KHL.ru publishes the full list of preseason exhibition games and tournaments. The results will be added later.

July 26, Thursday

EG Traktor – Salavat Yulaev (Finland)

July 28, Saturday

EG Torpedo – HC Dynamo Moscow

July 29, Sunday

EG Neftekhimik – Traktor (Finland)

July 30, Monday

EG Severstal– Lokomotiv, Dinamo Riga – Toros

August 2, Thursday

EG Vityaz – Team Italy (Bressanone, Italy), Dinamo Minsk – Sibir, Olomouc – Slovan, Jokerit – Neftekhimik

August 03, Friday

SHO 15:00 Lokomotiv – Ak Bars, 19:30 HC Sochi – Kunlun Red Star

EG Severstal – Traktor (Pajulahti, Finland), Admiral – Amur, Yunost – Sibir

August 04, Saturday

SHO 13:00 Ak Bars – Olympic Russian National Team, 17:30 HC Sochi – SKA

EG Vityaz – Metallurg (Garmisch-Partenkirchen), Admiral - Amur, RoKi – Avangard

August 05, Sunday

SHO 13:00 Lokomotiv – Olympic Russian National Team, 17:30 SKA – Kunlun Red Star

NGC 12:00 HC Dynamo Moscow – Dinamo Riga, 15:00 Avtomobilist – Spartak, 19:00 Torpedo – Dinamo Minsk

August 06, Monday

SHO 15:00 Lokomotiv – Kunlun Red Star, 19:30 HC Sochi – Olympic Russian National Team

NGC 15:00 HC Dynamo Moscow – Avtomobilist, 19:00 Dinamo Minsk – Dinamo Riga

EG RoKi – Avangard

August 07, Tuesday

SHO 15:00 Lokomotiv – SKA, 19:30 HC Sochi – Ak Bars

NGC 15:00 HC Dynamo Moscow – Spartak, 19:00 Torpedo – Dinamo Riga

EG Slovan – Vitkovice (Ostrava)

August 08, Wednesday

SHO 15:00 Olympic Russian National Team – Kunlun Red Star, 19:30 SKA – Ak Bars

NGC 15:00 Spartak – Dinamo Minsk, 19:00 Torpedo – Avtomobilist

EG Jokerit – Sibir (Valkeakoski, Finland)

August 09, Thursday

NGC 15:00 Avtomobilist – Dinamo Riga, 19:00 HC Dynamo Moscow – Dinamo Minsk

KRC 14:00 Team Kazakhstan – Neftekhimik, 19:30 Barys – Amur

EG Slovan – Kometa (Brno), CSKA – Admiral

August 10, Friday

NGC 15:00 Spartak – Dinamo Riga, 19:00 Torpedo – HC Dynamo Moscow

KRC 14:00 Amur – Team Kazakhstan, 19:30 Barys – Neftekhimik

EG CSKA – Admiral, SaiPa – Severstal (Pajulahti, Finland), HPK – Sibir (Valkeakoski, Finland)

Auiust 11, Saturday

NGC 15:00 Avtomobilist – Dinamo Minsk, 19:00 Torpedo – Spartak

KRC 14:00 Neftekhimik – Amur, 19:30 Barys – Team Kazakhstan

August 12, Sunday

EG Lustenau – Vityaz

August 13, Monday

HAT 19:30 HC Lausanne – CSKA

EG Neftyanik – Ak Bars

August 14, Tuesday

HAT 19:30 Geneve-Servette – CSKA

CGC 15:00 Salavat Yulaev – Metallurg, 19:00 Traktor – Avangard

EG Mlada Boleslav – Slovan

August 15, Wednesday

EG 18:00 CSKA – Davos

CGC 15:00 Avangard – Salavat Yulaev, 19:00 Traktor – Metallurg

EG Innsbruck – Vityaz, HC Dynamo Moscow – Amur

August 16, Thursday

ZKM 15:00 Admiral – Eisbaren, 19:00 Dinamo (Pardubice) – Slovan

EG Lokomotiv – Severstal, Jokerit – SKA (Vantaa), Kometa – Spartak (Brno), Ak Bars – Neftekhimik

August 17, Friday

CGC 15:00 Metallurg – Avangard, 19:00 Traktor – Salavat Yulaev

ZKM 18:00 Eisbaren – Slovan

LEC Vityaz – Ambri-Piotta

EG Vitkovice – HC Sochi (Ostrava)

August 18, Saturday

CGC 13:00 Third-place game, 17:00 First-place game

ZKM 15:00 Slovan – Admiral

EG Ocelari – HC Sochi (Trinec)

August 19, Sunday

ZKM 17:00 Dinamo (Pardubice) – Admiral

LEC Vityaz – Mannheim

August 20, Monday

EG WEV Lions – Spartak (Bruck an der Leitha, Austria), Metallurg Nk – Sibir

August 21, Tuesday

LRC 15:30 Ak Bars – Davos, 19:30 Dinamo Riga – Dinamo Minsk

EG Slovan – Kometa

August 22, Wednesday

LRC 15:30 Davos – Dinamo Minsk, 19:30 Dinamo Riga – Lokomotiv

August 23, Thursday

LRC 17:00 Dinamo Minsk – Ak Bars

RMT 15:00 Sibir – Torpedo, 19:00 Metallurg – Traktor

MMC 15:30 Vityaz – CSKA, 19:15 HC Dynamo Moscow – Spartak

NPT 11:00 Severstal – HC Sochi, 15:00 Avangard – Jokerit, 19:30 SKA – Kunlun Red Star

EG Kometa – Amur (Ceske-Budejovice)

August 24, Friday

LRC 17:00 Ak Bars – Lokomotiv

RMT 15:00 Traktor – Sibir, 19:00 Metallurg – Torpedo

NPT 11:00 Severstal – Jokerit, 15:00 HC Sochi – Kunlun Red Star, 19:30 SKA – Avangard

EG Banska Bystrica – Slovan

August 25, Saturday

LRC 15:00 Dinamo Riga – Ak Bars, 19:00 Lokomotiv – Davos

BRC 13:00 Neftekhimik – Barys, 17:00 Salavat Yulaev – Avtomobilist

MMC 16:00 HC Dynamo Moscow – Vityaz, 19:15 CSKA – Spartak

EG Motor – Amur (Ceske-Budejovice)

August 26, Sunday

LRC 13:00 Lokomotiv – Dinamo Minsk, 17:00 Dinamo Riga – Davos

RMT 15:00 Torpedo – Traktor, 19:00 Metallurg – Sibir

BRC 15:00 Avtomobilist – Barys, 19:00 Salavat Yulaev – Neftekhimik

MMC 16:00 Vityaz – Spartak, 19:15 HC Dynamo Moscow – CSKA

NPT 11:00 Jokerit – Kunlun Red Star, 15:00 Severstal – Avangard, 19:30 SKA – HC Sochi

August 27, Monday

NPT 11:00 Severstal – Kunlun Red Star, 15:00 Avangard – HC Sochi, 19:30 SKA – Jokerit

August 28, Tuesday

BRC 15:00 Avtomobilist – Neftekhimik, 19:00 Salavat Yulaev – Barys

EG Slovan – Mlada Boleslav

* – game times are indicated in local time

Gudlevskis gets back to Riga and a new Swede for Jokerit.

Dinamo Riga inked goalie Kristers Gudlevskis to a one-year deal. Moreover, Gunars Skvorcovs and Roberts Lipsbergs joined the team on a try-out contract.

Jokerit signed Swede defenseman Viktor Loov to a one-year deal with.

KHL.ru presents the full schedule of 2018 preseason tournaments.

In this year’s preseason, KHL teams will participate in 12 tournaments. After a one-year hiatus, the Chelyabinsk Region’s Governor Cup is back. Moreover, KHL teams will also skate in three foreigner tournaments: Slovan and Admiral will participate in the Zbynek Kusy Memorial in Pardubice, CSKA will take part in the Swiss Hockeyades, and Vityaz will compete at the Lehner Cup.

Sochi Hockey Open

Scheduled for: August 3 – 8

Participants: Olympic Russian National Team, Ak Bars, Lokomotiv, Kunlun Red Star, HC Sochi, SKA

Nizhny Novgorod Region’s Governor Cup

Scheduled for: August 5 – 11

Participants: Torpedo, HC Dynamo Moscow, Avtomobilist, Spartak, Dinamo Riga, Dinamo Minsk

Kazakhstan Republic President Cup

Scheduled for: August 9 – 12

Participants: Barys, Neftekhimik, Amur, Team Kazakhstan

Hockeyades

Scheduled for: August 13 – 16

Participants: CSKA, Rouen Dragons (France), Davos, Lausanne, Geneve-Servette (all – Switzerland).

Chelyabinsk Region’s Governor Cup

Scheduled for: August 14 – 18

Participants: Traktor, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Avangard, Salavat Yulaev

Zbynek Kusy Memorial Tournament

Scheduled for: August 16 – 19

Participants: Slovan, Admiral, Dinamo (Czech Republic), Eisbaren (Germany)

Lehner Cup 2018

Scheduled for: August 17 – 19

Participants: Vityaz, Ambri-Piotta (Switzerland), Mannheim (Germany)

Latvian Railways Cup

Scheduled for: August 21 – 26

Participants: Dinamo Riga, Lokomotiv, Ak Bars, Dinamo Minsk, Davos (Switzerland)

Romazan Memorial Tournament

Scheduled for: August 23 – 26

Participants: Metallurg, Sibir, Traktor, Torpedo

Bashkortostan Republic Cup

Scheduled for: August 25 – 28

Participants: Salavat Yulaev, Barys, Avtomobilist, Neftekhimik

Moscow Mayor’s Cup

Scheduled for: August 23 – 26

Participants: CSKA, Spartak, HC Dynamo Moscow, Vityaz

Puchkov Memorial Tournament

Scheduled for: August 23 – 26

Participants: SKA, «Severstal», Avangard, HC Sochi, Jokerit, Kunlun Red Star

Sochi Hockey Open

Venue: Sochi

Scheduled for: August 3 – 8

Participants: Olympic Russian National Team, Ak Bars, Lokomotiv, Kunlun Red Star, HC Sochi, SKA

Tournament schedule

August 3, Friday

15:00* Lokomotiv – Ak Bars

19:30 HC Sochi – Kunlun Red Star

August 4, Saturday

13:00 Ak Bars – Olympic Russian National Team

17:30 HC Sochi – SKA

August 5, Sunday

13:00 Lokomotiv – Olympic Russian National Team

17:30 SKA – Kunlun Red Star

August 6, Monday

15:00 Lokomotiv – Kunlun Red Star

19:30 HC Sochi – Olympic Russian National Team

August 7, Tuesday

15:00 Lokomotiv – SKA

19:30 HC Sochi – Ak Bars

August 8, Wednesday

15:00 Olympic Russian National Team – Kunlun Red Star

19:30 SKA – Ak Bars

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Nizhny Novgorod Region’s Governor Cup

Venue: Nizhny Novgorod

Scheduled for: August 5 – 11

Participants: Torpedo, HC Dynamo Moscow, Avtomobilist, Spartak, Dinamo Riga, Dinamo Minsk

Tournament schedule

August 05, Sunday

12:00 HC Dynamo Moscow – Dinamo Riga

15:00 Avtomobilist – Spartak

19:00 Torpedo – Dinamo Minsk

August 06, Monday

15:00 HC Dynamo Moscow – Avtomobilist

19:00 Dinamo Minsk – Dinamo Riga

August 7, Tuesday

15:00 HC Dynamo Moscow – Spartak

19:00 Torpedo – Dinamo Riga

August 8, Wednesday

15:00 Spartak – Dinamo Minsk

19:00 Torpedo – Avtomobilist

August 9, Thursday

15:00 Avtomobilist – Dinamo Riga

19:00 HC Dynamo Moscow – Dinamo Minsk

August 10, Friday

15:00 Spartak – Dinamo Riga

19:00 Torpedo – HC Dynamo Moscow

August 11, Saturday

15:00 Avtomobilist – Dinamo Minsk

19:00 Torpedo – Spartak

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Kazakhstan Republic President Cup

Venue: Astana (Kazakhstan)

Scheduled for: August 9 – 12

Participants: Barys, Neftekhimik, Amur, Team Kazakhstan

Tournament schedule

August 9, Thursday

14:00 Team Kazakhstan – Neftekhimik

19:30 Barys – Amur

August 10, Friday

14:00 Amur – Team Kazakhstan

19:30 Barys – Neftekhimik

August 11, Saturday

14:00 Neftekhimik – Amur

19:30 Barys – Team Kazakhstan

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Hockeyades

Venue: Le-Sentier (Switzerland)

Scheduled for: August 13 – 16

Participants: CSKA, Rouen Dragons (France), Davos, Lausanne, Geneve-Servette (all – Switzerland).

