Sokil Kyiv facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sokil Kyiv
City	Kyiv, Ukraine
League	IHL
Founded	1963
Home arena	Kyiv Palace of Sports
Colours	Blue, white
Head coach	Oleh Shafarenko
Captain	Dmytro Nimenko
Franchise history
1963–1973	HC Dynamo Kyiv
1973–1992	HC Sokil Kyiv
1992–1993	HC Sokil-Eskulap Kyiv
1993–present	HC Sokil Kyiv

The Hockey Club Sokil Kyiv (which means "Falcon Hockey Club" in Ukrainian) is a professional ice hockey team from Kyiv, Ukraine. They are often called Sokil Kyiv, HC Sokil, or HC Sokol Kiev. Even though their main home is in Kyiv, they also play games in Brovary, which is nearby.

Sokil Kyiv was one of the first teams to start the Professional Hockey League of Ukraine. They have also played in big leagues in Belarus, Russia, and the Soviet Union. For a long time, until 2014, Sokil was the oldest and most successful hockey team in Ukraine. They won 12 of the 19 Ukrainian Hockey Championships since 1992. The team took a break from playing from 2014 to 2020.

The club began in 1963 as part of the Dynamo Sports Club. They changed their name to "Sokil" in 1973. Sokil is the second main professional ice hockey team to represent Kyiv. Before them, there was another team also called Dynamo, started in 1953, but it didn't last long. Sokil is the most successful Ukrainian team that played in the Soviet Championship League. They even finished third in this tough league in 1985. In 1986, Sokil became the first and only Ukrainian team to play in the Spengler Cup ice hockey tournament, where they finished second. They were also the first Ukrainian team to win an international league championship, winning the Eastern European Hockey League two years in a row, in 1998 and 1999.

Sokil is known for helping many of Ukraine's best young hockey players grow. Some of their players became NHL All-Stars, like Dmytro Khrystych and Oleksiy Zhytnyk. Others, like Ruslan Fedotenko and Anton Babchuk, even won the famous Stanley Cup.

Team History: From Dynamo to Falcons

Starting Out as Dynamo (1963–1973)

The team began in the summer of 1963. It was started by Adrian Miziak, who was in charge of sports in Ukraine. The team was first called Dynamo Kyiv. While 1963 is their official start, a Dynamo team from Kyiv actually played in the Soviet Cup ten years earlier.

The current team started playing in the second level of Soviet ice hockey. Their very first game was on October 27, 1963, against SKA Kuybyshev. The team's first head coach was Dmitri Boginov. Viktor Martinov scored the first goal for the club just two minutes into the game. They won that game 4:1. Martinov scored the most goals for the team that season, with 16.

In their first year, the team finished 6th. But the next year, they had the best record in their division. This helped them move up to the top level of Soviet hockey. In the 1965–66 season, Kyiv had the second-largest arena in the Soviet Union. However, Dynamo found it hard to win at the top level. They played there for five years and made it to the playoffs each year, but their performance was not great.

A highlight was their run in the Soviet Cup playoffs in 1968. They made it to the quarterfinals but lost to SKA Leningrad. This was the furthest they went in that tournament for almost ten years. After some tough seasons, the team was moved back down to the second level temporarily. Their coach, Boginov, left and was replaced by Igor Shichkov. In the 1969–70 season, the team finished last and was moved down again. Over the next three years, while still called Dynamo, the team slowly got better each season.

Becoming the Falcons (1973–1996)

For the club's 10th birthday in 1973, they changed their name from Dynamo. This was a big change that lasted. They kept the historical white and blue colors of the Dynamo sports society. But the team took on the name "Falcon," or "Sokil" in Ukrainian.

Sokil's playing was still up and down in the 1970s. But when Anatoli Bogdanov became head coach in 1976, things quickly improved. By the 1978 season, the team finished second overall and moved back to the top Soviet league. In their first season back, great goaltending by Konstantin Gavrilov helped them get into the playoffs. They made it to the semifinals of the Soviet Cup, where they lost to the famous CSKA Moscow team.

The Cup playoffs were not held again for eight years. During this time, many stars started to play for Sokil. Between 1981 and 1990, six players from Sokil were chosen for the league's 34-man Soviet League All Stars team. Five of these players were chosen multiple times.

