At the weekend at one of the objects of the Volga Academy, in the ice complex "Zilant", was held hockey tournament opening Cup student hockey League-2018/19, which was attended by four teams of the League ("West", "Center", "East", "Volga region"), staffed by the best players of the division "Master". On the opening day of the tournament, the Academy was visited by the legends of domestic hockey, the President of the SKL Vladimir Yurzinov and the managing Director of the Youth hockey League (MHL) Aleksey Morozov.
The ex-captain of "AK Bars" not accidentally paid another visit to the capital of Tatarstan, where he twice became the owner of the Gagarin Cup. On the opening day of the tournament, on friday, Aleksey Morozov and the Director of the SHL Anton Khramtsov signed a cooperation agreement between the SHL and the MHL. The signing ceremony ended with a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the SHL with the participation of the rector of the Volga Academy Yusup Yakubov, who in his address to the audience in the hall of the Academic Council, especially stressed that Kazan University is actively involved in the development of student hockey, using it primarily as an important element of the educational process:    
- It is a great honor for us to host such an event, which is held for the first time. We have been developing hockey since the very beginning of the University in Kazan in 2011. 118 of our students are trained in the field of hockey. 29 of them play in professional leagues. But first of all, the point is that we are preparing coaches who will train young players in the future and work to develop the sport in the country. And we understand that our students have to play to become experts in their field. And so we are represented by teams in all student tournaments and have already created two hockey teams. And I appeal to all of you: cooperate with us, if you need specialists, know that our students are interested in work and ready to go to you.  Today you can start searching for suitable students. You can see what our material resources meet the best international standards. The main thing is that we are interested to return the graduate to his region!
Vladimir Yurzinov also spoke about the key role of student hockey for the development of the sport in the country, who first of all expressed his gratitude to the hosts:
 For the warmth we met here! I sincerely thank you for what you are doing here for student hockey and hockey in General. All of you who are gathered here are doing a great job not only for student hockey, but for the country! It is known that those who are engaged in youth, those and prosper. And it is very important that here the guys get a profession. They know what pain is, hard work, training, and they're talented. And here they get not just education, but the future in this country.
Aleksey Morozov, in turn, pointed out that the student League is an important link in the " hockey industry»:   
- I am glad and grateful that I received an invitation to visit this event, because I do not see the vertical "school – youth League – KHL - team" we are building without student hockey.  We have long started to cooperate, hold friendly matches, and are confident in the great prospects of cooperation. This coaching staff and education of children. This process can be viewed from different angles. There is statistics: in St. Petersburg for 5 years 26 players have gone their student teams in the MHL. On the other hand, if the guy did not manage to play in the MHL, he can go to College to learn and play, and enjoy hockey, while acquiring the profession of coach, Manager, judge. Him because it will be easier to find yourself in a new life. Perhaps some of these guys will become the head coaches of professional teams and national teams.
Forecasts will come true if the student League will be all right. In the meantime, there are a lot of serious problems, which in the middle of the day at a seminar in one of the classrooms of the University coaches and heads of student teams spoke in a very Frank and trusting atmosphere.  Lack of ice, Finance, support from above, gaps in the legislative and regulatory framework ... Discussed everything very frankly. Anton Khramov received much food for thought.
Well, in the evening all went to" Zilant "on a festive opening ceremony of tournament and a match of national teams" Volga region "and"East". Before the show held an autograph session with Vladimir Yurzinov and Aleksey Morozov, caused an incredible stir among the fans who came to cheer for the team "Volga", which came on the ice five students of Kazan universities ("academics" Valeriy Muratov, Aristarch Volkov and Aidar Nizamiev, Artur Chernov of the University, and Yuriy Volkov, Kazan state technological University), and preparing it for the tournament, the coach of the national team of Volga region Academy of Anvar Valiakhmetov.  
Legends steadfastly, as befits hockey players, suffered the hardships of an autograph session signing hundreds of postcards with their photos and smiling for about the same number of selfies. Wishing it so much that we had to slightly delay the start of the opening ceremony, which was attended by the deputy Valiakhmetov wards of the Minister of sport of RT Khalil Shaikhutdinov and President of the hockey Federation of RT Andrey Ryabov, as well as the Tatarstan team in synchronized skating. Completed the program of the day hockey match in which the team "Volga" in uncompromising and the match lost to the "East" (5:7). The next day Valiakhmetov's wards played another bright and productive match, in which, alas, they also lost (to the West with a score of 4:6). Only on the final day of the tournament the hosts won the first and only victory (defeated" Center " with a score of 3:2) and eventually took third place. 
It should be noted that the participants of the tournament all three days of joy to fans with a bright and productive game in which the attack is clearly prevailed over defense. Most likely, this style of play was dictated by the friendly status of the tournament. But the players criticized the lack of commitment, because the Cup opening SKHL in fact became the decisive stage of the selection part of student's Russian national team at the student world championship.