Tournament schedule

August 13, Monday

19:30 Lausanne – CSKA

August 14, Tuesday

19:30 Geneve-Servette – CSKA

August 15, Wednesday

18:00 CSKA – Davos (Exhibition game)

20:30 Lausanne – Rouen Dragons

August 16, Wednesday

19:30 Geneve-Servette – Rouen Dragons

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Chelyabinsk Region’s Governor Cup

Venue: Chelyabinsk

Scheduled for: August 14 – 18

Participants: Traktor, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Avangard, Salavat Yulaev

Tournament schedule

August 14, Tuesday

15:00 Salavat Yulaev – Metallurg

19:00 Traktor – Avangard

August 15, Wednesday

15:00 Avangard – Salavat Yulaev

19:00 Traktor – Metallurg

August 17, Friday

15:00 Metallurg – Avangard

19:00 Traktor – Salavat Yulaev

August 18, Saturday

13:00 Third place game

17:00 First place game

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Zbynek Kusy Memorial

Venue: Pardubice (Czech Republic)

Scheduled for: August 16 – 19

Participants: Slovan, Admiral, Dinamo (Czech Republic), Eisbaren (Germany)

Tournament schedule

August 16, Wednesday

15:00 Admiral – Eisbaren

19:00 Dinamo (Pardubice) – Slovan

August 17, Friday

18:00 Eisbaren – Slovan

August 18, Saturday

15:00 Slovan – Admiral

19:00 Dinamo (Pardubice) – Eisbaren

August 19, Sunday

17:00 Dinamo (Pardubice) – Admiral

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Lehner Cup 2018

Venue: Sursee (Switzerland)

Scheduled for: August 17 – 19

Participants: Vityaz, Ambri-Piotta (Switzerland), Mannheim (Germany)

Tournament schedule

August 17, Friday

19:45 Ambri-Piotta – Vityaz

August 19, Sunday

15:00 Mannheim – Vityaz

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Latvian Railways Cup

Venue: Riga (Latvia)

Scheduled for: August 21 – 26

Participants: Dinamo Riga, Lokomotiv, Ak Bars, Dinamo Minsk, Davos (Switzerland)

Tournament schedule

August 21, Tuesday

15:30 Ak Bars – Davos

19:30 Dinamo Riga – Dinamo Minsk

August 22, Wednesday

15:30 Davos – Dinamo Minsk

19:30 Dinamo Riga – Lokomotiv

August 23, Thursday (arena Inbox.lv)

17:00 Dinamo Minsk – Ak Bars

August 24, Friday (arena Inbox.lv)

17:00 Ak Bars – Lokomotiv

August 25, Saturday

15:00 Dinamo Riga – Ak Bars

19:00 Lokomotiv – Davos

August 26, Sunday

13:00 Lokomotiv – Dinamo Minsk

17:00 Dinamo Riga – Davos

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Romazan Memorial Tournament

Venue: Magnitogorsk

Scheduled for: August 23 – 26

Participants: Metallurg, Sibir, Traktor, Torpedo

Tournament schedule

August 23, Wednesday

15:00 Sibir – Torpedo

19:00 Metallurg – Traktor

August 24, Friday

15:00 Traktor – Sibir

19:00 Metallurg – Torpedo

August 26, Sunday

15:00 Torpedo – Traktor

19:00 Metallurg – Sibir

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Bashkortostan Republic Cup

Venue: Ufa

Scheduled for: August 25 – 28

Participants: Salavat Yulaev, Barys, Avtomobilist, Neftekhimik

Tournament schedule

August 25, Saturday

13:00 Neftekhimik – Barys

17:00 Salavat Yulaev – Avtomobilist

August 26, Sunday

15:00 Avtomobilist – Barys

19:00 Salavat Yulaev – Neftekhimik

August 28, Tuesday

15:00 Avtomobilist – Neftekhimik

19:00 Salavat Yulaev – Barys

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Moscow Mayor’s Cup

Venue: Moscow

Scheduled for: August 23 – 26

Participants: CSKA, Spartak, HC Dynamo Moscow, Vityaz

Tournament schedule

August 23, Wednesday

15:30 Vityaz – CSKA

19:15 HC Dynamo Moscow – Spartak

August 25, Saturday

16:00 HC Dynamo Moscow – Vityaz

19:15 CSKA – Spartak

August 26, Sunday

16:00 Vityaz – Spartak

19:15 HC Dynamo Moscow – CSKA

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Puchkov Memorial Tournament

Venue: St. Petersburg

Scheduled for: August 23 – 26

Participants: SKA, Severstal, Avangard, HC Sochi, Jokerit, Kunlun Red Star

Tournament schedule

August 23, Wednesday

11:00 Severstal – HC Sochi

15:00 Avangard – Jokerit

19:30 SKA – Kunlun Red Star

August 24, Friday

11:00 Severstal – Jokerit

15:00 HC Sochi – Kunlun Red Star

19:30 SKA – Avangard

August 26, Sunday

11:00 Jokerit – Kunlun Red Star

15:00 Severstal – Avangard

19:30 SKA – HC Sochi

August 27, Monday

11:00 Severstal – Kunlun Red Star

15:00 Avangard – HC Sochi

19:30 SKA – Jokerit

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* - game times are indicated in local time

Ex-Lada forwards sign in Vladivostok.

Admiral signed forwards Alexander and Vasily Streltsov, and Alexander Mereskin, to a one-year deal.

The Seamen also signed try-out contracts with goalies Yegor Oseledets and Vladislav Nasonov, defensemen Anton Sizov, Mikhail Patrikeyev, Timur Taratunin, and forward Denis Kovalyov.

Admiral also has completed a trade with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl: goalie Anton Krasotkin will join the Far Eastern team, while the Railwaymen will receive a monetary compensation.

Kunlun Red Star inked ex-Amur forward Alexandre Picard to a one-year contract.

Neftekhimik signed a try-out contract with forward Evgeny Skachkov.

A record-breaking regular season, more games between SKA and CSKA, a cascade of derbies, games in Europe, and a new scheme for playoffs. KHL.ru explains all the details of the new season’s calendar.

2018/2019 season calendar: start in September and comfortable playoffs

62 games – an all-time record

For its whole existence, the Kontinental Hockey League fought to have a bigger number of regular-season games. Many things impeded the way to a long and balanced regular season, not only Team Russia and the international calendar as a whole, but also the teams themselves. Most of the teams don’t fully control the arenas they play in; thus, they have to maneuver between concerts, Christmas parties, and other events. However, starting from the 2014/2015 season, the calendar curators managed to get to 60 games in the regular season.

The league had such a high quantity of games for three years, however, last year had to be shortened to 56 games to allow for Team Russia’s preparation to the Olympic Games. After the Russian triumph in South Korea, the KHL didn’t limit itself to get back to the old condition but managed to score a new record. In the 2018/2019 season, each team will play 62 games. This result has been achieved adding 10-12 games against division rivals to the natural 48 games played against each other team and a further four games against rivals from other divisions.

Creation of hockey Mondays

The 2019 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia will start a bit later than usual, on May 10. The one-week shift may have helped in prolonging the KHL regular season, but the FHR decided to keep the already concorded plans. As a result, as already planned, the regular season will end on February 22. However, the situation isn’t as easy with the Euro Hockey Tour pauses.

In November, time for the Karjala Cup in Finland, three games will be played the day before the start of the tournament. And the next day after the Cup’s finish, eight games are scheduled, including SKA – Avtomobilist. A similar situation regards the Channel One Cup. This time, just one day before the start of the showdown in Moscow, Jokerit and Salavat Yulaev will battle in Helsinki, and after the end of the tournament, Vityaz will face CSKA. Just after the end of the Swedish Hockey Games, both Army clubs will be busy, and the teams will most likely have many national team players.

On one hand, the KHL respected the FHR’s wish and kept the pauses for the Euro Hockey Tour. On the other hand, the league managed to create hockey Mondays. From now on, the league play won’t be stopped without a good reason. And the teams themselves will need to take a decision: either play the just-returned players or rotate the rosters and trust the younger players.

Summer hockey only in the pre-season

In Russian hockey, the word “Summer” is traditionally tied with pre-season tournaments. A little bit like the old “Spring football”, as the less interesting games at the start of Spring. In any case, “Summer hockey” is a bit of a nonsense. How is it possible to play a true winter sport when it’s +85°F (+30°C) outside and the fug turns around the ice? We had to face it in the KHL in the latest three seasons, as the regular season started in August. And not only: it was getting earlier and earlier with each year, as we had August 24, August 22, and August 21 starts.

Such an early start wasn’t good for teams, who couldn’t count on a good attendance and, as a consequence, on tickets revenue. Moreover, the fans aren’t used to go to hockey in August as the holidays and dachas are still in full swing. Finally, with the 2018/2019 season, this habit will be halted. The regular season will start on September 1 in Kazan with a game between Gagarin Cup champions Ak Bars and regular-season winners SKA St. Petersburg

Hockey is back in Lokomotiv Memorial Day

Starting from September 7, 2011, the day of the plane crash over the Tunoshna airport with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl players, coaches, and personnel on board, the KHL calendar played no game that day. Everyone knew why on the seventh day of September the main hockey rinks of the country were silent. However, for this year’s calendar, seven games are scheduled for September 7. Hockey games will be played in Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Sochi, and Helsinki. But not in Yaroslavl.

For the city that lost their beloved team, September 7 will stay the Memorial Day, where people will not attend Arena 2000, but the cemetery where their idols rest. In spite of the mixed reaction to the decision, the Railwaymen supported the League’s decision. Moreover, as teams will play in other cities, fans of other teams will have a chance to visit the players’ Memorials.

CSKA and HC Dynamo move: a jump forward and a headache

Starting from next season, two Moscow teams will call home a new place. CSKA will play at the VTB Ice Palace for the next five years, moving from the arena on Leningradsky boulevard. HC Dynamo is waiting for the completion of their new arena at the Petrovsky Park. If for the Blue-Whites this will means the chance not to share their home rinks with other teams, CSKA will finally play in a modern arena. The CSKA Ice Palace is outdated and can’t keep up with the team’s development process. From now on, the Red Army can call their fans to a modern, comfortable arena with a convenient location and an ample parking lot.

Naturally, CSKA’s move to another arena is a plus for the League as well, as it will get a higher attendance and a higher number of games with high-quality broadcasts. However, it was this situation with CSKA and HC Dynamo that didn’t allow the League to publish the new season’s calendar on time. CSKA and Spartak will have to share the Legends Park arena, and thus can’t play at home on the same day, but also every other day. The Blue-Whites will be able to move to the arena at Petrovsky Park only for the New Year, and in the meantime, they will play at the Megasport arena. That’s why HC Dynamo will have a six-game away trip and will end the regular season with eleven straight games at home.

