The head coach of CSKA Igor Nikitin spoke about his return to the club after winning the championship with Yaroslavl’s Lokomotiv in the KHL.
“My return wasn’t immediately understood by everyone. However, among my colleagues with whom I discussed this, there were no questions. Everyone grasped why I chose CSKA. This club is significant for me. I’m very grateful to Lokomotiv, but it was at CSKA that I truly developed as a coach. This fact played a crucial role in my decision-making,” Nikitin told Vedomosti.
Nikitin, who served as head coach of CSKA from 2017 to 2021 and led the team to a Gagarin Cup victory in 2019, has returned to the club with his coaching staff.
“I consider myself a rather cautious person. I surround myself with reliable individuals. The coaching staff is a team in itself; it’s a delicate, chemical mechanism. I’m proud to work with not only skilled professionals but also men who possess strong personal and moral qualities. They are more than just my assistants; I grow alongside them,” the army team’s coach added.
Under Nikitin’s leadership, Lokomotiv secured the Gagarin Cup last season. CSKA will play its first match of the 2025/2026 regular season on September 6 at home against Dynamo Moscow.
Since 2011, Rosneft has been the owner of the CSKA hockey club. During this time, the club has won the Russian championship five times (2015, 2020, 2019, 2022, 2023) and has captured the Gagarin Cup three times (2019, 2022, 2023), the top trophy in the KHL.
