Minsk has been picked as the venue of the Continental Hockey League (CHL)’s 2010 All-Star Game.

The press office of the league, which features all major Russian teams and one team from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Latvia each, said that the January 30 game “will become one of the most spectacular events of the season.”
The game will be hosted by Minsk Arena, a 15,000-seat facility still under construction, which the CHL press office described as “one of Europe’s best ice arenas.”
CHL President Aleksandr Medvedev welcomed Minsk’s selection as “justified and logical.” “Hockey is a national sport in Belarus. We are certain that the All-Star Game will be held in the new beautiful arena successfully and on a high organizational level, will become a true festival and memorable event for both hockey fans and participants,” he was quoted as saying.
The decision to hold the game outside Russia is “the reflection of the prospect of the CHL expanding on the European territory,” Mr. Medvedev said.