KHL in Zurich, Vienna, and Tallinn

Another novelty of the 2018/2019 KHL calendar are games played abroad. Last year the KHL had its first open-air games and this year the fans will have a chance to attend games in new cities. If the KHL already played in Tallinn, where Jokerit will play against Spartak (on October 26) and Severstal (October 28), Vienna and Zurich are new territories for the league.

In the Austrian capital, Slovan will play two games (on October 26 against CSKA and on October 28 against SKA), and their fans won’t have a hard time in reaching Vienna. Dinamo Riga will meet the same opponents (on November 26 and 28) in Switzerland, where the KHL will have to win the attention of the local fans against a strong local league. It’s interesting to note that Dinamo Riga, just as SKA, represented the league in the 2010 exhibition games against NHL teams.

The Hallenstadion Zurich can host 11,200 spectators, while the Vienna arena has a capacity of 7,022 fans. Jokerit’s games in Tallinn can be attended by a maximum of 5,840 people.

Riga will continue the tradition of the open-air games

The Latvian team will not only play twice in Zurich but also the traditional open-air game. Last year the KHL had two such games, even if in different formats, played in Riga and Helsinki. In spite of the North American traditions, the teams didn’t try to beat the attendance record, even if the Helsinki Ice Challenge between Jokerit and SKA had 10,554 spectators. In Riga, instead of an attendance record, the fans had a great game and a comfortable hockey party.

In the next season, there may be another open-ice game between Dinamo Riga and Dinamo Minsk. The Belarusian team will visit Riga on February 15 and that would be a great date, considering the city’s climate. But that’s not the only variant. Such a game may be played also against Slovan as it’s another European team. The Slovaks will get to Riga three days later, on February 18. No matter the opposition, the open-air game will become a true tradition and no fan will leave it disappointed.

Spartak and Traktor to organize vintage games

If the tradition of the open-air games has just started, vintage games are a well-established practice in the league’s calendar. Especially for Spartak Moscow, who organize such games since 2015. Other than vintage jerseys, which are used by many teams anyways, the Red-Whites equip the whole arena, both inside and outside, to create a unique event. Even the broadcast is in vintage style and with the participation of special guests and analysts.

The game against HC Sochi on December 22– on Spartak’s birthday – will become the fourth vintage game in a row. This time, Spartak will play in 90s style, but all the rest will be a surprise for the fans. Moreover, on November 24, Traktor will celebrate their birthday with another vintage game. The opponents will be Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Also, Traktor has a good experience in organizing this kind of games.

CSKA and SKA will battle more often

The two Army teams were selected by the KHL direction to play the League’s games in Europe. CSKA and SKA are the top teams of the latest few years: either team plays in the Gagarin Cup finals for the latest four straight seasons and won all the same-period Continental Cups. Moreover, most of the Team Russia roster at the latest Olympic Games in South Korea came from these two teams.

Not many people allow themselves to dispute the fact that most of the KHL top players play in either Army team. However, the paradox was that in the jubilee KHL season the teams played against each other only twice. In part, the deficit of games was compensated by the eventual playoffs series, but what if one of the teams didn’t make it to the Conference Finals?

It was definitely necessary to close this gap. CSKA and SKA will play four games against each other. The first game is scheduled for October 21 in St. Petersburg, while SKA will visit Moscow two weeks later, on November 5. The other two games between the Western Conference favorites will be played on November 24 and December 22. After Christmas, the two teams can face again only in the playoffs.

Even more derbies

The battle between CSKA and SKA is not the only rivalry the League is counting on to increase the attention of the fans. In spite of the fact that Ak Bars and Salavat Yulaev are in two different divisions, in the regular season they will face each other four times again. The Green Derby is an important rivalry in the KHL and it’s important to use this battle at its maximum. The fans will be able to enjoy similar rivalries with extra games between Sibir Novosibirsk and Avangard Omsk, while the Far East teams Amur and Admiral will play each other five times.

Additionally, the last regular season day will feature several derbies. Admiral will face Amur, Avangard will battle Sibir, and two days earlier the fans will have a chance to enjoy the last Green Derby of the regular season. The end of the regular season is always an exciting time and having those rivalries games will make the thrill even more exciting. Just imagine if Amur and Admiral will have to fight for a spot in the playoffs in the very last game at the Fetisov Arena!

More comfortable playoffs for teams and broadcasters

Perhaps, the biggest achievement of the new calendar is the new formula for the playoffs schedule. If it’s more comfortable for teams and broadcasters, then it must be better for fans too. First of all, the League got rid of back-to-back playoffs games, used for the first two rounds last year, with enough time to rest only from the Conference finals and going on. Now the players will have bigger chances to rest and will thus show a better hockey.

Moreover, starting from the 2019 playoffs fans will have a chance to see playoff games with both conferences playing in the same day. In one day there won’t be four games from the same conference, but two games from the Eastern and two games from the Western Conference. Why this decision? First of all, the fans will have a chance to be able to watch more games: the different time zones between Eastern and Western teams will allow for a wider distribution of games and more live broadcasts. The only exceptions will be Ak Bars Kazan and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, which are both in Moscow time.

The Vladivostok team keeps on strengthening the roster.

Admiral signed forwards Semyon Valuisky and Alexander Chernikov to two-way, one-year deals. Moreover, defensemen Mark Skutar and Alexander Grebenyuk, and forwards Nikita Popov, Nikolai Skladnichenko, and Ilya Zinovyev joined the team on a try-out.

Dinamo Minsk signed forwards Andrei Stepanov and Alexander Kitarov to one-way, one-year contracts. Dmitry Milchakov will join the Belarus team on a try-out deal.

Dinamo Riga inked Matias Myttynen to a one-way, one-year deal.

Severstal Cherepovets renewed Yury Trubachyov’s contract for a further season.

HC Dynamo Moscow signed a three-year contract with defenseman Andrei Mironov, who spent the 2017/2018 season in North America.

With less than two months to go until the start of the new season, KHL.ru begins a series of articles introducing you to the players and coaches who are preparing to make their debuts in the league. First up, we’re looking at the foreign coaches joining the competition this summer and hoping to join Mike Keenan on the list of hockey masterminds to come from outside of Russia and win the Gagarin Cup.

We’ve got two Finns, a Czech, a Slovak, a Canadian and another coach born across the Atlantic but holding a Russian passport. The youngest in the group only turned 41 in May; the oldest is 57. Each one has followed a very different path to get here – and it promises to be fascinating to watch how each of them adapts to a new challenge in his career.

Vladimir Orszagh (Slovan)

Born May 24, 1977 in Banska Bistrica (Slovakia)

Playing honors: Swedish champion (2001), World Champion (2002)

Coaching honors: Slovak champion (2017, 2018)

Of course, Vladimir Orszagh isn’t a foreigner in Bratislava – the Slovak coach is on home soil as he takes the reins at his country’s biggest club. But moving from Slovakia’s ExtraLiga to the KHL lifts him into an international arena.

Technically, Orszagh has been here before. Back in 2014 he had a solitary game as acting head coach of Slovan following the departure of Rostislav Cada. Now, though, he’s back in a full-time capacity.

As a player, Orszagh had a respectable stint in the NHL, plundering 121 points from 295 appearances with the Islanders, the Predators and the Blues. His high point came in the early 2000s when he broke the 15-goal barrier in three successive seasons in Nashville. Unfortunately, problems with his knee forced him to retire from playing at the age of just 32. Back home in Slovakia, he began his coaching career in 2010.

Once again, Orszagh delivered results. Twice a champion of Slovakia with Banska Bistrica, plus a stint on the coaching staff at Slovan adds up to a promising start to his coaching career. International recognition followed: Orszagh has been on Slovakia’s coaching staff at two Olympic Games and three World Championships. In Bratislava, he looks like a perfect fit: a young coach, full of potential, with a track record of success and a detailed knowledge of Slovak hockey.

What he said:“For me, this invitation to the KHL is recognition of my results up to now. After three years [at Banska Bistrica] it was important for me personally to take the chance of competing at a higher level, so I can only thank Slovan for giving me this opportunity.”

Predstavujeme Vladimíra Országha, nového hlavného trénera #hcslovan pre ročník @khl 18/19 #vernislovanu

Публикация от HC SLOVAN Bratislava (@hcslovan) 30 Май 2018 в 1:26 PDT

Bob Hartley (Avangard)

Born Sep. 6, 1960 in Hawkesbury, Canada

Coaching honors: QMJHL Champion (1993), Calder Cup winner (1997), Stanley Cup winner (2001), Swiss Champion (2012)

Bob Hartley is a unique figure. It’s hard to find another coach who has won every league in which he has worked. The Canadian has done that in junior hockey, in the AHL, the NHL and then the Swiss Championship. Now it’s time to see if he can do it again in the KHL.

Hartley is one of those coaches who never really hit the heights as a player. After failing to make it at a significant level, he turned to coaching in his home town of Hawkesbury, Ontario, while working in a local paint factory. From that humble start, he worked his way up the hockey ladder through the AHL and all the way to Stanley Cup glory with Colorado in 2001.

After leaving for Europe, Hartley won the Swiss title at the first attempt after taking charge at Zurich Lions. He looked for a return to the KHL, but four seasons with Calgary resulted in just one playoff campaign. So his next move was into international hockey with Latvia. As youth team coach, then in charge of the senior national team, he arrested a slide in fortunes for the Baltic nation and back in May he took the team to its first World Championship quarter final since Oleg Znarok’s days in charge.

On May 28, Hartley was named head coach of Avangard. Earlier, the Omsk team had hoped to appoint Ilya Vorobyov to the job, but once he took on the role of head coach for Team Russia, the Siberians thought again and identified Hartley as the man to take the team forward, even though he will continue with the Latvians.

Expectations are high: Avangard is a wealthy, well-supported organization that expects better than a solitary run to the Gagarin Cup final back in 2012. Hartley will work with his long-time colleague Jacques Cloutier, part of his staff in Colorado and Zurich, and Mike Pletino, well-known in the KHL for his time at Metallurg.

What he said:“For every one of us it’s going to be a new start, a new challenge. We’ll try to play entertaining hockey at home and on the road, we want to get our fans behind us. We need to build on Avangard’s great history and turn that into a great present and a great future. It’s a competitive league, we’ll battle with strong opponents. I want to see Avangard making headlines – but for the right reasons.”

Хочешь поскорее увидеть нового главного тренера? Каждый участник конкурса приветствий приближает появление #ХартлиВОмске! ☝ Включайся! Видео, рисунок, картинка - что угодно! Встретим Боба круто! Не забывайте, что победителей ждут призы! #Авангард #АвангардВперёд #силавкоманде #мывАвангарде #Омск #Jvcr #Omsk

Публикация от Хоккейный клуб Авангард (@avangard_inside) 7 Июл 2018 в 5:55 PDT

Josef Jandac (Metallurg)

Born Nov 12, 1968, Beroun (Czech Republic)

Coaching honors: World Champion (2010), Czech championship runner-up (2016), Czech championship bronze medalist (2008, 2011, 2014)

During the recent World Championship in Denmark, Jandac was a popular figure with the Russian media. At the helm of a Czech team that caught the eye thanks to the likes of David Pastrnak and David Krejci, the coach’s willingness to field questions in impressively fluent Russian meant he had plenty of opportunities to talk about his upcoming move to Magnitogorsk.

Like Orszagh, it’s not quite unknown territory for Jandac. Back in 2012-13 he spent a few weeks in charge of Lev Prague. However, his journey to the top end of the European game has followed an unusual route. As a player, he remained rooted in the lower leagues of his homeland. As a coach, he started out in South Korea with Seok Top Soul. After returning home, he steadily built a reputation and enjoyed his greatest success in 2010 when he was an assistant to Vladimir Ruzicka on the Czech’s World Champion roster. Subsequently, Jandac took Sparta Prague to the grand final of the Czech League and had a two-year stint as head coach of the national team, reaching the semi-finals of this year’s Olympics.

