2008–09 KHL season

2008–09 KHL season
League Kontinental Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Duration September 2, 2008 – February 26, 2009
Number of teams 24
Regular season
Regular-season winner Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Season MVP Danis Zaripov
Ak Bars Kazan
Top scorer Sergei Mozyakin
Atlant Moscow Oblast
Play-offs
Play-offs MVP Alexei Morozov
Ak Bars Kazan
Gagarin Cup
Gagarin Cup champions Ak Bars Kazan
  Runners-up Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
KHL seasons
← None

2009–10 →

The 2008–09 KHL season was the inaugural season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It started on September 2, 2008, and finished on February 26, 2009.[1] 24 teams each played 56 games.

Contents

League business

NHL player transfer

KHL teams have signed several players from the NHL, including Jaromír Jágr, Alexander Radulov, Ray Emery,[2] Sergei Brylin, Ladislav Nagy, Jozef Stumpel, Marcel Hossa, Ben Clymer, Alexei Zhitnik, Bryan Berard, and Chris Simon.

Dispute

A dispute between the two leagues over some of these signings was supposed to have been resolved by an agreement signed on July 10, whereby each league would honor the contracts of the other, but the signing of Alexander Radulov was made public one day after the agreement (though it was actually signed two days prior to the agreement taking effect),[3] leading to an investigation by the International Ice Hockey Federation.[4]

Finances

Ownership

On a deal dated October 30, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works bought 11.76% of the KHL.[5]

Salary cap

The league has implemented a salary cap.

Economic trouble

Metallurg Novokuznetsk has so far experienced difficulty financing its operations, largely due to the global financial crisis of 2008. Team sponsor Evraz Group is rumored to be cutting funding. There is a possibility the team will cease operations by New Years.[6]

HC MVD has experienced delays in paying players, while Khimik Voskresensk has run itself into debt. Metallurg Magnitogorsk has been forced to cut staff expenditures by 30%. Avangard Omsk owner Roman Abramovich has promised to continue financial support so long as the team maintains good results. Other teams experiencing financial limitations are Vityaz Chekhov, Atlant Moscow, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, HC CSKA Moscow.

As far as the league is concerned it has devised a "crisis package" for dealing with the economic turmoil. Cuts will be made to non-salary expenditures, such as pre-game activity, training camps, and elimination of pre-season tournaments. Mid-level player salaries may also be rolled back. Divisional re-alignment will also take place for the 2009-10 season to cut down on travel costs.

Inaugural All-Star Game

The inaugural KHL All-Star Game took place on January 10, 2009. Each team consisted of ten forwards, five defensemen, and two goaltenders. The starting rosters were voted upon on the KHL.ru website and decided by December 22. The secondary lines and goaltenders were to be voted upon by the media, and announced December 26, with the following players and reserves announced by January 8. The game took place in Moscow's Red Square, with Team Jágr (International All-Stars) defeating Team Yashin (Russian All-Stars) 7–6.

Regular season

Death of Alexei Cherepanov

On October 13, 2008 during a match between Avangard Omsk and Vityaz Chekhov, forward Alexei Cherepanov died due to a heart condition.

On December 29, 2008, Russian investigators revealed that he suffered from myocarditis, a condition where not enough blood gets to the heart, and that he should not have been playing professional hockey. The federal Investigative Committee also announced that a chemical analysis of Cherepanov's blood and urine samples allowed experts to conclude "that for several months Alexei Cherepanov engaged in doping".[7] Official sources have stated the banned substance taken was nikethamide, a stimulant, and that it had been taken 3 hours prior to the game in which he died.[8]

Omsk club director Mikhail Denisov has since been fired[7], whereas the league Disciplinary Committee has since removed Omsk's doctors from that role with the club, and has suspended Avangard general manager Anatoly Bardin and team president Konstantin Potapov. The KHL Disciplinary Committee met on this matter on January 5,[9] and also suspended Chekhov's team president.[10]

League standings

Final standings.[11]

Points have been awarded as follows:

