Humo Tashkent

The Humo Hockey Club (Uzbek: «Humo» Toshkent xokkey klubi, Cyrilic Uzbek: «Ҳумо» Тошкент хоккей клуби, also known as Humo Tashkent, are a professional ice hockey team based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Originally a member of the Uzbekistan Ice Hockey League, Humo joined the Supreme Hockey League for the 2019–20 season. Humo play their games at the Humo Ice Dome; both the team and arena derive their name from the mythical Huma bird, a symbol of happiness and freedom.[2]

Humo Tashkent
CityTashkent
LeagueSupreme Hockey League
Founded2018
Home arenaHumo Ice Dome
ColoursBlue, Gold
   
General manager Normunds Sējējs[1]
Head coach Yevgeni Popikhin

History

Humo Tashkent was a member of the reformed Uzbekistan Ice Hockey League which began play in February 2019. The UIHL consisted of three other teams Binokor Tashkent, HK Tashkent, & Semurg Tashkent, with all of the teams playing out of the Humo Ice Dome.[3] Humo would finish in first place at the end of the regular season, with Forward Pavel Sedov scoring the most points throughout the season.[4] In the play-offs however, Humo were upset by the 4th seeded Semurg Tashkent. Semurg would then go on to defeat Binokor in the final.[5]

On 31 May 2019 it was announced that Humo would be joining the VHL for the 2019–20 season.[6] Alongside Humo, Dynamo Tver, Torpedo-Gorky Nizhny Novgorod and Kazakhstan's Nomad Nor-Sultan would also be joining the league.[7] Rumours of an Uzbek team in the VHL had been circulating for months, after KHL Vice-President Vitali Prokhorov announced that an Uzbek team could join the KHL in 2022, after having gained experience in the VHL.[8] It was subsequently announced that a further two teams would be joining the VHL; HK Rostov and China's Shougang Beijing.[9]

A Humo farm team playing in the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship was also proposed. Initially, Binokor Tashkent was earmarked for this role, however on July 17, 2019, the Kazakhstan Ice Hockey Federation announced that a new team from Samarkand, HC Sherdor, would be taking Binokor's place in the league.[10] A week later it was announced that the Samarkand rink would not be completed in time, and as a result 'Humo Tashkent 2' would act as the feeder club for the VHL side.[11]

Following the completion of the 2019-20 VHL Season, and the cancellation of the playoffs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic Humo announced that they would not be fielding a team in either the VHL or the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship, citing "the absence of an unambiguous understanding of the timing of the start of pre-season preparation and the VHL itself, as well as the format in which it will be held" due to the ongoing pandemic.[12]

References
  1. "Normunds Sējējs on the Challenge in Tashkent: I'll start all over from scratch". sportazinas.com (in Latvian). June 27, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  2. "Bird of Happiness - a symbol of the HC HUMO" (in Russian). July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  3. "Uzbekistan eyes to join International Ice Hockey Federation". February 15, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  4. "UIHC - Uzbek Ice Hockey League". Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  5. "Semurg becomes winner of the Uzbekistan hockey championship". April 17, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  6. "Tashkent-based Humo club to play in Higher Hockey League in 2019-2020 season". Tashkent Times. June 3, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  7. "The new VHL takes shape". June 2, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  8. "Hockey club from Uzbekistan can enter the KHL in 2022". March 16, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  9. "Twelfth off-season week: Humo debut and two new recruits" (in Russian). July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  10. "Newly created Sherdor Samarkand replaces Binokor in Kazakhstan League". July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  11. "Uzbek saga continues". July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  12. "Humo Tashkent withdraws from the competition next season". April 19, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
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