The Kontinental (sic) Hockey League may not be as prestigious as the NHL in North America, but like most things Russian, its sheer scope is enormous. Spread out over a dozen time zones, the league also includes four teams from beyond the borders of the Russian Federation. Dynamo Riga (Latvia), Lev Poprad (Slovakia), Dynamo Minsk (Belarus) and Barys Astana (Kazakhstan) will compete with 19 Russian teams in the 2011 - 2012 season.
    Unfortunately, one of the league’s best teams, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, tragically perished in a horrible plane crash in Russia on the opening day of the new season. Among the dead was one of Latvia’s finest hockey players, former NHL star Kārlis Skrastiņš (1974 - 2011). Known in North America as the Iron Man having set an NHL record for the most consecutive games played by a defender – a whopping 487 – he played for the Nashville Predators, the Colorado Avalanche, where he truly made a name for himself, the Florida Panthers and, finally, the Dallas Stars. The Stars have retired his number, 37, and the team will wear the number on their helmets as a tribute to their fallen teammate this season. After playing over 800 games in the NHL, Skrastiņš signed a fateful contract with Yaroslavl in 2011. He also played over 150 games for the Latvian national squad competing as its captain in the World Hockey Championship and the Winter Olympics. He is mourned by his wife, two children and the entire Latvian nation.
    Many of the KHL teams have adopted or kept Soviet-era names, hence all of the dynamos, locomotives and metallurgists. Most Dynamo Riga home games take place at Arena Riga, Skanstes 21, www.arenariga.com. Tickets can be bought at the arena or at Biļešu serviss (www.bilesuserviss.lv) outlets throughout the city. Visit www.dinamoriga.eu or http://en.khl.ru for more information.

January
Date    Time    Game
28        17:00    Dynamo Rīga v. CSKA Moscow

February
Date    Time    Game
19        17:00    Dynamo Rīga v. Atlant Moscow
22        19:30    Dynamo Rīga v. Sibir Novosibirsk
24        19:30    Dynamo Rīga v. Metallurg Novokuznetsk
26        17:00    Dynamo Rīga v. Amur Khabarovsk