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The match took place at the Bolshoi Ice Arena at Sochi’s Olympic Park.

The President was the initiator of the Night Hockey League’s creation and the first match took place in Moscow on May 7, 2012.

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Address to the Night Hockey League Amateur Teams 6^th National Festival

Vladimir Putin: Friends, participants in today’s event, sports lovers all around Russia, fans of winter sports and hockey,

I want to congratulate you on today’s event. This year is the sixth such festival.

Amateur hockey is developing rapidly in Russia. This year, more than 800 teams from 73 regions took part in the qualifying rounds.

I would like to address special words of thanks not to the sponsors (though we do say a big thank you to them, of course), nor to the organisers (a big thank you to them too), but to your family members. We are grateful to them for their support.

Of course, I also want to thank our country’s hockey stars, our Olympic, World and European champions. Without their intellectual support and skill, the Night Hockey League would not have been possible.

I wish you all, and our viewers, pleasant moments that will be a delight for all who love hockey.

We have a competition ahead today, but it is a friendly competition, a festival of sports and hockey.

Congratulations!