Meeting to discuss development of ice hockey

HC Dinamo Minsk is an important ideological project that needs to be developed further, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting to discuss the development of ice hockey in the country on 16 June.

The head of state noted that the materials prepared for the meeting initially contained rather harsh proposed assessments and decisions. However, Aleksandr Lukashenko was not so categorical and called for objective evaluations: “The fact is that last year, HC Dinamo Minsk performed better than ever before. So why call it a failure if the dynamics are positive? I understand that you, as officials, haven’t fully grasped the situation, and you’ve started throwing out scattered assessments and proposals. So, if we look at things objectively, the team performed better than ever.”

“Let’s be honest, this is an important ideological project in our country. The people’s team, as it has been called. This is the key ideological project. Not just talk from our officials. The team played in the championship, and they played well. People came from all over the country to watch them. What more do you need? That’s ideology in action. The team has become the key ideological project, especially in Minsk,” the Belarusian leader said. “But if this is an important project we can rely on, then it must be developed. The fact that the team has made progress is undeniable. No one disputes that. The fact that the team has not achieved what it should have and what was promised is also a fact.”

“Artyom Karkotsky [Director General of HC Dinamo Minsk] was going for the Cup. I quote. I thought: well, now the guys will really let loose and show us some real hockey. If not the Cup, then at least they would put up a decent fight in the playoffs,” the head of state said.

As is known, HC Dinamo Minsk finished the 2025/26 KHL season at the conference semifinal stage (quarterfinals of the playoffs), losing to HC Ak Bars Kazan in a clean sweep 0-4.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the team had promised to win at least the fourth game (playoff series are played to four wins) so that the next game could be held in Minsk rather than away in Kazan. “We were waiting for you in Minsk. But for some reason, you’re still on your way to Minsk,” the Belarusian leader said.

The President also mentioned the ceremony honoring Dinamo Minsk captain Andrei Stas for his 1,000th KHL game. It took place before one of the games against Ak Bars Kazan, which may have disrupted the team’s rhythm at a crucial stage of the tournament. “You were singing songs there, congratulating people at all the wrong moments. You practically ruined the game. Fine, it’s nice for the player, but you confused the team,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.

The head of state continued: “Well, let us attribute this to our own oversights in certain areas. Failures are inevitable everywhere. Nevertheless, we must continue to advance.”

“We need to keep moving forward and select people accordingly. And we need to build the system around that,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

“The question is how to move forward and how not to lose what we already have,” the head of state said.

“The goal is clear: we made it to the quarterfinals [of the Kontinental Hockey League]; tomorrow [in the next season] we need to win the trophy,” the President said.