At the end of 2016, the coaching staff of the Russian national ice hockey team announced the composition of the team for the upcoming World Cup. The published list caused a lot of controversy, because the legendary striker Sergei Lomanov was absent in it. Despite his age, 36 years old, the Russian is in great shape, and not all fans supported the decision of the coaches.
Hockey Youth in Sweden
Sergey Sergeevich Lomanov was born on June 2, 1980 in Krasnoyarsk. As the son of a famous player in the USSR national ice hockey team, Sergei Ivanovich Lomanov, he started skating at the age of 5. At the age of 7, the young hockey player was enrolled in a school at the local club Yenisei. But, having studied for two years in Krasnoyarsk, in 1989 went with his father to Sweden, where he trained at a school at the Sirius club from the city of Uppsala.
In 1995, Sergey Lomanov - the youngest was again forced to move because of his father - having finished his career at Sirius, Sergei Ivanovich returned to his homeland, where he became the head coach of the Yenisei, where his son also ended up. For the first two years, the young talent of hockey with the ball was in the youth squad, but his rapid growth and high performance (36 goals in 33 meetings) allowed him to be at the base of the Krasnoyarsk club at the age of 17.
Parish in the Yenisei
Starting to play under his father’s leadership in the adult field, Sergey Lomanov was brightly distinguished among the rest of the players by his courage to go on the stroke and take the game upon himself, as well as his masterful stick and high speed of movement on ice. But due to the presence of more experienced fighters in the squad, the young Russian did not always play from the first minutes of the meeting. At the end of the first season, Lomanov chalked up 29 goals in 40 meetings, leaving a good impression not only on his father and coach, but also on the fans.
As a result, every year Sergey Lomanov received more and more playing time on the field and proved his worth by excellent performance, so for two consecutive seasons “Yenisei” was one step away from the first line in the Russian championship and took the country's Cup twice. But in 2001, gold also came to the Krasnoyarsk team - the team confidently took first place in the Eastern group, and in the playoffs left no chance to any of the rivals, defeating the winner of the Western group in the final - Arkhangelsk “Vodnik”. The same year brought the “Yenisei” victory in the European Cup.
The next three seasons as part of the Krasnoyarsk team were also no less successful for Sergey. Despite the presence of only one national trophy, the Cup of Russia, the striker showed incredible performance from year to year, with an average of three points per game per season.
Moscow career stage
Successful performance, both in the club and in the Russian national team, made the Yenisei striker one of the most valuable players in the championship, and in 2005 he was able to lure the capital Dynamo into his squad. As part of the Moscow team, Sergey Lomanov spent only three seasons, but during this time he managed to collect a whole scattering of awards, without compromising personal results.
For the “blue and white" Russians spent 115 matches, scoring 230 goals and making 123 assists. This success helped Dynamo three seasons in a row to become the champion of Russia, as well as to win two World Cups among clubs, to win the Cup of the country and the European Cup. But in 2008, Sergey Lomanov decided to return to Krasnoyarsk.
Return
The fans received the return of the local legend with great joy, to which Lomanov himself answered already in the first season, having accumulated 55 goals in the championship and 27 in cup meetings. A year later, the fantastic value of 73 goals in the championship again made Sergei the best striker of the Russian championship, the club's record holder in the number of goals scored per season, and also returned the Yenisei to the podium (bronze was won).
In 2012 and 2013, the Krasnoyarsk team again celebrated the championship bronze medals, and since 2014, Lomanov’s not deteriorating game has made an incredible surprise for fans in the form of three consecutive champion seasons. In 2015, a victory in the World Cup was also added to these trophies. However, in the spring of 2016, the hockey player announced his departure from the Yenisei.
Relocation to Sweden
The new club for Sergey was the Swedish “Wenersborg”. In his interview, Lomanov emphasized that the main reason for leaving the Krasnoyarsk team was the desire to play in closed arenas because of a number of microtraumas. However, two years later, the Russian intends to return to Krasnoyarsk when an indoor stadium is built there to continue to shine in his native club. As Sergey Lomanov himself stated, ball hockey is a real hobby for him, and after completing his career, the player plans to train youth in his own club, the Yenisei.
The game for the Russian team
In 2001, to the delight of most fans, Sergey Lomanov was invited to the national team to the World Cup. Hockey, demonstrated by the Russian, attracted the attention of the coaching staff, and in the same year the Russian goalor made his debut, which turned out to be incredibly successful. Following the results of the world championship, Lomanov became the team’s top scorer, scoring 13 goals, thanks to which Russia became the owner of gold medals.
In the future, Sergey became one of the key players in the national team, annually taking part in world championships. For 15 years of participation in the games of the national team, Lomanov became the most titled hockey player in the world, having won the world championship 9 times. Three times the Russian was recognized as the best player of the tournament, and another 6 times - the best striker. But in 2016, Lomanov Jr. did not get into the national team for the 2017 World Cup, which the team mentor Sergey Meaus explained with a desire to give the young people a chance to prove themselves. The hockey player himself noted that he did not refuse to play for Russia and was ready to accept the offer to return to the national team.