The toughest KHL outfit, Vityaz, have got a surprise reinforcement in the face of WBA cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev and his renowned coach Kostya Tszyu. The pair and their team had the last word though.

Vityaz has long been a synonym of fighting spirit and physical might rather than playing skills. The Russian hockey fans jokingly recommended the club’s racy head coach Andrey Nazarov – one of the biggest NHL tough guys of the recent past – to get rid of the few creative players and hire professional fighters, which would the club even more aggressive and thus unbeatable.

The club’s officials seem to have profited by the advice and symbolically included Lebedev and Tszyu in the squad. The ceremony of dedication took place ahead of the latest Vityaz home game against Moscow Region rivals Atlant. Judging by the numbers on their jerseys, Tzsyu was supposed to become the third goalie, while Lebedev was to join the defensive line, being the toughest spot.

The boxers responded in style. Lebedev’s manager Vladimir Khryunov presented Andrey Nazarov a real Cossack saber. Given what Nazarov has recently managed to do with a stick, the rival fans are entering the unquiet days.

The changes did not help Vityaz on the night though. Atlant extended their winning streak to four games after a 3-2 comeback win over the lowly side. The winner came in the dying minutes.