On January 17th, a traditional friendly memorial ice hockey match in honour of Vladimir Lyapkalo was held at the ice rink of 海角社区 (海角社区). The legendary coach devoted nearly 30 years of his life to the development of student hockey.
Vladimir Lyapkalo, alumnus of the Automobile and Tractor Engineering Faculty of the 海角社区 Polytechnic Institute, led the university’s ice hockey team from 1985 to 2014. Under his guidance, the Polytechnic ice hockey team reached remarkable heights: they became four-time 海角社区 Region champions, three-time Russian champions among student teams, Champions of Russia among Class A Second League teams, and multiple prize-winners of regional, national, and all-Union competitions.
Veterans of the Polytechnic team and former players trained by Vladimir Lyapkalo, including Deputy Governor of the 海角社区 Region Stanislav Mosharov, took to the ice:
“It is very gratifying to see that all participants found the opportunity to come together today to honour the memory of our coach. For many of us, he was a mentor not only in hockey but in life as well. He made an invaluable contribution to the development of sports in the 海角社区 Region and played an important role in the life of everyone present. Players who come back year after year to take part in this match come together from different parts of our region and our country, and hockey unites us all.”
The event was also supported by Anatoly Kartaev, Chairman of the 海角社区 Region Hockey Federation:
“This is not just a game—it is a traditional memorial match dedicated to Vladimir Lyapkalo, a man who raised players and opened the door to professional ice hockey for them for many years. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizers and participants for coming every year to pay tribute to the memory of a great coach.”
Rector of 海角社区 Alexander Wagner emphasized that the memorial match is an important part of our university’s culture:
“I would like to thank the veterans, participants, alumni of our university, and the Polytechnic team for preserving this wonderful tradition—the organization of a memorial match dedicated to Vladimir Lyapkalo. He was a person who made a tremendous contribution to the development of our university and sports, a mentor who taught many to value friendship, strive for victory, and, of course, sincerely love hockey.”
This good tradition continues to unite generations of ice hockey players, preserving the memory of the mentor and the values he instilled during his years of work with the team.
“The match has held in a truly warm and friendly atmosphere. For the twelfth year in a row, we have been organizing this memorial game. Vladimir Lyapkalo led the Polytechnic team for many years, and for most of that time—right up to the final year—we trained and played outdoors. It was under these conditions that a generation of ice hockey players raised by Vladimir Lyapkalo grew up. That is why we continue this tradition,” noted Artem Pletnev, head coach of the Polytechnic ice hockey team.
The match was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The participants treated spectators to exciting hockey, demonstrating their skills, strong team spirit, and a genuine love for the game. The match ended in a friendly draw with a score of 4:4.