If Jandac’s experiences with Lev weren’t all that happy, his new challenge in Magnitogorsk promises to be very different. This time, he’s behind the bench at an ambitious club with a proud tradition of success – and he will be expected to maintain those high standards.

What he said:“I know all about the traditions of success at this club. I can well understand the ambitions and expectations here. At a club like this, nobody will put up with poor results. If I complete my two-year contract, it will mean that we’ve done well. And that’s exactly why I came here.”

Новый главный тренер «Металлурга» Йозеф Яндач прибыл в Магнитогорск и в своем плотном рабочем графике нашел несколько минут, чтобы пообщаться с пресс-службой клуба. О чем? Следите за новостями на нашем официальном сайте и на канале сервиса YouTube. #братьяпоогню #металлург #магнитогорск #ммк

Публикация от "Metallurg" Magnitogorsk (@hcmetallurg) 26 Май 2018 в 12:19 PDT

Lauri Marjamaki (Jokerit)

Born May 29, 1977 in Tampere (Finland)

Coaching honors: Finnish champion (2014, 2015), World Championship runner-up (2014), Olympic bronze (2014).

Like Orszagh, Marjamaki is taking charge of his country’s representative in the KHL. Unlike Orszagh, he arrives with a limited playing pedigree. The Tampere native managed a few seasons of junior hockey before switching his attention to coaching. Beginning in the junior ranks, he worked his way up to become assistant coach of the Espoo Blues and the Finnish Junior roster. His breakthrough came in 2014 when he led Karpat to the first of two back-to-back titles and assisted Erkka Westerlund to Olympic bronze and World Championship silver.

That success earned the youngster a chance to coach the Finnish national team after Westerlund moved to Jokerit and now Marjamaki is making the same journey. He replaces Jukka Jalonen, who will take charge of Finland’s national team once again.

What he said:“Head coach of Jokerit is one of the most attractive jobs in Europe. The team has fantastic players and the competition in the KHL really appeals to me. In addition, the club’s prospects to be competitive and the quality of the people in the management convinced me that this was the right deal for me.”

Lauri Marjamäki on Jokereiden seuraava päävalmentaja 2+2-vuotisella sopimuksella alkaen 1.6.2018 #Jokerit #KHLfi

Публикация от Jokerit Helsinki (@jokerithc) 6 Ноя 2017 в 12:17 PST

Jussi Tapola (Kunlun Red Star)

Born June 13, 1974 in Kerava (Finland)

Coaching honors: Finnish champion (2016, 2017)

Another young Finnish coach is heading East in a bid to get the KHL’s Chinese club back into the playoff places. As a player, Tapola’s career never really took off but he’s made waves as a coach. Perhaps that’s a result of his background: in his playing days he combined sport with studies and qualified as a teacher. He went on to coach Finland’s u18s and u20s, then worked at Tappara. After stepping up from assistant to head coach, he went on to repeat Marjamaki’s back-to-back Finnish titles.

Last season, Jussi focussed on his work as assistant to Marjamaki for the national team and dealt with management issues at club level. This season, the games between Kunlun and Jokerit might have a bit of extra spice: Tapola twice lost out to Marjamaki in Finnish Championship finals before getting his hands on the prize in 2016.

What he said:“I saw quite a few of Kunlun’s games in the KHL because the club, especially in the its first season, had a lot of Finnish players and that attracted some interest back home. Of course, Jokerit also gets a lot of attention, so I watched their games as well. So I know the league fairly well, at least through what I’ve seen on TV. I learned a lot more from conversations with Finnish players here – there are quite a few of them at different clubs. But no matter how much they could tell me, and how much I could see on the television, this is something new for me. Once again, it’s time to start learning fast.”

Head coach Jussi Tapola at the #KRS 2022 Olympic Camp press conference.

Публикация от Kunlun Red Star (@krschina) 23 Мар 2018 в 5:51 PDT

David Nemirovski (Torpedo)

Born Aug. 1, 1976, Toronto, Canada

Unlike the other coaches on this list, Nemirovski has not won a major title yet. While he has perhaps the most extensive playing career, his life behind the bench is just starting.

Born to Russian parents in Toronto, Nemirovski was drafted by Florida in 1994. He went on to feature in about 100 NHL games, but the bulk of his North American experience came in the AHL. Back in 2001 he came to Russia to play for Lokomotiv and soon after he acquired a Russian passport. “My parents are Russian, but they left long ago and I was born in Canada,” he said in 2003 after he was traded to Ak Bars. “I decided to get a Russian passport because I feel Russian. I’ve always dreamed of this.” Nemirovski’s playing career took him into the KHL era, and he represented Khimik, SKA, CSKA, Barys and Dinamo Minsk.

His emergence as head coach at Torpedo was an unexpected change of path. Three things make him stand out among the other incoming coaches from abroad. First, his Russian roots mean he isn’t exactly a foreigner – and in his final seasons as a player he was counted as a Russian. Second, he is the only one whose playing career took him to the KHL. And third, he has spent the past three years as sporting director at Admiral, and took a short stint as head coach last season. In its search for a replacement for Peteris Skudra, Torpedo has looked outside the box. How will the gamble play out? Watch and see …

What he said:“I’m grateful for the trust that Torpedo’s directors have placed in me. Even in my playing days I was always working towards this, I dreamed of one day being the head coach. Nizhny Novgorod is a great hockey city and I’m pleased to be coming here to work. We’ll try to play aggressive, smart, attacking hockey.”

Правлением АНО ХК «Торпедо» принято решение о назначении на должность главного тренера нижегородской команды Дэвида Немировски. Назначение главного тренера прокомментировал и.о. председателя правления АНО ХК «Торпедо» Дмитрий Сватковский: - Мы рады, что смогли достигнуть договоренности с Дэвидом Немировски. Во-первых, это молодой и энергичный специалист, у которого есть большое желание работать и развиваться. Во-вторых, Дэвид имеет богатый опыт выступления за различные клубы, он прекрасно знает Континентальную хоккейную лигу. И в каждом клубе пользовался авторитетом и уважением коллег по команде, тренерского штаба. Не случайно Дэвид приходит в наш клуб не один, а со своим помощником, на которого мы также рассчитываем. В-третьих, самое главное, у нас общий взгляд на то, в какой хоккей должно играть «Торпедо». Дэвид – приверженец современного, атакующего стиля. Именно такую игру со ставкой на наших воспитанников и будет прививать команде новый главный тренер.

Публикация от ХК Торпедо (@hctorpedo) 7 Май 2018 в 10:57 PDT

The Belarusian defenseman is Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod’s latest signing.

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod inked defenseman Dmitry Korobov to a two-year deal.

Admiral Vladivostok signed a one-year, one-way contract with forward Konstantin Glazachev, and signed defenseman Roman Tatalin to a try-out.

Alexei Rizhikh joined Amur Khabarovsk on a try-out.

Last season’s rookie of the year stays in Chelyabinsk.

Traktor signed Vitaly Kravtsov to a new one-year contract with new conditions. The previous contract was dissolved on June 9.

Avangard renewed Evgeny Medvedev’s contract for a further season.

It’s the start of pre-season for most KHL clubs – and in Minsk the fans are getting a work-out as well as the players. Dynamo Moscow had a visit from an old friend, and the summer trades keep on going.

Taking the Dinamo Challenge

Fancy the life of a hockey player? For Dinamo Minsk’s fans, the start of pre-season training offered a taste of the team’s workload ahead of the coming campaign. The club created the DinamoChallenge, inviting fans to join a training session at Minsk’s academy for Mixed Martial Arts to test their fitness as the players returned for their own medical tests. Guided by Thai Boxing champ Vitaly Gurkov, they underwent a gruelling regime – similar to the kind of intense pre-season preparation that awaits the players at the national winter sports complex in Raubichi as the summer vacation comes to an end.

Komarov drops in

Islanders forward Leo Komarov is still a big favorite at Dynamo Moscow, where he was a key figure in Oleg Znarok’s triumphant teams. And the big Finn hasn’t forgotten his time in the KHL, either. As the Blue-and-Whites returned to practice last week, Leo dropped in to say ‘hello’ to some old friends. “It was great to come back here again,” he said.“I miss Dynamo, and it’s always nice to get the chance to come to Moscow.”

Photo: 10.07.18. Leo Komarov in Dynamo training center

New arrivals

Remember Kristers Gudlevskis, star of Latvia’s brave battle against Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics? He’s heading back to Riga after rejoining Dinamo. The goalie, who shot to fame after stopping 55 out of 57 shots against Crosby & Co in Sochi, returns to his homeland after five seasons in North America. During that time, the 25-year-old struggled to make the breakthrough at Tampa Bay or the Islanders but picked up plenty of AHL experience.

Defenseman Andrei Mironov is also returning from a spell in North America. The 23-year-old was with the Avalanche last year, but has now signed a three-year deal with Dynamo Moscow.

Meanwhile, Dinamo Minsk added Canadian defenseman Patrick Wiercioch to the roster. The 2015 World Champion signs a one-year deal in Belarus while fellow blue-liner Dmitry Korobov moves from Dinamo to Torpedo.

Admiral Vladivostok has also been busy. After a frustrating season last time around, it’s all change on the Pacific coast. This week has seen reinforcements up front. Three have arrived from Lada; the Streltsov brothers, Alexander and Vasily, plus Semyon Valuisky. Alexander Chernikov makes the move from Traktor while Severstal’s Alexander Mereskin is another newcomer in the Far East.

Latest transfer news

The Jokers strengthen up the roster signing a veteran forward.

Jokerit signed forward Geoff Platt to a one-year contract.

Metallurg Magnitogorsk signed defenseman Yakov Rylov to a one-year contract.

Forward Ilya Korenev joined Amur Khabarovsk for a try-out.

Admiral Vladivostok signed forward Anton Berlyov to a try-out contract.

Torpedo gets its alumni, HC Dynamo creates a super-trio, SKA signs a champion, Avtomobilist strengthens up. KHL.ru presents some of the top transfers of the offseason.

Vadim Shipachyov. From SKA to HC Dynamo Moscow

Vadim Shipachyov might get to the Stanley Cup Finals with the Vegas Golden Knights but decided to get back to Russia. Homesickness had the best, even though it didn’t bring him anything special. The then-best KHL center sat on the bench for most of the Olympics and wasn’t called to the IIHF WC. SKA got their prodigal son back, but only for one season. After SKA got out of the playoffs, it was evident that Shipachyov was about to move as he needed a change of environment. The native of Cherepovets is now more used to living in bigger cities, thus he moved to Moscow. Playing for the Blue-Whites, he will most likely be the team’s first center, getting pretty much unlimited time with the man advantage and having a chance to get back the good old Shipachyov. However, in Moscow, he won’t have Gusev, Dadonov, or other of his former teammates. But he will have a chance to start again from scratch.

Dmitri Kagarlitsky. From Severstal to HC Dynamo Moscow

In Moscow, Shipachyov won’t have Gusev but will have Kagarlitsky. According to Dmitry, they chose together to move to HC Dynamo. They will also most likely play on the same line. All the HC Dynamo fans are already foretasting the dynamic duo in action. Even Cherepovets fan may have supported this pair if it wasn’t for a “but”. In the latest few seasons, Kagarlitsky has been Severstal’s captain and symbol. It was mostly his game and the club’s activity on the media that allowed Severstal to stay in the KHL. Kagarlitsky left his nest with a sense of a repaid debt, but Severstal’s future play in the KHL is still in jeopardy. According to the latest update of the KHL rankings, the Steelworkers are now on the last position. That’s why in Cherepovets fans are sad to see leaving the team not only Kagarlitsky but also Julius Hudacek, who joined another team in Moscow, Spartak. Regarding the forward’s prospects with HC Dynamo, for the first time, Kagarlitsky will play for a contender. Moreover, the Blue-Whites became one mostly thanks to Kagarlitsky’s signing.