Sokil team in 1984–85

Sokil stayed competitive. When young players like Dmytro Khrystych (forward) and Oleksandr Hodyniuk (defenseman) joined in 1985 and 1986, the team became even better. Their 3rd-place finish in 1985 was their best ever. Ramil Yuldashev won an award for scoring the most hat-tricks (3 goals in one game) that year with 2. Nikolai Narimanov led the league in goals with 26. The next year, in 1986, Sergei Davydov also won the hat-trick award. Sokil was invited to the Spengler Cup tournament and made it to the finals, losing only to Team Canada.

Winning the Tampere Cup in 1989 was a turning point for the team. The Soviet Union began to break apart. This meant that teams like the Los Angeles Kings from the National Hockey League could draft talented local players. Oleksiy Zhytnyk, a rising star from Kyiv, was drafted 81st overall in the 1991 NHL draft. He is still the highest-drafted professional Sokil player.

Not all players left, though. Yuldashev led the league in goals in 1990 and points in 1991. Valeri Shyriaiev was named the league's best defenseman in both those years. After finishing 15th in 1992, their lowest ever, the team and coach Bogdanov went their separate ways. The team also changed its name briefly to Sokil Eskulap for the 1992–93 International Hockey League (IHL) season because of a new sponsor.

Even with a new coach, Alexander Fedeev, the team continued to struggle. He coached until 1996, which was also when the team left the newly formed Russian Hockey League.

However, during these tough years, many local talented players continued to develop. Ruslan Fedotenko, who would later become an Olympian and Stanley Cup champion, left the team in 1996 to chase his NHL dreams. Other players from Kyiv, like Anton Babchuk and Nikolai Zherdev, who came from Sokil's junior program, were later drafted into the NHL in the first round.

Changes and New Leagues (1996–2009)

When the IHL broke up, teams from the former Soviet countries found a new home in the Eastern European Hockey League. This league had a lower level of competition than the Russian league. With new head coach Oleksandr Seukand, Sokil started to do well again. Sokil finished 1st overall in 4 of the league's 8 seasons. They became league champions in 1998 and 1999. Sokil players like Valentyn Oletsky (1997, 2000) and Dmitri Markovskiy (1998) won scoring titles. Konstantin Kasyanchuk was named the league's best forward in 2001, and Vadim Seliverstov was named top goaltender in 2003.

From 2004 to 2007, the team also played in the Open Championship of Belarus. They continued to be successful until the 2006–07 season, when they struggled and did not make the playoffs. This was the first time in over ten years they missed the playoffs.

Despite cuts to hockey programs in Kyiv, the team decided to join a Russian league again, this time the Russian Major League. They had some success there. In their first season, Sokil finished 5th in their division and 8th overall in wins. They also had the 4th best offense in the league. The team continued to do well in the Russian league, finishing with the best regular season record that year. They made it to the second round of the playoffs but lost to Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk.

Recent Years

Sokil playing in the Belarusian Extraleague

After the 2008–09 season in the Russian league, the club announced they would go back to the Belarusian Extraleague. This was mainly because of money problems. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RHF) required foreign teams to pay for the travel, hotels, and food for visiting teams. The RHF also asked foreign teams to pay a yearly fee of about €35,000.

For the 2009–10 Extraleague season, Sokil spent more money and signed several Ukrainian players who had played in the Kontinental Hockey League. This made their team stronger with professional players like Kostiantyn Simchuk, Serhiy Varlamov, and Serhiy Klymentiev. However, they faced more money problems and lost players, including Varlamov. They finished 4th in the Belarusian league and lost in the semifinals. But Sokil continued their winning streak in the Ukrainian Championship, winning their 12th championship.

The team's money problems continued in the 2010–12 season. They lost many key players and missed the Belarusian league's playoffs. Their winning streak in the Ukrainian Championship also ended when they lost to HC Donbas in the finals. For the 2012 season, Sokil left the Belarusian league and joined the new Professional Hockey League of Ukraine.

During their first two years in the PHL, Sokil did not win the Ukrainian Championships. Their rival, HC Donbas-2, became the new top team. To make things worse, the team had serious money issues, and players said they were not being paid. In December 2013, players went on strike because they weren't getting their salaries. This was due to problems with their sponsors. The team had to give up games because of this.

