HC Avangard
Ice hockey professional team Avangard Omsk was founded in 1950 in Omsk. It is a professional ice hockey team of the Continental Hockey League.
Team plays its home games at the Omsk Arena.
The club has changed names several times, with previous names including Spartak Omsk, Aeroflot Omsk, Kauchuk Omsk, Khimik Omsk, and Shinnik Omsk.
In 2004, the team won its first and to date only RSL championship, thus qualifying for the inaugural edition of the IIHF European Champions Cup in 2005.
Ice hockey club Avangard became the first winner of the Cup, after defeating Kärpät Oulu in the Finals.
On July 2008, Avangard stunned the hockey world by signing superstar forward Jaromir Jagr to a two years contract worth the equivalent of $5 million US per season. The signing of the Czech player was among the biggest done by teams of the upstart Continental Hockey League. However, the team had a disappointing start of season. Six games into it, Avangard laid 21st out of 24 in the standings with a mere six points; head coach Sergei Gersonsky was fired on September 16th. They appointed Calgary Flames' assistant coach Wayne Fleming a few days later.
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