Vasily Tokranov. From Ak Bars to SKA

It’s hard to call the defenseman a symbol for Ak Bars. Last season was just the second year where he had a stable place in the lineup and managed to avoid serious injuries, even if the Almetyevsk-native player first worn the Green uniform before the KHL’s establishment. For many years, Tokranov was for Ak Bars just a pick-up: many times, Zinetula Bilyaletdinov played him as a forward. In the latest, triumphal playoffs, Tokranov got out of almost nowhere to play even better than the super veteran Andrei Markov. And when it was time to renew his ties with Ak Bars, he decided to change team. The Kazan franchise offered the defenseman a two-year deal, while SKA proposed him a four-year deal right away. Such a contract in the KHL is not without precedents, but still very tempting. For Tokranov, whose career has always been plagued with injury, this was of the utmost importance. The Gagarin Cup winner became a part of the St. Petersburg’s team rebuilding as SKA also signed another defenseman to a four-year deal: Yaroslav Dyblenko.

Alexander Salak. From Sibir to Lokomotiv

The latest season hasn’t been good for the Czech goalie. Allowing almost three goals a game is not usual for Alexander Salak. He lost the inner competition to the young goalie Alexei Krasikov, didn’t make the roster for the Olympic Games, and Sibir missed the playoffs by one point. How could Salak sign a contract with a top team, considering the circumstances? The problem lies in the knee injury that Salak picked up in the 2016/2017 season. The consequences of the rupture of the cruciate ligaments tormented the Czech goalie even after the preseason practices. However, he was and still is an elite goalie. In Yaroslavl, the directors decided to get rid of a duo of good, but not outstanding Russian netminders. Lokomotiv decided to repeat Sibir’s experience and Salak is used to playing many games and tutoring younger goalies. In Sibir, he had Krasikov, while in Lokomotiv, Anton Krasotkin and Ilya Konovalov will do their best to win some games off Salak. Both young goalies have a lot to learn from the Czech veteran.

Mikhail Varnakov. From HC Dynamo to Torpedo

Torpedo fans didn’t see Varnakov playing for them for five, long years. In this period, the team changed uniforms, was moved from West to East, then to East to West, then again to East. Varnakov played for big teams but didn’t win anything. SKA, where he played the 2012/2013 playoffs, won the Gagarin Cup only two years later. Ak Bars won the championship only in the season after the directors dissolved Varnakov’s five-year deal. Last year, the Nizhny Novgorod-born forward wore the Blue-White uniform of HC Dynamo, where he was tied for the team’s top scorer. However, as the team failed to reach the post-season, Mikhail decided to get back home. Torpedo recently changed directors and coaches, and they decided to stake on local players. And this doesn’t mean only young players, as it was under Peteris Skudra, but also local legends like Varnakov Jr.

Sergei Shirokov. From SKA to Avangard

Three years ago, Avangard and SKA completed a trade that was considered as a small win for the Omsk-based team. In exchange for Sergei Shirokov, the St. Petersburg Army team sent Avangard two players: Pyotr Khokhryakov and Anton Burdasov. Quantitatively, the Omsk team won but the qualitative analysis is still up for debate. However, who won from the deal is definitely Sergei Shirokov. He could work with Oleg Znarok again, with whom he won two world championships. After the gold medal won in Minsk, they first won the Gagarin Cup, then the Olympic Games in South Korea. Sergei earned the right to be labeled as a member of the “Znarok people”, that is players that the former Team Russia head coach particularly trusted. Logically, when Znarok left SKA, Shirokov left the team as well. He was greeted with open arms on the shores of the Irtysh, in Omsk, the fans still remember Shirokov scoring more than 20 goals a season being an alternate captain. Under Bob Hartley, Shirokov may again get back on the top level. For him, a spot in the top line is almost guaranteed.

Ilya Zubov. From Salavat Yulaev to Spartak

Once upon a time, CSKA featured the young-guns line of Shirokov – Zubov – Parshin. A few years later, the line was reunited in Omsk, but until last year neither of them was playing for the Red Army or Avangard. Only Denis Parshin renewed his ties with his current team, while Ilya Zubov and Sergei Shirokov changed teams. This Spring, Zubov, and Salavat Yulaev parted ways, even if the center forward was the captain of the team. Of course, Zubov is not a player that would stay long without a job and he became one of the top acquisitions for Spartak Moscow. In his new team, Zubov can aim for a second or even first line spot. It also looks like that he can become the team’s captain again as he is used to this role, having fulfilled it not only for Salavat Yulaev but also for Admiral. And considering that Zubov played for Spartak for the first time in 2005, this move can be considered a very symbolical one.

Kirill Petrov. From CSKA to Avangard

Shirokov’s return wasn’t only summer acquisition by Avangard. Ville Pokka’s signing made a lot of noise, and the team made another interesting, yet nostalgic, move in signing back goalkeeper Karri Ramo. Omsk fans were expecting the return of another well-known player in Alexander Popov, but the veteran signed a new contract with CSKA. Avangard, however, signed his younger and more productive linemate. In three years in Moscow, Kirill Petrov amassed 88 points. Maybe he wasn’t considered a star for the Red Army, but in his first full season wearing the Blue-Red jersey, he was the team’s top scorer. Even after CSKA signed some players from the NHL, Petrov maintained his high-level production. He finished last regular season as the fourth CSKA scorer, but the team’s directors decided to part ways with him. With Petrov, Avangard got not only a good goal scorer but also a team who isn’t scared by physical play and that will help on defense.

Pavel Padakin. From HC Sochi to Ak Bars

Three years ago, not many people knew him in Russia. The Kiev-born forward, who also played at the WJC with the Ukrainian national team, built his career on the other side of the Atlantic. Far from Russian eyes, he played in many different leagues. Today Padakin not only holds a Russian passport and is a candidate to play in the national team but is also one of the most perspective forwards in the KHL. The 2017/2018 campaign was a breakout season for the 23-years-old forward. He was one of the best players for HC Sochi together with the foreigners’ legion and in January he was called to participate in the All-Star Game. And he didn’t simply participate, he was a blast as he skated around in a Superman suit. The performance of the always-smiling guy was applauded not only by HC Sochi fans but also by neutral supporters. In the next season, Padakin will wear the Green Ak Bars uniform. To secure him, Kazan sent to the Black Sea shores forward Dmitry Arkhipov and defenseman Damir Musin. Many considered young, technique-sound forwards not able to shine within Zinetula Bilyaletdinov’s schemes, but Stanislav Galiyev’s successes proved them wrong.

Nigel Dawes. From Barys to Avtomobilist

Last year’s KHL top scorer decided to have a change of scenery. The Canadian forward with Kazakhstani passport scored 30 goals or more in four seasons and was the Barys Astana captain in the latest two campaigns. However, after Brandon Bochenski and Dustin Boyd decided to change too, also Dawes didn’t stay in Astana one year later. Nigel will again play in the Eastern Conference but changed division. From now on, he will play for Avtomobilist as the Ural team keeps on improving every season, trying to become a Gagarin Cup contender. So far, Avtomobilist didn’t sign any big Russian name but the foreigners promise to be on a very high level. The 33-year-old forward will give Andrei Martemyanov’s team more aggression and, of course, his main weapon – his shot. For a long time, Dawes was a part of a rich-in-chemistry line, but his style of play will allow him to be more independent. He’s definitely able to become a true leader for Avtomobilist right away.

Magnus Hellberg. From Kunlun Red Star to SKA

SKA won two Gagarin Cup backstopped by Mikko Koskinen, but this summer was the time when the team and the giant Finn goalie needed to part ways. Koskinen moved to the NHL, and the St. Petersburg Army found his replacement in China’s open spaces. Magnus Hellberg is not only a 2018 World Champion with Team Sweden but also the closest possible copy of Koskinen. The Swedish goalie is very tall and lanky and even looks a bit like Koskinen. Can it be said that the two giant goalies play a similar style? There is only one true question: will SKA keep on trusting a foreign goalie or will they give Igor Shestyorkin a true chance? In any case, the young Team Russia goalie will have to face some serious competition.

Andrei Mironov. From Colorado to HC Dynamo

Mironov didn’t manage to build himself a career overseas as he had some communication problems with the Colorado Avalanche. He was allegedly promised of a spot in the roster, but instead, he mostly played in the AHL. He spent most of his season in San Antonio, Texas. As a result, he lost his patience, packed his things and decided to cross the Atlantic once again. As the KHL transfers deadline was already passed, Andrei had no other chance than practicing and waiting for the new season. In spite of a multitude of offers from other top teams, he decided to sign back with his alma mater’s team HC Dynamo, with whom he already won the Gagarin Cup. Playing for the Blue-Whites, the IIHF WC silver medal winner shouldn’t have any problem with getting enough ice time. Mironov has all it takes to become a defensive leader for HC Dynamo and get back in defending the Russian colors on the international stage. Team Russia fans are already waiting for his open-ice hits.

Linden Vey. From Zurich to CSKA

Last summer, the CSKA directors worked hard to sign Russian players back from the NHL. The Red Army was then joined by Nikita Nesterov, Alexei Marchenko, Roman Lyubimov, and Mikhail Grigorenko. Three of them became Olympic champions, CSKA had many good Russian players, but the foreigners were the weak ring in the chain. No foreign player was a key part of CSKA, with the exception being Mat Robinson. After losing the Gagarin Cup finals to Ak Bars Kazan, the Red Army decided to fix the problem and as first measure they signed Linden Vey. The fifth scorer in the 2017/2018 season will strengthen up the Red Army offensive department. Last year, he scored 52 points in the regular season, becoming a true leader for Barys. The Canadian, who also won a bronze medal in South Korea, finished the season in Switzerland, playing for Zurich, but made it clear right away that his goal was to get back to the KHL.

Stephane Da Costa. From Geneve to Avtomobilist

Another forward who moved from Switzerland to the KHL. Stephane Da Costa, just as Linden Vey, is tied with CSKA Moscow, with the difference that if Vey spent in Switzerland just a couple of months, Da Costa was there for a full season. Moreover, the Canadian became a CSKA player just recently, while Da Costa played three seasons in Moscow. Now he will play in the Eastern Conference, joining Nigel Dawes and Dan Sexton. They create a true foreigner triumvirate, envied by pretty much the whole KHL, including other top teams. Da Costa, who most recently played at the IIHF WC with Team France, is an outstanding player, able to look great even in the stacked CSKA Moscow roster that got to the Gagarin Cup finals. Dmitry Kvartalnov played him with Alexander Radulov, allowing for the maximum creativity. The only thing that makes his signing a bit risky is the Frenchman injury proneness. The last time that he played more than 30 games in a season is the 2014/2015 campaign when he just got signed in Moscow from Ottawa.

Alexei Byvaltsev and Oleg Li. From Amur to SKA

These two players were joined in just one move as Byvaltsev and Li were some kind of a united force for Amur. And they moved together to St. Petersburg. Just one year ago, it was unthinkable to imagine that both players would move to SKA. They had less than 30 points combined and could not be considered stars even in Khabarovsk. However, the two formed a very dynamic duo under the guidance of Andrei Martemyanov, who gave them room in the team’s first line and first powerplay unit. Byvaltsev had a particularly good regular season, ending up in the league’s top-ten in scoring and getting a well-deserved spot in the KHL All-Star Game (where he brought with himself a literal carton copy of Li). He even made the Team Russia roster who played at the latest IIHF WC in Denmark, even if he didn’t play. Oleg Li had a more modest season, but in St. Petersburg they are counting on them to bring SKA their great chemistry.

