Moscow in the Dinamo Stadium. 11.500 spectators saw a 2:0 victory for CSKA.

It wasn't easy to get a ticket, as everything is only in Russian and the cashiers don't speak any English.

I finally asked a Russian guy who spoke English to organise a seating ticket for me. The price was only 220 Rubles (6,50 Euro, 2005).

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The Dinamo Stadium is one of the older stadiums in Moscow. It was inaugurated in 1928 and is home to Russia's oldest football club: Dinamo Moscow.

The stadium has a capacity of 37.000 and also includes track-and-field facilities.

Directions:
The Dinamo Stadium is located north of the city centre. The nearest metro stop is Dinamo (green line).

Address: Dinamo Stadium, Leningradsky Prospekt 36, Moscow

Website: http://www.fcdynamo.ru/

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Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium is classified 5 stars in the UEFA list of stadiums. It is an all-seater arena with a capacity of about 78.000.

Under its former name Lenin Stadium it was the main venue for the 1980 Summer Olympics. The stadium was inaugurated in 1956, but completely renovated between 1995 and 1997.

Nowadays the stadium is home to the football clubs of Spartak and CSKA Moscow.

Also the Russian national team uses this stadium for their matches frequently.

In October 2009 I was lucky enough to attend the World Cup South Africa 2010 football qualifier match between Russia and Germany in the sold out Luzhniki stadium. Germany won the match with 1:0 and qualified for the world cup.

Directions:
The Luzhniki Stadium is located in the Khamovniki district of Moscow, just southwest of the city centre. The nearest metro stop is Sportivnaya (red line).

Address: Luzhniki Stadium, Luzhnetskaya nab. 24, Moscow

Website: http://www.luzhniki.ru/

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Home to Spartak, Torpedo. 80,600 all seater stadium.

My second visit to this stadium was on 21 May 2008 for the UEFA Champions League Final. Manchester United v Chelsea. Fortunately for me United won 6-5 on penalties!

An excellent all seater stadium. Easy to get to via the metro and good views of the pitch. The only draw back would be the running track, which takes you a bit further away from the picth than I would like.

Good memories for me from a good stadium.