The historic victory of "Avangard" in the Gagarin Cup in Omsk seemed to have been foreseen in advance.
During the sixth game of the final series with CSKA, almost all pubs in the city were packed to capacity, despite the fact that the meeting began late in the evening local time.
The fans were not even embarrassed by the story of nine years ago, when the “hawks” were leading in the decisive series with “Dynamo” - 3: 1, but they managed to suffer three defeats in a row and literally gave the trophy to their opponent.
Omsk hockey fans believed that this time it would definitely not happen again, and they were right.
Bob Hartley's wards won with a minimum score and became the best team in the KHL for the first time.
The team last won the Russian Championship back in 2004.
Since then, a whole generation has grown up that have not even seen that triumph.
With the final siren, the townspeople poured into the streets, although it sounded after midnight local time.
For many, this was one of the few opportunities to feel a real involvement in the success of their favorites, because Avangard has been forced to play home matches in Balashikha near Moscow since 2018.
The central highways of Omsk - Karl Marx Avenue and Lenin Street quickly began to fill up with happy hockey fans.
At first they walked along the sidewalks, but then blocked the roadway.
The drivers did not show dissatisfaction with this matter, but only buzzed approvingly.
More videos from the night jubilant Omsk!
Because your support is our driving force 🦅 pic.twitter.com/tPEboSBEBQ
- HC Avangard (@hcavangardomsk) April 29, 2021
Many people put on the uniform of "hawks" and went out with the flags of "Avangard" in their hands, there were also a lot of Russian tricolors. This is not surprising, because the hockey team here is not even a city, but a national treasure, especially since now it has officially become the best in the country. One of the cheerleaders was wearing Alexei Cherepanov's sweater. The memory of the pupil of the club, who died during the KHL match with Vityaz 13 years ago, is still honored in Omsk. If not for the tragedy, he could well have become one of those who raised the Gagarin Cup over their heads on Wednesday.
Lenin Street closer to two o'clock in the morning, in fact, turned into a pedestrian street.
More and more people gathered in the center, and no one cared that they would have to get up for work in the morning.
After a while, a traffic police crew drove up to the improvised fan zone, demanding to free the roadway, but it seems that the law enforcement officers themselves understood that it was simply unrealistic to do this.
This city has earned the championship 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3KDRU5U3XF
- HC Avangard (@hcavangardomsk) April 28, 2021
Loud music played over Omsk until the morning, including the old anthem of the Vanguard with the words “Oh, this moment, this finest hour, we know that fate is for us.
Come out and Omsk pains.
Long live hockey! "
Of course, Queen's eternal composition “We are the Champions” was also played regularly.
And on the outskirts they continued to launch victorious fireworks.
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The next day, the holiday continued.
At 18:00 local time, the team was supposed to fly from Moscow.
Two hours earlier, fans began to fill the Karbyshev airport.
In the parking lot, they put up special frames through which people passed by.
There was also an orchestra playing the club's new anthem in honor of the victors.
The governor of the Omsk region Alexander Burkov met the champions right at the gangway.
By the way, right after the final match of the series, he promised to rename one of the city streets in honor of Avangard.
“Congratulations to everyone, dear friends!
Thanks to all the players and all the fans!
Thank you Avangard for this bright season!
Next year we are waiting for the team at the home arena!
We choose a street, which we will name after the club, as I promised, ”Burkov wrote on Instagram.
In the arrival hall, hockey players and members of the coaching staff took pictures with fans for a long time and signed autographs.
It is curious that Hartley managed to make a memory frame already on the runway - with the pilot of Aeroflot.
Omsk, this is for you!
We're home!
pic.twitter.com/qdIEspCKBk
- HC Avangard (@hcavangardomsk) April 29, 2021
Finally, at 18:50 local time, a bus with the inscription "Champions" left the airport for the construction site of the new "Arena-Omsk", which will soon receive the city's favorite team.
There, the fans had the opportunity to see the Gagarin Cup and celebrate the success together with their favorites.
As a result, thousands of people gathered on the improvised square - a real sea of people.
Two captains Alexey Emelin and Ilya Kovalchuk raised the trophy to the happy people.
Omsk, you are incredible!
😍😍😍 City of Champions!
pic.twitter.com/QBzLovEHEz
- HC Avangard (@hcavangardomsk) April 29, 2021
But for the avangard hockey players, the celebrations did not end there. Already on Friday, they will board the plane again and head towards the capital to celebrate the victory with their new fans near Moscow at the Balashikha Arena. Indeed, in three years, the "hawks" have become a team that now has two houses at once.