     Division winner
     Qualified for playoffs
League standings GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 56 38 4 1 3 2 8 203 116 129
Ak Bars Kazan 56 36 1 3 3 3 10 189 123 122
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 56 32 2 2 4 3 13 175 111 111
CSKA Moscow 56 27 4 3 7 4 11 176 141 106
Atlant Moscow 56 35 3 4 2 1 11 189 111 122
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 56 25 2 11 2 1 15 174 148 104
Dynamo Moscow 56 27 4 3 3 2 17 184 143 100
SKA Saint Petersburg 56 26 2 7 4 0 17 143 105 100
Spartak Moscow 56 26 1 5 2 1 21 173 158 93
Dinamo Riga 56 24 3 2 3 1 23 132 156 86
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 56 24 2 2 3 1 24 162 162 84
Traktor Chelyabinsk 56 24 0 2 5 3 22 142 166 84
Lada Togliatti 56 21 3 5 2 3 22 120 116 84
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 56 22 2 1 5 2 24 146 140 79
Barys Astana 56 20 3 4 2 2 25 174 191 78
Avangard Omsk 56 19 2 6 1 4 24 161 164 78
Severstal Cherepovets 56 19 1 7 2 2 25 142 171 77
HC MVD 56 20 2 4 1 0 29 142 159 73
Sibir Novosibirsk 56 15 1 5 2 5 28 146 172 64
Amur Khabarovsk 56 15 2 2 6 1 30 11 158 60
Metallurg Novokuznetsk 56 12 3 2 5 2 31 127 157 54
Dinamo Minsk 56 12 1 2 5 2 34 124 197 49
Vityaz Chekhov 56 6 2 3 7 5 33 134 225 40
Khimik Voskresensk 56 8 3 0 7 2 36 108 187 39

Divisional standing

Bobrov Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 56 38 4 1 3 2 8 203 116 129
Atlant Moscow 56 35 3 4 2 1 11 189 111 122
Spartak Moscow 56 26 1 5 2 1 21 173 158 93
Severstal Cherepovets 56 19 1 7 2 2 25 142 171 77
Metallurg Novokuznetsk 56 12 3 2 5 2 31 127 157 54
Dinamo Minsk 56 12 1 2 5 2 34 124 197 49
Tarasov Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
CSKA Moscow 56 27 4 3 7 4 11 176 141 106
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 56 25 2 11 2 1 15 174 148 104
SKA Saint Petersburg 56 26 2 7 4 0 17 143 105 100
Traktor Chelyabinsk 56 24 0 2 5 3 22 142 166 84
HC MVD 56 20 2 4 1 0 29 142 159 73
Khimik Voskresensk 56 8 3 0 7 2 36 108 187 39
Kharlamov Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 56 32 2 2 4 3 13 175 111 111
Dinamo Riga 56 24 3 2 3 1 23 132 156 86
Lada Togliatti 56 21 3 5 2 3 22 120 116 84
Avangard Omsk 56 19 2 6 1 4 24 161 164 78
Sibir Novosibirsk 56 15 1 5 2 5 28 146 172 64
Amur Khabarovsk 56 15 2 2 6 1 30 11 158 60
Chernyshev Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
Ak Bars Kazan 56 36 1 3 3 3 10 189 123 122
Dynamo Moscow 56 27 4 3 3 2 17 184 143 100
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 56 24 2 2 3 1 24 162 162 84
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 56 22 2 1 5 2 24 146 140 79
Barys Astana 56 20 3 4 2 2 25 174 191 78
Vityaz Chekhov 56 6 2 3 7 5 33 134 225 40

League leaders

Goals Jan Marek (Magnitogorsk) 35
Assists Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant) 42
Points Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant) 76
Shots Kevin Dallman (Astana) 218
Plus/minus Alexei Tereschenko (Ufa) +41
Penalty minutes Chris Simon (Chekhov) 263
Wins (Goaltenders) Georgi Gelashvili (Yaroslavl) 30
Goals against average Dmitri Yachanov (SKA) 1.47
Save percentage Vitaly Kolesnik (Atlant) .945

Goaltenders: minimum 15 games played

Scoring leaders

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
Mozyakin, SergeiSergei Mozyakin Atlant Moscow Oblast 56 34 42 76 +34 14
Marek, JanJan Marek Metallurg Magnitogorsk 53 35 37 72 +26 62
Morozov, AlekseyAleksey Morozov AK Bars Kazan 49 32 39 71 +22 22
Zaripov, DanisDanis Zaripov AK Bars Kazan 56 34 31 65 +26 26
Dallman, KevinKevin Dallman Barys Astana 53 28 30 58 +6 137
Tereschenko, AlexeiAlexei Tereschenko Salavat Yulaev Ufa 55 28 30 58 +41 22
Jágr, JaromírJaromír Jágr Avangard Omsk 55 25 28 53 –1 62
Korolyuk, AlexanderAlexander Korolyuk Atlant Moscow Oblast 56 21 32 53 +21 32
Perezhogin, AlexanderAlexander Perezhogin Salavat Yulaev Ufa 55 28 24 52 +34 32
Glazachev, KonstantinKonstantin Glazachev Barys Astana 56 28 24 52 –7 30

Playoffs

  Preliminary Round
(best of 5)
Quarter-finals
(best of 5)
Semi-finals
(best of 7)
Gagarin Cup Finals
(best of 7)
                                     
