MINSK, 25 April (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has arrived in Minsk Arena for the crucial match of the Extraleague of Belarus' Open Ice Hockey Championship, BelTA has learned.
HC Yunost (Minsk) and HC Metallurg (Zhlobin) will compete in the final playoffs. The series will end at the fourth victory of either team. The teams have already had six games and have a draw for now – 3:3.
HC Yunost is playing the decisive series for the ninth time. The team from Minsk has been Belarus' champion ten times already. The club was the best one in the three previous seasons. HC Metallurg has reached the finals for the second time in history. The club was Belarus' champion only once – exactly ten years ago. The two teams have never faced off in the series for a gold award.
The fate of the championships in the ice hockey extraleague will be decided by the seventh match for the first time in 12 years. It will be the third time in the history of the cup when the finals reach the seventh match. Such a thing happened previously only twice and both times HC Yunost was involved –the team from Minsk faced off HC Gomel in 2009 and HC Shakhter in 2010.
