Alexander Kotitsyn Ice Arena

The Alexander Kotitsyn Ice Arena holds a specific place in the regional sporting map, defined less by its scale and more by the event that cemented its profile. It stands as the venue for the VII World Junior Ice Hockey Championship in August 2017. That summer gathering brought international teams to Verkhnyaya Pyshma, a town situated just north of Yekaterinburg, ensuring the facility was recognised on a wider stage than its daily routine might suggest.

Opened in December 2012, the building was conceived from the start to carry the name of Alexander Anatolyevich Kozitsyn, the director of Ural Electrometal. The honour was bestowed following his death in 2009, meaning the arena never operated under a different title. It serves as a home for HC Gornyak-UGMK in the VHL and hosts various sessions for figure skating and short track.

The facility’s physical limits are a matter of persistent debate. Municipal documents and tourist guides consistently cite a capacity of 1,000, yet league reports and match day figures occasionally point toward 1,100 or 1,500. This ambiguity is most visible during high-stakes games; playoff fixtures have drawn crowds exceeding 3,400. The building itself has undergone minor technical adjustments, such as the 2014 reconstruction of the second stage of the refrigeration system, but it has avoided any major structural overhaul since its completion.

A visit to the arena reveals a functional, unpretentious structure at Prospekt Uspensky, 4. It maintains a steady rhythm of competition. The attendance figures for regular games often hover in the low hundreds. The website for the complex lists the arena alongside the associated sports school, providing a central point for information rather than a dedicated portal for the ice rink itself.