HC Start goalkeeper Yuri Ivanchikov has been named the best player of December.

      09 January 2026 18:12 Sports The goalkeeper of Nizhny Novgorod hockey club "Start", Yury Ivanchikov, has been named player of the month in Nizhny Novgorod. The ceremonial presentation of the Cup took place on January 8, before the match against Moscow's "Dynamo", the sports club's press service said.

      This award is presented to athletes for their contribution to the development of sport and for raising Nizhny Novgorod's prestige at the federal level. It was established by the city administration and the Center for Management and Development of Regional Sports.

      The Cup was presented to Yury Ivanchikov by Maksim Gafurov, general director of the ANO Center for Management and Development of Regional Sports. He noted his professionalism, consistency and skill, especially demonstrated in decisive matches.

      "We are proud of Yura; he is a true star of Start and a role model for young athletes. His talent and hard work are an inspiration to all of us," the sports club's press service emphasized.

      It is worth recalling that the tradition of honoring outstanding athletes was established in September 2025 at the initiative of Mayor Yury Shalabayev. The first award was presented to Maria Samoylova of "Normanochka"; in October the title of best player went to Torpedo HC goalkeeper Denis Kostin, and in November the honor was awarded to Mikhail Shcherbakov, a middle blocker for VK Gorky.

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