Since then, Sokil Kyiv has worked to rebuild and has seen new success. They won the Ukrainian Hockey Championship again in 2023 and 2024, showing their strong return to the top of Ukrainian hockey.

Team Colors and Logo

Logo History

When the team was called Dynamo, their original colors were white and blue, which is why they were nicknamed "white-blues." In 1973, when they became Sokil, they changed their colors to red and blue. These were the same colors as the Kyiv coat of arms at that time.

Eventually, the team went back to its white and blue roots. They also added a darker shade of blue and black. Since 1973, Sokil's main logo has always shown a horse-chestnut leaf. This leaf is a symbol of the city of Kyiv. This symbol has stayed on both the chest and shoulder patches of their jerseys. Later, a picture of a falcon was added to the logo.

To celebrate their 45th anniversary, Sokil updated their classic team logo for the 2008–09 season. The new design made the team's crest look more modern. It featured a new, more powerful-looking falcon in the middle, while still keeping the classic chestnut leaf in the background.

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  Original logo, 1973

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  Sokil jersey hem logo, used briefly

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  Logo,until 1990

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  Classic logo used until 2008

• 

  2008–present

Jerseys

Current jersey

The team's first jerseys were white with blue stripes going across. In 1973, when the team became Sokil, red was added as a main color. The stripes were removed for a more modern look. In 1992, when a sponsor's name ("Eskulap") was briefly added, the team logo changed to a tryzub (a Ukrainian symbol). The Coca-Cola logo was also on the front of the jerseys for a while.

When the blue and white colors came back, the jerseys went through many design changes. They had different styles of stripes on the arms and bottom, different shoulder designs, and various color patterns. The current jersey has a design on the body and arms that looks like feathers, instead of the usual hockey stripes. This design is also used by Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. The jerseys are made by a Russian company called Lutch.

Team Achievements

Season by Season Results

League History and Results

Soviet Era

Modern Era

Team Awards

Sokil Kyiv has won many awards and championships over the years:

• Eastern European Hockey League winners (2): 1998, 1999
• Ukrainian Hockey Championship winners (14): 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2023, 2024
• Soviet Championship League third place (1): 1984–85

Other Tournaments

• Cup of Eastern European Hockey League winners (2): 1998, 1999
• Ukrainian Hockey Cup winners (1): 2007
• Ukrainian Federation Cup winners (1): 2010
• Tampere Cup winners (1): 1989

Players and Coaches

Honored Members

Retired Numbers

Retired jerseys as they appear hanging from the rafters

Sokil Kyiv has honored five special players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will ever wear these numbers again. All these honored players were born in Ukraine.

_{*Both Zhitnik and Shyriaiev are also members of the Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame}

Individual Awards

Many Sokil players have won individual awards for their great skills:

• Soviet Championship All Stars
  • Yuri Shundrov: 1980–81, 1987–88
  • Sergei Gorbushin: 1981–82, 1982–83
  • Mikhail Tatarinov: 1983–84, 1985–86
  • Anatoly Stepanischev: 1985–86, 1989–90
  • Valeri Shyriaiev: 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90
  • Dmitri Khristich: 1989–90

• Soviet League Knight Attack award (most hat-tricks)
  • Ramil Yuldashev: 1984–85, 1989–90
  • Sergei Davydov: 1985–86

• Soviet League Sniper award (most goals)
  • Nikolai Narimanov: 1984–85
  • Evgeni Shastin: 1987–88
  • Ramil Yuldashev: 1990–91

• Soviet League Total Points award
  • Ramil Yuldashev: 1990–91

• Soviet League Top Defenseman award
  • Valeri Shyriaiev: 1989–90, 1990–91

Team Leaders

Head Coaches

• Dmitri Boginov, 1963–69
• Igor Shichkov, 1969–74
• Vladimir Egorov [ru], 1974–76
• Anatoly Egorov, 1976–77
• Anatoli Bogdanov, 1977–91
• Alexander Fadeev, 1991–96
• Alexei Boginov 1996–97
• Oleksandr Seukand 1997–99
• Oleksandr Kulikov 1999–2001
• Oleksandr Seukand 2001–11
• Oleksandr Hodyniuk 2011–2013
• Serhiy Lubnin 2013–present