Yet another ex-Lada player transfers to Vladivostok.

Admiral inked defenseman Kirill Dyakov to a two-way, one-year deal.

Forward Viktor Turkin joined Dinamo Minsk on a try-out.

Torpedo signed Swedish defenseman Filip Holm to a one-year contract.

Avangard Omsk signed to a try-out contract defenseman Alexei Bondarev.

The League has begun accepting applications from media personnel seeking accreditation for the 2017-18 season of the Kontinental Hockey League Championship. The League has redesigned its Media Portal and optimized the accreditation procedure. The process remains the same: the candidates must register an account on the official KHL MediaPortal (khlmedia.ru). Typing back the old data is not required as the media representatives will only need to update some as necessary.

Now, the process of accreditation for all the representatives of a single media can go through a single account. To achieve this, you should add all the company’s collaborators in the united personal area, create a list of those for whom the seasonal accreditation is requested, and file in a collective application.

If last year you visited KHL games on a constant base, indicate the number of all the accredited persons at the application filing. This will simplify the decision-making process for the next year’s accreditation. In some cases, the MediaPortal administrator may ask for a press clipping – in this case, you will get notified in your account.

If this is the first time that you apply for a KHL accreditation, you will need to create an account in the KHL MediaPortal (khlmedia.ru), wait for the account’s confirmation by the administrator, and file in the accreditation application for you and your colleagues, following the system’s directions. If you are a new collaborator of an already-accredited agency, you will need to ask your boss or coordinator to add your application to the system.

Registered users and their submitted applications will undergo a preliminary check by the web portal administrator, and as a result, the response times to applications may vary.

For detailed instructions on registration via the KHL MediaPortal and the season accreditation application process, click here.

The period for submitting applications for 2017-18 season accreditation runs from July 15 through August 5, 2018. In the event of any clarification of submitted information being required, the applicant will be notified via email to the address specified by the applicant during registration and in your account on the MediaPortal.

A decision on acceptance or otherwise of applications will be made on or before August 15, 2018, and confirmation of successful application will be sent your email address and in your account. The KHL will then forward the accreditation cards to the press officers of the relevant hockey clubs, where they can be collected by the successful applicants. Accreditation cards may be collected from the August 25, 2018 (applicants should confirm specific dates and times for collection with the press service of the relevant club). The applicants residing in Moscow can collect their accreditation from the KHL office. In this case, dates and times will be communicated separately.

We ask that media personnel familiarize themselves with the Provisions for 2018/2019 Season Accreditation, which can be viewed here. Observance of the Provisions is mandatory for all media personnel seeking accreditation.

All enquiries relating to the new system of accreditation should be sent via email to the address media@khl.ru, accompanied by a written description of the relevant problem area, with screenshots attached, plus relevant technical information – i.e. browser version and operating system installed on your computer.

Carter Ashton joins Severstal Cherepovets, Dinamo Minsk signs Teemu Pulkkinen and other transfers.

Canadian forward Carter Ashton joined Severstal on a two-year deal.

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod strengthen up their defensive line with Mathew Bodie, who signed a one-year deal. Moreover, Torpedo signed Alexei Mastryukov to a try-out contract and dissolved forward Gennady Stolyarov’s deal.

Admiral signed new two-way, one-year deals with defenseman Grigory Vashchenko and forward Vladimir Butuzov. Moreover, the Seamen signed defenseman Yegor Antropov and Alexander Vasilyev to try-out contracts.

Slovan inked defenseman Marek Sloboda to a two-way, one-year contract. The Slovak team also inked defenseman Adam Janosik to a one-way, one-year deal, and forward Milos Kelemen to a two-way, one-year contract.

Forward Eetu Torpstrom joined Jokerit signing a two-way, two-year deal.

Dinamo Minsk signed a one-year deal with Finn forward Teemu Pulkkinen.

Canadian forward Michael Latta joined Kunlun Red Star on a one-year deal.

Avangard signed defenseman Alexei Bondarev to a try-out contract.

Amur signed try-out contracts with forwards Maxim Kitsyn and Evgeny Grigorenko and defenseman Ivan Glazkov.

Salavat Yulaev tries to solve goaltending problems. KHL.ru continues to present some of the top transfers of the offseason.

Shipachyov to Dynamo, Salak to Lokomotiv. Offseason top transfers, part 1

Juha Metsola. From Amur to Salavat Yulaev

It looks like in Ufa, people are used to having a problem on goal. Whoever moved to Ufa among goalies only needed a few games to turn into a bad-goals artist. Niklas Svedberg and Ben Scrivens had an almost perfect reputation before moving to Salavat Yulaev, turning into a laughs-stock as soon as they wore the Green uniform. Juha Metsola is the new Ufa attempt to gain a strong number one goalie who can lead the team to the second Gagarin Cup title. The Finn goalie is in the KHL for three seasons already, thus he should have no problems in adapting to the new environment. Playing in Khabarovsk, he showed to have no problems with long flights and time zone changes, unavoidable playing in the Russian Far East. The 29-year-old goalie left Khabarovsk with a mission-accomplished feeling, as he managed to backstop Amur to the postseason at the third attempt in March. Juha is used to solve a lot of problems alone, therefore he won’t be scared by the offensive hockey usually played in Ufa. After three years, Metsola can once again fight for the title after three consecutive silver medals in the Finnish Liiga with Tappara.

Ivan Vereshchagin. From Sibir to Metallurg

The KHL’s 10^th season wasn’t a good one for Metallurg. For most of the season, the team was on the edge of the playoffs zone and for some periods was even outside of the top-eight. During the campaign, the directors fired the head coach Ilya Vorobyov and got back former leaders like Chris Lee and Wojtek Wolski. The much-needed rebuilding was delayed for a further season. In front of GM Gennady Velichkin, there was a hard choice: signing UFAs, thus again having to deal with older players, or signing RFAs, but needing to pay a compensation. The Ural team opted for the second solution as they not only signed Nikita Yazkov off Ak Bars but also acquired Ivan Vereshchagin. The 23-year-old defenseman was called this Spring for the first time to the Olympic Russian National Team as he had his best season in his career so far. With 22 points, he was Sibir Novosibirsk’s top-scoring defenseman.

Julius Hudacek. From Severstal to Spartak

Spartak is already the third KHL team for the Slovak goalie. Individually, he had a great season, Severstal got to the playoffs and had many of his famous post-game shows. But it hasn’t been always like that. Probably not many remember that, five years ago, he went to Sibir and ingloriously left the team already after his first game. To replace the Slovak netminder, Sibir acquired Mikko Koskinen and his backup became Nikita Bespalov. Hudacek and Bespalov had a short sting together in Novosibirsk and they will be reunited in Spartak. The Red-and-Whites are planning to start the season with this goaltending duo. With Hudacek, Spartak will get not only a great starter but also a great showman.

Stepan Sannikov. From Sibir to Lokomotiv

Since Sibir started becoming a good team, Stepan Sannikov was one of their key players. The workaholic forward, with his spirit and effort, became a true symbol of Sibir Novosibirsk’s style. The team and the player were really fitting one another. Maybe in another team, he wouldn’t have got a chance to grow into a national team player but at the 2016 IIHF WC in Moscow he played on the team’s first line, side by side with Pavel Datsyuk and Sergei Mozyakin. After winning a bronze medal, he was even given the national team’s captaincy at one of the Euro Hockey Tour stages. The same responsibility that Sannikov had with his home club, but during the last season he voluntarily left the C to his teammate Sergei Konkov. For the Solikamsk-born forward, Novosibirsk became a second home, and he left it to resume playing with Dmitry Kvartalnov and fight for the Gagarin Cup. When Kvartalnov was coaching Sibir, he put a lot of trust in the then-young forward, and now the duo will be reunited in Yaroslavl.

Julius Junttila and Charles Bertrand. From Karpat to Sibir

During this offseason, Sibir is not only losing players but is also trying to actively replace them. Next year, instead of the Swedish dynamic duo Bergstrom – Zackrisson, the directors created a Finnish Connection as they signed two fresh Liiga champions. As soon as Karpat defeated Tappara in the finals, it was announced that the two Ermines will move to the remote Siberian lands. Both players promise to be great signings. The French Bertrand won the Aarne Honkavaara Trophy as the regular season’s top goalscorer and played the playoffs in the golden helmet. The Finn Junttila was the league’s MVP. Both forwards are technique-sound, fast players – the kind of player that Vladimir Yurzinov likes to have in his teams. Yurzinov worked in Finland for many years and knows very well the local market. Most likely, the team won’t have any problems with their foreign players.

Pavel Varfolomeyev. From Yugra to Metallurg via Avangard

Yugra left the KHL and that meant a lot of players on the market. In all the latest few seasons, the team’s game plan was built around Pavel Varfolomeyev. Surely, Morozov and Marchenko have a bright future in front of themselves in St. Petersburg, but they played only a handful of matches for the Mammoths. Varfolomeyev was part of a solid line with Evgeny Lapenkov and Denis Gorbunov and when that line stopped existing, Pavel kept on delivering.

It’s not surprising that, once Yugra left the KHL, many teams started a war to acquire the 23-year-old forward. Avangard acquired the rights on the player, but Metallurg got into the battle as they wanted to return their alumni to the team. The law was on Avangard’s size, but Gennady Velichkin didn’t surrender and the next day traded defenseman Nikita Pivtsakin to Omsk to return Varfolomeyev in Magnitogorsk. Even if Pavel won’t be as successful as Mozyakin, who plays on his same position, he will definitely help the team in creating some secondary scoring.

Denis Zernov. From Lada to Avangard

Zernov’s situation was very similar to Varfolomeyev’s. The Togliatti-born forward was the most valuable lot from the Lada sales. Before getting UFA status, Lada sold the rights on the 22-year-old center to Avangard Omsk. Once again, Metallurg challenged the move, thinking that it was illegal.

The Zernov move to Omsk was recognized as legitimate too, but the Varfolomeyev scenery wasn’t repeated. Metallurg was probably not as interested as with Varfolomeyev, or maybe they did not find trade commodities, and Zernov is now an Avangard player. In the new season, Denis will have to face tough competition to find a spot in his new team’s second or third line. Most likely, his direct rivals will be Valentin Pyanov and Kirill Semyonov who, alternately, centered Avangard’s young guns line.

Nikita Pivtsakin. From Metallurg to Avangard

The 26-year-old defenseman was a part in the Varfolomeyev’s trade to Magnitogorsk, but the return of Pivtsakin in his native Omsk is definitely worthy of a separate mention. Four years ago, the Omsk-native defenseman decided to have a change of scenery and openly talked about his wish to play in the NHL. However, he didn’t manage to cross the Ocean and instead moved to the Russian capital. In the years spent with the Red Army, Pivtsakin didn’t manage to become a true regular player for CSKA, therefore he had to forget about playing for the national team.

Pivtsakin was finally back to his best hockey when he was called to improve Metallurg’s defensive lineup. The team suffered an injury outbreak and Pivtsakin played like never before. Now he will have to solve Avangard’s problems. The defenseman has now entered his prime and is a good candidate for a spot in the first-second line.

Nikita Filatov. From Neftekhimik to Spartak

Nikita Filatov’s career so far has been a true roller coaster. The then-sixth overall NHL draft pick one day shows everyone all his talent just to fall from the radars the next day. He didn’t reach the star status yet, but the Red Army alumni has all the tools to become a very good KHL player. He showed that playing for Lada, where he scored 40 points in the 2016/2017 season. However, once again Nikita failed to keep the ball rolling.

