About Dinamo Ak-Bars
Formerly known as Dinamo Kazan, the perennial Russian champions, are the last club left to be an ever-present features in the Euro Hockey League and they are looking forward to their 14th campaign in the competition. In the incomplete 2019/20 season, they became the first Russian side to reach the KO8 phase when they eliminated Saint Germain before putting it up to Surbiton, ultimately falling 4-1.
They already know they will be coming back to the EHL soon as their performances in 2021 have seen them top the regular season table in Russia, along with winning the Russian Super Cup and silver at the Prometheus International tournament.
It is a side that has enjoyed a busy year of action compared to many of their EHL rivals with nine club members contesting the EuroHockey Championships for Russia: goalkeepers Marat Gafarov and Ivan Ozherelyev, defenders Denis Shchipachev and Semyon Matkovsky, midfielders Nikolai Yankun and Denis Starienko, forwards Pavel Golubev, Alexei Sobolevsky and Linar Fattakhov all part of their panel.
Ivan Lutsevich has joined from HC Minsk; just four of their wider squad have not played matches in the EHL before.
EHL History (as Dinamo Kazan)
2007/08 – KO16
2008/09 – ROUND1
2009/10 – ROUND1
2010/11 – KO16
2011/12 – KO16
2012/13 – ROUND1
2013/14 – ROUND1
2014/15 – KO16
2015/16 – KO16
2016/17 – ROUND1
2017/18 – KO16
2018/19 – KO16
2019/20 – KO8 (incomplete season)