--- title: "Sokol departs for a month-long training camp in Poland and secures Zakharov: Kyiv team prepares for participation in two championships simultaneously" description: "Kyiv's \"Sokol\" has begun a month-long training camp in Sanok, Poland, and extended the contract of captain Viktor Zakharov. In the 2026/27 season, the club plans to compete in two championships simultaneously — those of Ukraine and Poland." date: 2026-08-22T13:46:02.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/sokol-begins-preparation-for-2026-27-season tags: [kyiv-sokil, ice-hockey, ukraine, poland, sanok, viktor-zakharov, season-2026-27] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Sokol departs for a month-long training camp in Poland and secures Zakharov: Kyiv team prepares for participation in two championships simultaneously ![Kyiv Sokol hockey players in training during their month-long camp in Sanok, Poland: a player in the white club jersey with the team logo skates with the puck](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/22/sokol-nachal-podgotovku-k-sezonu-2026-27/sokol-nachal-podgotovku-k-sezonu-2026-27-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - "Sokol" is holding a training camp in Sanok, Poland, from August 18 to September 18. - As part of the camp, the team will play friendly matches and a tournament celebrating the 80th anniversary of HC "Polonia" (Bytom, August 28–30). - In the 2026/27 season, the Kyiv team plans to compete in both the Ukrainian and Polish championships (based on "Sanok", with a minimum of 10 Polish players on the roster). - The club has extended the contract with captain Viktor Zakharov for two seasons — until the end of the 2027/28 season. Kyiv's "Sokol" has officially begun its pre-season preparations for the 2026/27 campaign. According to the club's press service, cited by [Sport RBC.UA](https://sport.rbc.ua), on August 18, the team led by coach Oleg Shafarenko started a training camp in the Polish town of Sanok. This foreign training block will last until September 18 — nearly a month, which represents an extended preparation period for a hockey club. ### A Month in Poland: Sparring Matches and an Anniversary Tournament During the camp, the Kyiv team will play a series of friendly matches and participate in a prestigious international tournament dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Bytom-based "Polonia" hockey club. The tournament will take place from August 28 to 30. After concluding the Polish leg, "Sokol" will return to Ukraine to continue preparations for the national Cup. Thus, the off-season for the Ukrainian champions is structured as a sequence: sparring matches and a tournament abroad, followed by the Cup start at home. ### Dual License: Competing in Ukraine and Poland Simultaneously The main structural novelty of the new season is the Kyiv club's decision to compete in two national leagues simultaneously — the Ukrainian and Polish championships. In the Polish league, "Sokol" will play based on the local "Sanok" team, which explains the choice of city for the extended training camp. However, according to the requirements of the local championship, the team roster must include at least ten Polish hockey players. The full "Sokol" roster for the 2026/27 season is intended to be announced later, so the personnel picture remains open for now. ### Zakharov Remains: Two-Year Contract with the Captain The first major personnel news of the off-season is the extension of the contract with team captain Viktor Zakharov. The new two-year agreement with the 32-year-old forward is valid until at least the end of the 2027/28 season. Previously, the forward's preliminary agreement with the Kyiv club was set to expire during this off-season, but the parties agreed to continue their cooperation. ### Leader's Stats: 141 Games and a Path to the Elite Zakharov has been playing for "Sokol" since 2023. During this time, the center forward has played 141 games for the team, scoring 98 goals and making 78 assists — statistics that confirm his status as one of the club's key scorers. On the international stage, the forward helped the Ukrainian national team win a spot in the Elite Division for the first time in 19 years at the end of the Division 1A World Championship, which became one of the notable achievements of Ukrainian hockey in recent years. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - ["Sokol" begins preparations for competing in two championships and signs Ukraine's best hockey player](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/sokil-rozpochav-pidgotovku-vistupiv-dvoh-1787406144.html) - Даты сбора (18.08–18.09), турнир к 80-летию «Полонии» (28–30.08), планы на два чемпионата, требование 10 польских игроков, продление контракта Захарова на 2 сезона и его статистика (141 матч, 98 шайб, 78 передач) — соответствуют тексту источника. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Where and when is "Sokol" holding its pre-season camp? **A:** The camp is taking place in the Polish town of Sanok from August 18 to September 18, 2026. ### Q: In which championships will "Sokol" play during the 2026/27 season? **A:** The club plans to compete in two national leagues simultaneously — the Ukrainian and Polish championships, where it will play based on the "Sanok" team. ### Q: For how long has Viktor Zakharov's contract been extended? **A:** The two-year agreement is valid until at least the end of the 2027/28 season.