Team Captains

• Valentin Utkin, 1963–
• Yuri Pavlov,
• Vladimir Andreyev, 1978–80
• Anatoly Demin, 1980–82
• Oleg Islamov, 1984–85
• Vasyl Bobrovnikov 2003–04
• Yuri Hunko, –2010
• Serhiy Klymentiev 2010–12

Players Drafted into the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft is where professional hockey teams pick young players. Here are players who played for Sokil Kyiv before being drafted into the NHL. So far, 11 players from Sokil have been drafted.

The most famous players drafted from Sokil are defenseman Alexei Zhitnik, who played over 1000 games in the NHL, and forward Dmitri Khristich, who scored more than 250 goals and 500 points.

Anton Babchuk was drafted 21st overall

	Player	Hometown	Origin	Drafted by	Year	Round	Overall
D	Tatarinov, MikhailMikhail Tatarinov	Angarsk	Russian SFSR	Washington Capitals	1984	011	0225
RW	Khristich, DmitriDmitri Khristich	Kyiv	Ukrainian SSR	Washington Capitals	1988	06	0120
D	Godynyuk, AlexanderAlexander Godynyuk	Kyiv	Ukrainian SSR	Toronto Maple Leafs	1990	06	0115
C	Kuzminsky, AlexanderAlexander Kuzminsky	Kyiv	Ukrainian SSR	Toronto Maple Leafs	1991	06	0120
D	Zhitnik, AlexeiAlexei Zhitnik	Kyiv	Ukrainian SSR	Los Angeles Kings	1991	04	081
RW	Vologjaninov, IvanIvan Vologjaninov	Kyiv	Ukraine	Los Angeles Kings	1992	011	0254
D	Hunko, YuriiYurii Hunko	Kyiv	Ukraine	St. Louis Blues	1992	010	0230
D	Alekseyev, AleksandrAleksandr Alekseyev	Kyiv	Ukraine	Winnipeg Jets	1992	06	0132
D	Buschan, AndreiAndrei Buschan	Kyiv	Ukraine	San Jose Sharks	1993	05	0106
G	Karpenko, IgorIgor Karpenko	Kyiv	Ukraine	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	1995	08	0185
LW	Koveshnikov, AnatoliiAnatolii Koveshnikov	Kyiv	Ukraine	Dallas Stars	1995	08	0193

NHL Players from Sokil's Junior Program

The following players learned to play hockey at Sokil's junior hockey school and later were drafted into the NHL.

Nikolay Zherdev is the highest drafted player in the city of Kyiv's history

	Player	Hometown	Origin	Drafted by	Drafted from	Year	Round	Overall
D	Klymentiev, SerhiySerhiy Klymentiev	Kyiv	Ukraine	Buffalo Sabres	Medicine Hat Tigers	1994	05	0121
D	Linnik, MaximMaxim Linnik	Kyiv	Ukraine	St. Louis Blues	St. Thomas Stars	1998	02	041
LW	Ponikarovsky, AlexeiAlexei Ponikarovsky	Kyiv	Ukraine	Toronto Maple Leafs	Krylya Sovetov	1998	04	087
LW	Mikhnov, AlexeiAlexei Mikhnov	Kyiv	Ukraine	Edmonton Oilers	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	2000	01	017
D	Volchenkov, AntonAnton Volchenkov	Moscow	Russia	Ottawa Senators	CSKA Moscow	2000	01	021
D	Babchuk, AntonAnton Babchuk	Kyiv	Ukraine	Chicago Blackhawks	Elemash Elektrostal	2002	01	021
C	Mikhnov, AndriyAndriy Mikhnov	Kyiv	Ukraine	St. Louis Blues	Sudbury Wolves	2002	02	062
LW	Zherdev, NikolaiNikolai Zherdev	Kyiv	Ukraine	Columbus Blue Jackets	CSKA Moscow	2003	01	04
C	Sobchenko, DaniilDaniil Sobchenko	Kyiv	Ukraine	San Jose Sharks	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	2011	06	0165