More than everything, it has been a problem of injuries. Filatov ended the season in Nizhnekamsk, but he did not get accustomed in the Andrei Nazarov’s team. He is not really a Nazarov-style player, as the former NHL tough guy prefers energetic players who are able to show their teeth, but Filatov is another kind of player. It was rumored that Filatov would join Sibir and Vladimir Yurzinov, but in the end, he’s back to the Russian capital. He did not join CSKA but signed a contract with Spartak. In the Red-and-Whites roster, there are many technique-sound players with whom Filatov can play, like Alexander Khokhlachyov and Ilya Zubov.

Alexei Kruchinin. From Traktor to SKA

Kruchinin had a breakout season last year in the KHL jubilee season and it could not go unnoticed. The forward was one of the bigger reasons why Traktor won the KHL bronze medal. In the playoffs, his combinations with Vitaly Kravtsov were the most dangerous for the Black-and-Whites opponents. Moreover, he was like an old brother for Traktor’s diamond in the rough.

However, in spite of the rumors, the forwards didn’t join SKA together as Kravtsov will keep on playing in Chelyabinsk. Kruchinin can play both in the middle and on the wing and will be useful for SKA with his universality. Moreover, the transfer is even more interesting considering that Kruchinin started his professional career in St. Petersburg. He had his KHL debut with SKA in the 2011/12 season; then he was sent to Lokomotiv to help the team to get back to the ice after the September 7 tragedy.

Andre Petersson. From Avangard to Barys

Andre Petersson maybe is not a legend for Kazakhstani hockey fans as Brandon Bochenski, but he’s surely not a worse player. In his four seasons in the KHL, he scored more than 20 goals twice. Petersson is a technique-sound forward with a great shot. The only thing where he could have been criticized is his playoffs performance, but only until last year. In the 2017/2018 campaign, Avangard moved past the first round and the team’s top scorer was the 27-year-old forward. Andrei Skabelka already left the team but inviting the Swede to Barys was his initiative. If injuries won’t bother him, he can aim to break his goals record. However, he will need good linemates to do so. For example, Brandon Bochenski.

Alexander Polunin. From Lokomotiv to HC Sochi

It looked like they were destined to always play together. The line Korshkov – Kraskovsky – Polunin has spontaneously appeared, and they quickly escalated up to becoming the most promising youth line in the country. This line not only had a regular spot in the Lokomotiv lineup but also made it to the national team. Initially, only in the junior national teams, but then even in the senior one. It’s hard to tell what happened, but at one point, Alexander Polunin fell out of this line.

All started in the first few months of the last season. Without thinking too much, Alexei Kudashov sent him to the JHL. The diminutive forward wasn’t much appreciated also by the new Lokomotiv head coach – it’s quite notorious that Dmitry Kvartalnov prefers power forwards. As they failed to find Polunin a place in the lineup, Lokomotiv traded him to HC Sochi. On the Black Sea shores, young players are kept in high consideration and, having lost Padakin to Ak Bars, the Leopards needed a new young star.

Kristers Gudlevskis. From Bridgeport (AHL) to Dinamo Riga

Five years ago, a young, promising Latvian goalie had his KHL debut with Dinamo Riga: Kristers Gudlevskis. It was clear that he had a lot of potential, however, he preferred trying his luck in North America with the Tampa Bay Lightning – the team that drafted him. At first, Gudlevskis was a concurrent for Andrei Vasilevsky, who’s two years younger, but soon the Russian goalie found himself playing in the NHL, while the Latvian stayed in the AHL. He would play for the Lightning’s farm team and play maximum one NHL game per season.

In the end, Gudlevskis was traded to the New York Islanders, with whom he didn’t play a single minute. In the meantime, Gudlevskis lost the position of Team Latvia starting goalie to Elvis Merzlikins. It became clear that a change of scenery was needed. Gudlevskis is now back to his root, having signed a contract with Dinamo Riga. In the Latvian capital, he will almost have the guarantee to play as much as he wants to. Is it enough to get back on track?

Enver Lisin. From Salavat Yulaev to Sibir

Enver Lisin’s career has been full of ups and downs. As a very young forward he moved overseas, got back fairly soon, and then was freed up by Metallurg Magnitogorsk for the Admiral expansion draft. In Vladivostok, Lisin managed to revert the trend and start from scratch, even becoming a captain for the Seamen. Since then, Enver is considered maybe not a star, but surely a solid player. He was even called up to Team Russia for a bunch of Euro Hockey Tour games. He also played at the KHL All-Star Game in Ufa, where he set a new record for the speed skating competition.

So, why Salavat decided to part ways with such a valuable player on their roster? On one hand, the team wanted to save some money, and from another hand, Enver didn’t have strong stats in the playoffs. In any case, the move was quite surprising. Sibir decided to jump into action and fastly signed the forward, who is now almost guaranteed of a spot in the team’s second line. The 32-year-old veteran is Sibir Novosibirsk’s most experienced player. Will Vladimir Yurzinov consider him as the new leader of the team?

Sergei Tolchinsky. From Charlotte (AHL) to CSKA

Another player who tried to make it to the NHL through farm teams. Sergei Tolchinsky spent the latest six years in North America, and it almost looked like people – undeservedly – forgot about him at home. He is a forward with very good hands and great skating abilities, but he didn’t manage to show his best parts with consistency so far.

Moreover, he didn’t get many chances in Carolina, having played just four games in three seasons. The CSKA alumni, who only played one season in the JHL, will now try to win a spot in the Red Army lineup. The competition will be very high and considering that he joined the team only on a try-out he has no guarantees, but he has all the tools to succeed.

Pre-season training continues and that means players old and new are dreaming of what the coming campaign might hold. From the Urals to Moscow Region, from Kazakhstan to the Volga, there’s lots to look forward to ...

Back home, part 1

Nikolai Kulemin is among the NHL players who has returned to Russia this summer – and the former Islanders man is back at his home-town club, Metallurg. In an exclusive interview with Championat.com, he explained why Magnitogorsk is the place for him.

“Metallurg is always a contender for the cup, in recent years it’s been among the leading teams in the KHL. I come from Magnitogorsk, I’ve always followed the team’s fortunes and it’s good to be coming home. My friends, my family are all here. There was really no need to look for something different when I could come back home and have a shot at the Gagarin Cup.”

Back home, part 2

Brandon Bochenski has spent so long in Astana that the Kazakh capital is a home-from-home for the Dakota native. The forward ended his hockey career in the spring of 2017, but the lure of Barys was too strong and he agreed a return to Kazakhstan for the coming campaign. He told KHL.ru what changed his mind.

“The main thing was that I realized how much I missed the game, how I couldn’t do without it,” he said. “It’s like they say, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. Last spring I was so certain that I was done with hockey, that it was time to turn a new page. If only I’d known how wrong I was!”

World championship dreams in Podolsk

Marek Hrivik, Vityaz’s summer signing from the Calgary Flames, is hoping that a playoff push can put him back on the world stage. The 26-year-old forward represented Team Slovakia at the 2014 Worlds in Minsk – and he’s desperate to rejoin the national team when his country hosts the 2019 edition next May.

“At Vityaz, we need to get a fast start to the season and make sure we reach the playoffs,” he told KHL.ru. “After that, the next World Championship is in Slovakia and I want to be a part of it. I hope we’ll see lots of happy faces at Vityaz games this season. We’re trying to make the fans happy, and I hope it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Reunion in Yaroslavl

Not everyone is a fan of the Dmitry Kvartalnov brand of hockey, with critics dubbing it crude and primitive. But Russian international forward Stepan Sannikov is definitely on the same page as the former CSKA head coach. Sannikov played under Kvartalnov at Sibir and has rejoined him at Lokomotiv after signing a three-year contract.

“That kind of fast, strong hockey is very much my game,” Sannikov told KHL.ru. “I feel really comfortable in that system. Over the past couple of years it felt like I’d stopped making progress [at Sibir]. I needed a change of direction, and then I got the offer from Lokomotiv.”

Trade updates

Geoff Platt is heading to Jokerit on a one-year deal. The 33-year-old Canadian-born forward has featured in every KHL season to date, collecting 297 points in 504 games for Dinamo Minsk, Lokomotiv and CSKA.

Torpedo has picked up two defensemen from the AHL as Philip Holm and Mathew Bodie head to the KHL. Swedish defenseman Holm, 26, made one NHL appearance for the Canucks last season after trying his luck in North America, but is now heading back to Europe. Previously, Holm played for Djurgardens and Vaxjo Lakers in his home country. Bodie, 28, was part of the Lightning organization last time around, but is still awaiting his NHL debut after five seasons of AHL action in Hartford, Rochester and Syracuse.

Another AHL talent, Teemu Pulkinen, is on his way to Dinamo Minsk. The Finn had a career best 65 points from 75 games with the Chicago Wolves last season and has also managed 83 NHL outings, mostly for Detroit. The 26-year-old former Jokerit man is set for his KHL debut this season.

Latest transfer news

The Barys Astana forward, in his first interview after his return, talked about being a coach, his wife’s opinion about his return to Kazakhstan, his business ventures in the USA, his return in the locker room, his prospects for the new season, and much more.

In 2017 May, Brandon Bochenski announced to have retired from professional hockey. The KHL record-breaker among non-Russian players decided to spend more time with his family. However, he couldn’t last long without hockey. On July 3, the American with a Kazakhstani passport got back to his second home country and signed a contract with Barys, where he spent seven seasons. Much has changed in Barys, and Bochenski pretty much ended up in a different team. How will he fare in the 2018/2019 season?

KHL Rekindled my Love for Hockey – Brandon Bochenski announces retirement

I feel like now I am at peace with myself

- Brandon, what is the main reason behind your surprising announcement of last year?

- I was far from my family for too much time. My wife and kids were always with me, but our parents were not, and they get older and older every day. I felt like it was time to take a pause, devote myself to my family, travel with my kids. Everything was great. It has been a fantastic year, it made me much stronger in my spirit and I feel like now I am at peace with myself.

- How did you start your new life without hockey?

- With a family vacation on the lake’s shore. We went fishing and relaxed. After a couple of months, I got back to the university to study economics. By the way, I had a very good year, I had very good grades and was among the best students. Then we went to Hawaii on a family vacation, and we also had some trips to the USA national parks: Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon…

- How much time did you spend without a hockey stick?

- It was quite long, some six-seven months. I played tennis, golf, I had some running and fitness, but I hit the ice only in November. I joined a group of ex-colleagues, they also retired, and we would play twice a week.

I understand that I have a lot of work in front of myself. I need to work so that the fans won’t be disappointed, and it motivates me a lot.

- On the internet, an interesting news appeared. Allegedly, you bought a big plot of land in Grand Forks as you didn’t want that huge buildings were built there.

- Yes, it’s true. I have a lot of things that tie me with that territory. I studied there fifteen years ago, my wife is from Grand Forks, my parents live nearby, therefore it means that kids can stay close to their grandparents. It’s a great place, with picturesque landscapes. A nice little place, without much fuss. We decided to build there a home.

Regarding the land purchase… let’s say that I killed two birds with one stone. I have prevented the erection of huge builds close to our place, which would have ruined the landscape, and it gave me a good chance to start a business. It was good that I managed to purchase the land at the very last moment. If I waited another little bit, then the local government would have launched their own development plan.

I didn’t have many difficulties, all I had to do was signing my cheque. The hard things start now: I need to use and develop the land in the right way. There are some cottages there now, and those will be rented out. In the end, we should have more than fifteen.

- Another interesting news: you and your friend started acquired a hunting firm. Are you a hunter?

- Not really, I prefer to go fishing, but sometimes I go hunting a deer. My friend is more of a fan, he bought all the necessary for deer-hunting, he also owns a license, but he didn’t have enough money to start production. For that reason, we became partners and now we share the business. All is good now, we have good sells and we started having a profit.

