Evgeny Popikhin is the new SKA-Neva head coach

Evgeny Popikhin has been named the new SKA-Neva head coach. Until April 2017, Evgeny had the same position at HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

Pyotr Vorobyov, who was the former SKA-Neva head coach, will now work as the deputy managing director of SKA's reserve training program.

Evgeny Popikhin:

- I am really happy to be a part of SKA, the club has one of the country's top ice hockey systems. There is a lot of work ahead, we have young players in this team who want to grow and become winners. I am expecting it to be a really interesting season.

The board have given me the task of developing our young players, while at the same time achieving good results on the ice. We want to win matches by playing exciting and modern ice hockey. The main thing is that the players have the desire to make the SKA senior team.

Factfile:

Evgeny Nikolaevich Popikhin was born on the 19th of February 1960 in Moscow. He begun his playing career with Dynamo Moscow, winning the Russian championship with the club in 1990 and 1991. He is a 1980 World Junior Championship winner with the USSR national team.

As a head coach, he was worked with Russia U20, Russia-2, Fribourg-Gotteron, Khimik Mytischi, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, Amur Khabarovsk and Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.