The Board of Directors of OJSC Gazprom Neft approved the signing of a sponsorship contract with Omsk based Avangard hockey club. The contract is in the amount of 798.86 million rubles, the company's website reports. Advertising services will be provided from 1 August 2014 to 30 April 2015. By the results of the last CHL season, Avangard took 10th place in Eastern Conference and missed the playoffs, but won the Cup of Hope.

      The Board of Directors also approved the signing of a sponsorship contract with SKA from St. Petersburg in the amount of 1.18 billion rubles. By contract terms, the advertising period will last from 1 December 2013 to 31 December 2014. SKA took second place in the Western Conference in the last CHL season and reached the second round of the playoffs, where it was defeated by Lokomotiv from Yaroslavl.