Donbass team took their sits on board with destination from Boryspil International Airport to Toronto, today's morning at 5.50 am. There will be a training camp, the second one in the whole summer schedule. At the end of Toronto camp Donbass will play two exhibition games.
So coaching staff decided to take 25 players to Canada
Goalkeepers: Vadym Seliverstov, Stepan Goryachevskikh;
Defensemen: Alexei Tezikov, Vladimir Malevich, Dmytro Tolkunov, Oleksandr Pobedonostsev, Vitaliy Lyutkevich, Ruslan Borysenko, Alexei Shagov, Volodymyr Aleksyuk, Mykola Ladygin.
Forwards: Dmytro Tsyrul, Serhiy Varlamov, Sergei Piskunov, Oleksandr Materukhin, Oleg Shafarenko, Alexander Borovkov, Dmytro Isayenko, Yevgeniy Belukhin, Vitaliy Donika, Oleskandr Bobkin, Artem Bondaryev, Yevhen Pastukh, Roman Blagoi.
"Talking about our first camp, all guys came to the first camp in good shape, as they knew our season goals and aim to be very strong and ambitious", - Donbass head coach Alexander Kulikov spoke to the cllub press-office before departure. "We fulfilled our plan and also players passed a medical inspection".
"It's been a long time ago, when I was involved into the training camp in the North America, - that was in 80's when I used to be hockey player in Sokil".
Kulikov said that there he'd make any conclussions after the end of that camp and when the exhibition games would be played.
"It's pretty hard to point out anyone of the team - all guys showed good energy and everyone worked back and forth. We'll see after Canada, as we want to watch the team chemistry in the exhibition games".
VHL season schedule has been approved a week ago and Donbass will be involved into the 4 games tour in Russia. Kulikov thinks it may be a challenge for his team.
"It is distressing to start with away game, moreover we will play 4 of ones. We are newcomers in VHL, but I guess those games will help us to prepare well for a home debut. We want our fans to cheer us and we want to perfom well there".
"As far as our debut in IIHF Continental Cup is concerned, I think we'll face strong teams - Polish Crakowia, a qualifier from the first round, which is for sure a good rival. But the strongest opponent is VHL winner-2011 Russian Rubin from Tyumen. But we'll try to do our best to make our fans happy in Donetsk. So I invite them to the Druzhba Palace".
Donbass' newcomers Alexander Borovkov (sits) and Vladimir Malevich in Boryspil Airport
Donbass hockey bags has been popular within the crowd
Donbass' newcomer Oleksandr Pobedonostsev talks to club press-office. The defenseman's interview - soon on our page!
HC Donbass Press-Office