I was so sure that I closed ties with hockey… if only I knew!

- Did something else happen last year? Something important?

- The most important thing is that I understood how much I missed hockey. As the saying goes, we always realize the importance of something after losing it. Last spring, I was so sure that I closed ties with hockey, that it was a closed chapter… if only I knew!

- In one of your interviews, you said that your kids haven’t chosen what they want to do yet. Did they pick up something in the meantime?

- We had many variants. They played football, all three played the piano and – interestingly so – all three loved it. Of course, they asked about hockey. My son played last year, and I helped his team’s coach.

Now, also my daughter wants to play hockey. She asked for that right before my departure to Astana. We quickly went to a store to buy the equipment and she will start in a couple of months. Of course, I tried to explain to her that hockey maybe is not the best sport or girls, but she said: “Dad, I want to be like you.” How can you say “no” to a kid after such a phrase?

The coach knows that I am a veteran and he wants me to be a leader for the team, both during the game and in the locker room. He wants me to share my experience with the other players, give them good advice and talk when needed.

- It looks like you didn’t lose your shape last year.

- Of course, I have been playing sports forever. As I said, I played tennis, at least three times a week. At first, I wasn’t very good, but now I think I play rather well. There are enough similarities in different elements if you take tennis and hockey. Then, I went to the gym, had my running, rode my bike. I love sports, I love practicing, I like living that way and you don’t have to force yourself to do something every day, and I really have fun.

- Did you change your attitude towards anything else?

- I didn’t set myself such a goal, I was just trying to enjoy every moment of my life. Having fun with my new activities, as earlier I didn’t have time for that due to my career. I don’t like to philosophize.

I got back for the love of the game

- How did you start missing hockey in your life?

- I followed Barys for the whole season. The team started well and felt good. When a team has good results, it means that it also has potential. But when the team started losing, I couldn’t help but start missing hockey and think about my return. That’s why I started playing and coaching my son, but it wasn’t enough.

- So, you were talking all the time with the guys, right?

- Exact. I was always talking with Kevin [Dallman] and Nigel [Dawes], supporting them and trying to give them good advice.

- And when a switch flipped into your head?

- I can’t tell you a concrete date, everything happened gradually. I felt like I was in good shape and I understood that I truly loved hockey and missed it. In the same time, I realized that I won’t be in good shape forever and that with each year I’m going to have less and less time. Thus, I come into such a conclusion – that I need to play.

- How did your family like the idea? You set things up overseas, and again back to Astana.

- My family’s support was one of the things that had the most influence on my decision to return. When I talked with [my wife] Jenny and my kids, they understood me. They realized that I was missing playing hockey. Yes, it’s hard for them, they have their life overseas, but they know how important this is for me. That’s why my wife just nodded and told that I need to be in good shape not to make a poor showing in the team. After these words, I was so inspired that I doubled my efforts.

I love sports, I love practicing, I like living that way and you don’t have to force yourself to do something every day, and I really have fun.

- How did your negotiation with Barys go? Did you have other variants?

- The directors and I talked about renewing my contract already before the start of last season, but I refused. We talked from time to time, but once the regular season ended, we stopped communicating. I have been offered to get back and help the team both as a player and as a coach. I was happy to get back and we agreed on everything, but probably nothing would happen if Boris Ivanischev didn’t become Barys president. I know him for a lot of time, I respect him, he was a player in the past, he knows his stuff and works in the team for a long time already.

- As far as I know, your contract isn’t really a big one.

- I think it’s a fair deal, I got back for the love of the game. I have already earned my money, I have my business, thus I can allow myself to choose what to do and not worrying about money.

I waited for this moment a long time

- Do Dustin Boyd, Nigel Dawes, and Brandon Bochenski talk off the ice? Did you talk after you announced your return?

- Of course, they both called me, congratulating and wishing me good luck. Moreover, both said that it was a pity not to play in the same team. We always communicate off the ice, following each other and congratulating. Now we are on different teams, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not an interesting situation.

- How did you spend your first day in the locker room after your return?

- It’s impossible to explain how I felt, you need to feel it to truly understand. I waited for this moment a long time. I know a lot of people here, I was so happy to meet our masseurs Baura and Buli!

I played tennis, golf, I had some running and fitness, but I hit the ice only in November. I joined a group of ex-colleagues, they also retired, and we would play twice a week.

- You have probably already talked with Andrei Skabelka. What does he expect from you this season?

- The coach knows that I am a veteran and he wants me to be a leader for the team, both during the game and in the locker room. He wants me to share my experience with the other players, give them good advice and talk when needed. But the most important thing that a coach requires from his players is to give all of yourself during both games and practices.

- What do you think about the preseason practices about such a long pause?

- It was hard at first, but I am already used to it. After such a pause, I feel myself even fresher. I was lucky to stay away from serious injuries in these ten years so all is great, I feel like I am eighteen again.

The most important thing is to be useful for the team

- What can you tell about the team’s new players? Were you familiar with any of them?

- Not really, I just heard the players’ name and all. You know, now it’s very interesting. It’s pretty much like when I first got here and I was watching around trying to understand how I can help the team.

- It looks like you sent yourself a challenge. What are you waiting for the upcoming season?

- Yes, this is definitely a challenge to myself. I want to show the people that I left simply because I wanted to, and not because I couldn’t play anymore. I want to show that I’m still the good old Brandon and that I can still play. But I also understand that I have a lot of work in front of myself. I need to work so that the fans won’t be disappointed, and it motivates me a lot.

I am not worried about how many points I will score or how big will be my salary. The most important thing is to be useful for the team and help the guys to win games. I don’t worry about myself, I want to fight for our common results – both for Barys and Team Kazakhstan.

- Does it mean that you’re planning to return to the national team as well?

- Of course, this was one of the reasons why I decided to get back. This year, Team Kazakhstan will play their division’s World Championship in Astana and I have never played at such a level in front of our home crowd. In hockey, you also have atmosphere, feelings, drive. I think that everything will be great and it will be a true hockey party. I can’t wait to start.

PLAYER’S CARD

Brandon Bochenski

Born on April 4, 1982 in Blaine, Minnesota, USA.

Career:

The forward skipped the latest season but is trying to get back to the KHL.

HC Dynamo Moscow signed a try-out agreement with forward Igor Musatov.

Sibir signed a one-way, one-year deal with defenseman Oleg Piganovich.

During the offseason, Vityaz signed two veteran international players on which the coaching staff, undoubtedly, has high hopes to help to fulfill the primary task of the season. Vityaz wants to show that missing last year’s playoffs was just a fluke and that they are ready to fight to reach the postseason. KHL.ru correspondent talked with Joni Ortio and Marek Hrivik during the team’s first practice on ice.

Photo: 15.07.18. Vityaz (Podolsk) practice

Some years ago, Joni Ortio was one of the most promising Finnish goalies. He played for the Calgary Flames at just 22, but after three years he had to leave the team. He was much more successful in Europe. He backstopped Skelleftea to the SHL finals and was the author of the save of the season.

Marek Hrivik moved overseas in 2010. The then-18-year-old had a goal to play in the NHL, but it has been a long journey. The Slovak played his first game for the New York Rangers in the 2015/2016 season, although he earlier won a QMJHL title. After the triumph, Hrivik mostly played in the AHL, scoring on average about one point per game. Last year he played three games for Calgary, and the now-veteran player decided for a change of scenery.

About moving to Russia

Ortio: I arrived a bit more than a week ago, and I liked everything. Good people, a great organization. When I understood that Vityaz wanted to sign me, I got Harri Sateri’s number. He’s my national teammate, and I know that he played here for three seasons. Harri didn’t say a single bad word about Podolsk, and thus I decided to sign.

Hrivik: I consulted with Vojtech Mozik, whom I know very well. He told me that everything here is on a high level and I didn’t think twice about signing.

About the FIFA World Cup

Ortio: I was cheering for Portugal, but in general I was just enjoying good football. In the finals, I was cheering for Croatia. You know it yourself, because of Borna Rendulic! Russia played well, and I have to say that I was even a bit surprised that the team went so deep into the playoffs. It has been a great achievement! I couldn’t get to the center of Moscow or close to the Red Square, but I saw that it had been a great party. A fantastic time for Russia.

Hrivik: I was in Moscow, and I noticed the massive number of fans. I wonder, what will happen once the WC is over?

About playing overseas

Ortio: After the 2015/2016 season I have been told that the Flames wanted to sign me back. But then Bob Hartley was fired and most likely, at that moment the team underwent many changes. I am not sure why we parted ways. Anyways, what happened was just something that happened. I played two years in Sweden, and now I’m here. By the way, in the games against Avangard Omsk, where now the coach is Hartley, I’ll double my effort as I want to show that we are the better team!

Hrivik: I wasn’t drafted, but many players sign in the NHL as free agents. Of course, it’s good when you are picked, and you are already there. But there are many local players who sign in the NHL after playing in the NCAA. Thus you shouldn’t surrender just because you weren’t drafted. Regarding my departure… Simply there were many new things on the team, and I wanted a new challenge in a new place.

About the best save and goal

Ortio: Very simple. I just got the puck in my glove when I was moving from right to left, and I saved my team. I was a bit lucky.

Hrivik: That time I had a bad pass to one of my teammates. The puck ricocheted on the boards and got back to me. It can be said that some good luck smiled on me, I shot and scored.

About adaptation in Podolsk

Ortio: For now, I mostly talk with international players, Rendulic and Mozik. We live in the same place in Podolsk, and together we move from home to the arena. I am starting to talk more and more with the other guys; we have many great guys on our team.

Hrivik: I just came. Now we started the preseason camp, and the practices are pretty hard. But we do have a great atmosphere, and we have a lot of great guys on the team.

About the Russian language

Ortio: It would be great to talk it fluently. I learned a few words, but it’s definitely not enough to talk or to understand when others talk.

Hrivik: As a first thing you should learn the language because it’s critical. You need to understand what other people are saying, about what your teammates are talking. I will learn Russian to be able to understand my teammates. I already found a teacher, but for now, things are going slow. However, Russian and Slovakian are quite similar, and it helps.

About New York, Skelleftea, Calgary, Podolsk, and love for hockey

Ortio: I had a chance to play in different cities, Calgary has more than one million people, of course, you can't compare it with Skelleftea or Podolsk. But there is a thing that unifies all the three cities: people who live there is crazy about hockey. Especially in Calgary. It’s great to live in a place where you see so many fans. I really can’t wait for the season to start.

Hrivik: I can say that I had a good time playing overseas. New York became the second home for me. But now I’m at the other end of the world, in Russia. It’s a new challenge, and I’m ready for it.

About teammates and roster competition

Ortio: In Calgary, I played with Karri Ramo, who is now in Avangard. He’s a great guy, and we often spend time together. Yes, we were competing for a spot in the team, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t be friends. I think that having some internal competition is a good thing because it gives you more motivation. You want to be better every day. And now it will be the same with Igor Saprykin.

Hrivik: Now I am mostly playing with Borna Rendulic. It’s the first time that we met. Therefore we need to know each other more and to create some chemistry on the ice. Regarding my style, I love playing the puck. I’d call myself a playmaker, a player who likes to pass the puck.

About the KHL, goals for the season, and fans

Ortio: The KHL is the second league in the world. I think that it’s great to play here. It’s a challenge for me. I really want to be as successful as Harri Sateri was. We need to work together to get to the playoffs. Our goal for the season is simple: to win as many games as possible. We have a good team with fast and strong players. I think that it’s a right mix!

Hrivik: We need to start winning right away to get to the playoffs. Moreover, the next IIHF WC will be in Slovakia, and I want to take part in it. I also want to see many happy faces at our games. We’ll do our best to make you happy. I hope that it will be fun!