Kazzinc-Torpedo

Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk
City:	Oskemen, Kazakhstan
League:	Kazakhstan Hockey Championship
Founded:	1955
Home Arena:	Boris Alexandrov Sports Palace
Colors:
Affiliate(s):	ShKO Oskemen (KAZ) Altay Oskemen (MHL-B)

Torpedo Hockey Club (Kazakh: «Торпедо» хоккей клубы; Russian: Хоккейный клуб «Торпедо»), commonly referred to as Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk, formerly known as Kazzinc-Torpedo (1999–2015), is a professional ice hockey team based in Oskemen, Kazakhstan. Torpedo has typically been the most dominant developmental club in Kazakhstan and its senior level team also played in the Supreme Hockey League (VHL), one step below the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Most Kazakh players who have reached the National Hockey League (NHL) trace their roots to Torpedo. Kazzinc-Torpedo is the most crowned Kazakhstan team, with 13 championship wins.

History

1955-1992: the Soviet era

The Torpedo were founded by Nikolai Konyakhin in 1955. Konyakhin was a former ice hockey player and he had experience of playing for a youth team of the Moscow region. Father and son Konaykhin's have initiated the foundation of the amateur team at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant. Ice hockey was a new kind of sport for the factory guys and they started to train and play on the ice of Ulba River in winter. By that time, the factory workers were avtively playing football and bandy. Both teams were calling Torpedo. The new hockey team was named Torpedo, too.

In 1957, they firstly participated at the Kazakh SSR Hockey Championship in Alma-Ata. Also, it was the first official tournament for Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk. They won silver medals at this championship. It was first and last silver medals at the National Championships, because next years they were unbeaten before the 1964. In 1964, Torpedo debuted at the Soviet Hockey Championship's Class B. The team coached by Olympic medalist and multiple champion of USSR Yuri Baulin. His management led to promotion to Soviet Hockey Championship's Class A2. In 1966-67 season, they were runners-up and lost only to Avtomobilist Sverdlovsk.

In 1977, Torpedo relegated to Soviet Hockey Championship's Class A3. However, three years later they have returned to Class A2 Division. That team has coached by Valentin Grigoriev and formed only by own hockey school graduates. In the early 1980th, team headed by local coach Viktor Semykin. Young manager has gathered new powerful squad. Team have included the most famous local graduate Boris Alexandrov, who returned from CSKA Moscow to hometown. He has become famous all over the world after his competing at the Super Series '76 with the team CSKA Moscow and scoring against New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins. In 1986, erupted a conflict between Semykin and players and Semykin was sacked. Further, team management have assigned Vladimir Goltze, as a new head coach. He has promoted the team to Soviet Hockey Championship's Class A. It was the team's first experience in its history. It is noteworthy, Boris Alexandrov was the best goalscorer at the first round of championships. However, it's not helped to gain a foothold and they relegated to Class A2 Division, again. One season later, they have returned to highest division. Next years, they competed at the highest Class A Division three seasons in a row, before the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The post-Soviet era

Logo used as Kazzinc-Torpedo.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the team kept up much of its momentum, despite losing many of its players and coaches to Russian teams. From 1992 to 1996, Torpedo competed at the International Hockey League, which replaced Soviet Hockey Championship. In 1993, Torpedo joined the newly created Kazakhstan Hockey Championship, where they would play in parallel to their participation in International Hockey League. In 1992-93 season, they qualified to play-off, but lost to SKA Saint Petersburg in preliminary round. The team had big financial problems and the Ulba Metallurgical Plant was unable to sponsor them. Vladimir Goltze was fired and Boris Alexandrov replaced him. Alexandrov combined his coaching duties with playing role. He led to victory at the Rudi Hiti Summer League in 1994. In 1994-95 season, Torpedo reached the play-offs, but lost to Krylya Sovetov Moscow in the preliminary round again. In 1996, the International Hockey League was disbanded.

In 1996, Torpedo was admitted into the Russian hockey system. Torpedo joined the Supreme League of the Russian Ice Hockey Championship, the second highest level after the Russian Superleague. In 1998, the Kazakhstan national team competed at the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano. The team was composed entirely of players from Kazzinc–Torpedo and coached by Boris Alexandrov. Journalists called them "The team of one locker room." It was an unexpected result for many people, when they ranked first at the groupe stage after defeating Italy and Slovakia.

Season-by-season record

For the full season-by-season history, see List of Kazzinc-Torpedo seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTW = Overtime/Shootout Wins, OTL = Overtime/Shootout Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	Pts	GF	GA	Finish	Playoffs
2008–09	54	23	8	4	19	89	166	149	5th, Eastern	Lost in First Round, 1-3 (Gazovik Tyumen)
2009–10	42	13	2	1	26	44	107	135	7th, Eastern	Lost in Second Round, 0-3 (Dizel Penza)
2010–11	54	23	5	7	21	86	151	153	6th, Eastern	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-3 (Molot-Prikamye Perm)
2011–12	53	23	7	2	21	85	154	140	5th, Eastern	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-3 (Yermak Angarsk)
2012–13	52	22	6	6	18	84	147	123	14th, Overall	Lost in Preliminary Round, 0-3 (Toros Neftekamsk)
2013–14	50	20	8	6	16	82	140	146	11th, Overall	Lost in Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Dizel Penza)
2014–15	52	19	5	8	20	75	126	143	15th, Overall	Lost in Quarterfinals, 4–0 (HC Izhstal)
2015–16	49	22	9	3	15	87	130	100	9th, Overall	Lost in Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Saryarka Karagandy)
2016–17	50	30	4	11	5	109	160	100	1st, Overall	Lost in Final, 4–0 (Dynamo Balashikha)

Achievements

Domestic

Kazakhstan Hockey Championship:

• Winners (13): 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07
• Runners-up (2): 2005–06, 2008–09
• 3rd place (1): 2007–08

Kazakhstan Hockey Cup:

• Winners (4): 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007

International

Supreme Hockey League:

• Winners (1): 2017 (Regular season winner)

Rudi Hiti Summer League:

• Winners (1): 1994

IIHF Continental Cup:

• 3rd place (1): 2008

External links

• Official website

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