A fan petition in support of the Rostov club has garnered 730 signatures.

The Rostov hockey club announced its forced withdrawal from the Russian championship, citing a lack of funding from the regional Ministry of Sport. Fans called on the authorities to resolve the issue of preserving the club.

Fans of the Rostov hockey club addressed a petition to the leadership of the Russian Hockey Federation/VHL (All-Russian Hockey League), the Rostov Region Ministry of Sport, the Rostov-on-Don administration, and the Rostov hockey club management asking them to maintain the club's participation in the Russian VHL championship, donnews.ru reported today.

The petition, titled ", posted on December 18 on the Change.org platform. As of 2:46 p.m. Moscow time, the petition had garnered 730 signatures.

"We, fans of the Rostov hockey club, strongly protest the information about the team's possible withdrawal from the Russian VHL championship due to a lack of funding and support. The Rostov hockey club is not a private whim or a 'secondary' project. It is a significant part of the sporting and social life of Rostov-on-Don and the region. The club is backed by thousands of fans, families, children, youth, players, and staff who have maintained a high level of performance for years and represented the region on the national stage. The team's withdrawal means the destruction of the system, the loss of personnel, the eradication of labor, and a blow to the region's reputation. We ask that the issue of preserving the club be addressed rather than discussing the 'withdrawal,'" the petition states.

The announcement of Rostov's forced withdrawal from the championship was posted on December 18 on the hockey club's website. Club.

"Due to the lack of funding from the Rostov Region Ministry of Sports in 2026, the Rostov hockey club is forced to withdraw from the Russian Hockey Championship. Since its inception, the club has achieved the following significant results: 2015 – Russian Hockey League Champion; 2017 and 2019 – VHL Championship Champion. Since 2019, it has been a regular participant in the All-Russian Hockey League. It has trained 35 Masters of Sports of Russia," the publication states.

The VHL issued an official statement on the situation with HC Rostov on the same day. "The All-Russian Hockey League is aware of the funding issue for the Rostov hockey club in the 2026 calendar year and is working with the club to resolve this situation. The club has not provided the league with any form of notification regarding its withdrawal from the OLIMPBET Russian Championship - VHL for the 2025-2026 season," according to a publication on the league's website.

In turn, the Rostov Region Ministry of Sport announced that it has allocated 150 million rubles from the regional budget to the Rostov hockey club in 2025, and approximately 750 million rubles from 2014 to 2024, Kommersant reports.

According to authorities, more than 1,500 people play hockey in the region. "The size of the subsidy directly depends on the sports clubs' position in the league table. Furthermore, the Rostov hockey club has been given the opportunity to hold games in a completely renovated Sports Palace, which can accommodate 3,500 spectators," the publication quoted the ministry as saying.

Furthermore, the Rostov hockey club "is a fully commercial club and is supported by its founder" and can still generate revenue from ticket sales, television rights, sponsorship contracts, and transfers, the ministry stated. "The decision on a club's participation or withdrawal from the championship is made solely by the hockey club's management," the statement read.