Dynamo Kharkiv

Dynamo Kharkiv is an ice hockey team in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The club currently participates in Ukraine's Junior Hockey League. There have been three incarnations of the club throughout its history.

History

Dynamo Kharkiv was founded in 1979 out of the youth department of HC Dynamo Moscow. The club mostly played in the lower-level Soviet leagues (Pervaya Liga and the Vtoraya Liga from 1979-1992. However, they did play in the Soviet Championship League during the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons. This incarnation of the club folded after Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union in 1992.

SDYUSHOR Kharkiv, a team comprised solely of youth/junior players, was later created and entered teams in both the top-level Ukrainian Hockey Championship as well as the various Ukrainian youth leagues.

Dynamo Kharkiv was then formed in 2011, tracing its roots back to both the original Dynamo squad and the youth SDYUSHOR outfit. The youth squads continued playing in their respective youth leagues, while a senior team joined the Professional Hockey League as Kharkivski Akuly. They played the 2012-13 season in the PHL as Dynamo Kharkiv, as Kharkivski Akuly became the squad's farm team. After two seasons in the PHL, the club withdrew due to financial difficulties. As a result, it only fielded youth teams for the 2013-14 season.