Hockey club Spartak Moscow, which pulled out of the Kontinental Hockey League a year ago, is returning to the league this coming fall thanks to the arrival of a new sponsor, ERIELL, an int'l oilfield services group. "The group ERIELL has had successful partner relations with the Kontinental Hockey League," an ERIELL spokesperson told SBD Global, explaining the company's decision to step in. ERIELL, a company that is relatively unknown to the general public, is listed as one of the KHL's partners. HC Spartak and ERIELL have signed a three-year general sponsorship agreement, the value of which has not been disclosed. "The group ERIELL will be represented on the board of the hockey club Spartak and plans to take operational participation in the development of the club," the company said, adding that conditions will be created for improving the club's competitiveness in the KHL. Back in the Soviet era, the squad was a four-time champion and 11-time runner up, but was unable to make an impact in recent years. In its three final KHL seasons, Spartak was unable to qualify for the playoffs and pulled out after the '13-14 season due to a poor financial situation.
Vladimir Kozlov is a writer in Moscow.
