Based in southern Russia, Metallurg Magnitogorsk has established themselves as a steady contender in the KHL in recent seasons, and clinching two titles back in 2014 and 2016. This year, the club has also expanded into NHL esports by signing one of the most talented Russian rosters in the scene.
There's a special kind of excitement to start the season for METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK. The squad has been atop of the Russian scene for a few RCL seasons already and recently felt that it's time to take the next step for the club - They surely have done so in more than one way. In early 2021, after a moderately successful ECL 11 Lite campaign, the former NOVA squad signed a deal with KHL club Metallurg Magnitogorsk and adding to that excitement, they managed to play their way to the ECL 12 Pro division through preseason qualifiers. With that, METALLURG will continue proudly flying the Russian flag in the Pro division, replacing Alliance HT at the second highest tier.
Team captain Maxim @Haiissey Trukhanov is a Magnitogorsk resident and has worked hard to finalize the deal. He is very happy with the performances of the team so far, but feels like there are several benefits both on and off the ice that their new contract brings: "Our decision to join Metallurg Magnitogorsk was well planned and we wanted to play for a serious and well organized club. Metallurg Magnitogorsk is a club with a big history, this team is one of the strongest in the KHL and has a solid fanbase to back them up. We as back-to-back RCL champions believe that this is a mutually beneficial partnership and that we deserve to represent a club of this stature."
Despite the roster experiencing some changes, they now look stronger than ever and have managed to recruit a healthy mix of both experienced horsemen and young talent. Their freshest recruits are long-time Alliance HT defenseman Evgeny @mons3223 Mons and Ilya @The1xTab (Cefurtuninen) Elchaninov on the back-end, whereas Latvian up-and-comer Daniels @CMB-wf- Magonis and Finnish addition Ilkka @ilikkaa Rekilä look to bolster their offensive guns. The captain describes his squad as a hard working, energetic and strong willed group who always leave it all out on the ice.
The new roster has already been tested quite extensively in the RCL 8 Pro division, where Magnitogorsk currently tops the table, and youngster Artem @Nester4343 Nesterov has managed to net 24 goals and add 43 assists for a 4th place in the league scoring race. The team is aiming for a third consecutive RCL championship and is eagerly looking forward to their first outing in ECL 12 Pro.
We welcome METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK to the NHL esports scene and wish them good luck in both the RCL 8 Playoffs and their starting ECL 12 Pro season!
Team captain Maxim @Haiissey Trukhanov was interviewed by Viivi @viivimaria Rönnberg.
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