Russian Hockey Team Awards AK-47 To 'Player Of The Game'

A hockey star from Russia received a bizarre award for his starring role in goal; an AK-47.

Having stopped 36 of the 38 shots he faced for Izhstal Izhevsk in their 3-2 win over Chelmet, Saveli Kononov was handed an assault rifle by a senior official.

The hockey goalie was presented with a gun in the dressing room following his heroics in net by his teammates who voted Kononov as the 'Player of the Game'.

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Izhstal Izhevsk's captain passed Kononov the weapon and he paraded with the gun before giving a rousing speech to his teammates.

The players seemed amused with the new gimmick. One player joked: "If we play poorly, they will shoot us."

It's unclear whether the gun is a replica or a fully-loaded weapon.

This isn't the first time a hockey team has given out strange post-match awards. In the past, NHL teams have awarded everything from barber shop capes and Broadway hats to a Abraham Lincoln costume.

But they all pale in comparison to Izhstal Izhevsk's gift.

Only in Russia...

Topics: Hockey, Russia

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado, and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping and Anthony Joshua. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

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