HC Donbass is a professional ice hockey team based in Donetsk, a city in the Donets Basin region of Ukraine. The only Ukrainian club playing outside of the Professional Hockey League (PHL), Donbass plays in Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Borys Kolesnikov, a prominent Ukrainian politician and businessman, purchased the team in 2010, and since this time the organization has become the most successful in Ukraine.
Donbass played home games at Leader Arena from 2006 to 2010. In 2011, the team permanently moved to the Druzhba Palace of Sports after its renovations were complete.
The club was founded in 2005 as Hockey Club Donetsk-Kolbyko and took part in the XIV Ukrainian Championship by competing in the First League. After 3 years of competing only in tournament play, the club returned to the Ukrainian Hockey Championship. In its 4 seasons of national competition beginning in 2008, the franchise won its first title in 2011, before joining the VHL. It was at this time that the organization founded a subsidiary club, Donbass-2, to compete in the Ukrainian Championship in its place. Donbass-2 won its first title in 2012 during the inaugural PHL season.
Season by season
Ukrainian Championship (2006-2011) Ukrainian ChampionLeague leaderDivision Leader SeasonLeagueDivisionRegular seasonPostseasonAwardsDiv.FinishLeagueFinishGPWOTWTOTLLPtsGFGAGPWLGFGAResult 2005–06 First B 1st 2nd 2 2 0 0 0 0 6 20 3 1 1 0 2 1 Won First League, 1–0 (SDYUSSHOR Kharkiv) — 2005–06 Major – 2 0 2 5 7 Lost promotion series, 0–2 (ATEK) — 2006–07 First First League season cancelled XV Ukrainian Championship playoff not held 2007–08 First First League season cancelled 2008–09 Major Eastern 1st 6th 19 14 0 – 0 5 6 134 66 6 4 2 21 13 Won first qualifying round, 2–0 (Vorony Sumy)Won second qualifying round, 2–0 (Ekspres Lviv) Lost quarterfinal, 0–2 (HC Kharkiv) — 2009–10 Major A 5th – 20 5 0 – 1 14 16 52 100 5 2 3 9 15 Won qualifying round, 2–1 (Vatra Ivano-Frankivsk) Lost quarterfinals, 0–2 (Bilyi Bars) — 2010–11 Major – 1st 24 22 1 – 0 1 68 179 32 4 4 0 20 7 Bye for quarterfinalsWon semifinals, 2-0 (HC Kharkiv)Won Championship, 2–0 (Sokil Kyiv) — First League totals 2 2 0 0 0 0 6 20 3 1 1 0 2 1 1 Playoff AppearanceMajor League totals 63 41 1 – 1 20 90 365 198 17 10 7 55 424 Playoff Appearances
Russian Major League (2011–12) Conference Leader SeasonLeagueConferenceRegular seasonPostseasonAwards Conf.FinishLeagueFinishGPWOTWSOWOTLSOLLPtsGFGAGPWLGFGAResult 2011–12 VHL Western 1st 3rd 53 31 3 4 2 2 11 111 179 112 3 3 0 29 17 Won conference quarterfinals, 3–0 (Titan Klin)Won conference semifinals, 3–0 (Neftyanik Almetyevsk)Lost league semi-finals, 0–4 (Toros Neftekamsk) Oleksandr Materukhin (FHU-POY, FHU-AST)Oleksandr Pobedonotsev (FHU-AST)Serhiy Varlamov (FHU-AST)VHL totals 53 31 3 4 2 2 11 111 179 112 3 3 0 29 17 1 Playoff Appearance
Tournaments Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime wins, OTL = Overtime Losses, L = Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Won TournamentTournament LeaderGroup Leader
Cup of Ukraine Year GP W OTW T OTL L GF GA Pts Finish Finals 200720000528003rd, Group ADid not qualify
Westa-Neftek International Cup Year GP W T L GF GA Pts Finish Finals 2007330038761st, Group BWon finals, 5:3 (Dnipro-Meteor Dnipropetrovsk)
Dnipro Cup Year GP W T L GF GA Pts Finish Finals 20083201351162nd, Group BLost 3rd place match, 6:4 (Piraty Dnipropetrovsk)
Federation Cup Year GP W OTW OTL L GF GA Pts Finish20103101191143rd
Donbass Open Cup Year GP W OTW T OTL L GF GA Pts Finish201130000341004th20124200118973rd
IIHF Continental Cup Year GP W OTW OTL L GF GA Pts Finish Awards2011–123300012491st, Group EVladimir Malevich (D)3200110863rd, Super Final2012–133300111941st, Super FinalJán Laco (G)Clay Wilson (D)
Notes GP = Games played, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime wins, T = Tie, OTL = Overtime Losses, L = Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Ekspres Lviv withdrew from the tournament and did not play due to a loss of sponsorship, forfeiting both matches. Vatra Ivano-Frankivst withdrew from the tournament, forfeiting game 3. FHU-AST = FHU All Star Team, FHU-POY = FHU Player of the Year
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