Former SKA hockey club head coach Roman Rotenberg is shifting his focus to developing children’s sports and building sports infrastructure across Russia. This announcement was made on June 20, following his departure from the club.

Rotenberg aims to create a comprehensive sports structure, including sports schools, educational buildings, and multifunctional complexes. The initiative will encompass various sports such as hockey, figure skating, judo, boxing, basketball, handball, and paddle tennis.

While St. Petersburg remains a primary focus, where he dedicated 14 years, Rotenberg is currently in discussions with multiple regions to expand this model nationwide. His objective is to provide children with top-tier coaches and training methods, nurturing aspirations to become elite athletes.

Plans are also underway to organize international tournaments for young hockey players. Possible locations for these tournaments include Russia, Turkey, the UAE, and Canada, with a unique concept of hosting matches on a ship under consideration.

Rotenberg also stressed the role of patriotic and spiritual education within sports. He emphasized that instilling spirit and ideology is an integral part of their work.

His departure from SKA occurred after the 2024/25 season due to a change in leadership. The new board of directors deemed the season’s results unsatisfactory, as the team finished seventh in the regular season and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Dynamo.