1  Salavat Yulaev Ufa 1  
16  Avangard Omsk 3  
  2  Ak Bars Kazan 3  
  16  Avangard Omsk 2  
2  Ak Bars Kazan 3
15  Barys Astana 0  
  2  Ak Bars Kazan 4  
  7  Dynamo Moscow 2  
4  CSKA Moscow 3  
13  Lada Togliatti 2  
  4  CSKA Moscow 0
  7  Dynamo Moscow 3  
7  Dynamo Moscow 3
10  Dinamo Riga 0  
  2  Ak Bars Kazan 4
  3  Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3
3  Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3  
14  Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1  
  3  Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3
  9  Spartak Moscow 0  
8  SKA Saint Petersburg 0
9  Spartak Moscow 3  
  3  Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 4
  6  Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1  
5  Atlant Moscow 3  
12  Traktor Chelyabinsk 0  
  5  Atlant Moscow 1
  6  Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3  
6  Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3
11  Torpedo N. Novgorod 0  

Playoff leaders

Source: khl.ru[12][13]

Goals Jukka Hentunen (Kazan) 9
Assists Alexei Morozov (Kazan)
Alexei Yashin (Yaroslavl)
11
Points Alexei Morozov (Kazan) 19
Shots Danis Zaripov (Kazan) 71
Plus/minus Ilya Nikulin (Kazan)
+13
Penalty minutes Grigori Panin (Kazan) 69
Wins (Goaltenders) Georgi Gelashvili (Yaroslavl)
13
Goals against average Vitali Yeremeyev (Dynamo M)
1.63
Save percentage Alexander Pimankin (Nizhny Novgorod)
94.4
Shutouts Georgi Gelashvili (Yaroslavl)
5

Goaltenders: minimum 5 games played

Scoring leaders

Source: khl.ru[14]

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
Alexei Morozov AK Bars Kazan 21 8 11 19 +8 12
Alexei Yashin Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 19 7 11 18 +3 10
Tony Martensson AK Bars Kazan 21 7 9 16 +10 2
Mattias Weinhandl Dynamo Moscow 12 6 10 16 +8 4
Danis Zaripov AK Bars Kazan 21 6 10 16 +9 8

Leading goaltenders

Source: khl.ru[15]

GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Player Team GP Min W L GA SO SV% GAA
Vitali Yeremeyev Dynamo Moscow 12 700:01 8 4 19 1 .927 1.63
Stanislav Galimov Ak Bars Kazan 7 396:05 3 2 11 1 .926 1.67
Jussi Markkanen CSKA Moscow 7 379:16 3 3 11 2 .934 1.74
Georgi Gelashvili Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 19 1,129:56 13 6 33 5 .933 1.75
Ray Emery Atlant Moscow 7 418:56 4 3 13 1 .941 1.86

Awards

Players of the Month

Best KHL players of each month.[16]

Month Goaltender Defense Forward Rookie
September Alexander Eremenko (Ufa) Magnus Johansson (Atlant) Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant) Maksim Kitsyn (Novokuznetsk)
October Vitaly Kolesnik (Atlant) Ilya Nikulin (Kazan) Jan Marek (Magnitogorsk) Andrei Kolesnikov (Chekhov)
November Robert Esche (St. Petersburg) Konstantin Korneyev (CSKA) Alexei Tereshchenko (Ufa) Stanislav Galimov (Kazan)
December Martin Prusek (Riga) Karel Rachůnek (Dynamo M) Danis Zaripov (Kazan) Alexander Vasilev (Chekhov)
January Vitaliy Yeremeyev (Dynamo M) Vitali Proshkin (Ufa) Alexander Korolyuk (Atlant) Alexander Vasilev (Chekhov)
February Dimitrij Kotschnew (Spartak) Peter Podhradský (Torpedo) Danis Zaripov (Kazan) Stepan Zakharchuk (Togliatti)
March Georgi Gelashvili (Yaroslavl) Ilya Nikulin (Kazan) Mattias Weinhandl (Dynamo M)

KHL Awards

On 15 May 2009, the KHL held their first award ceremony. A total of 23 different awards were handed out to teams, players, officials and media.[17] The most important trophies are listed in the table below.

Golden Hockey Stick Trophy (regular-season MVP) Danis Zaripov (Kazan)
Play-off Master Award (play-off MVP) Alexei Morozov (Kazan)
Alexei Cherepanov Award (best rookie) Ilya Proskuryakov (Magnitogorsk)

References

  1. ^ http://www.fhr.ru/news_english/eng_Calendar_of_KHL_for_a_season
  2. ^ Emery signs one-year deal with Russian team - tsn.ca
  3. ^ Radulov on His Return to Russia - NHL FanHouse
  4. ^ Predator inks debatable deal - iihf.com
  5. ^ Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works bought 11.76% of the authorized capital of KHL - sovsport.ru
  6. ^ http://www.metallurg.ru/news/42243/
  7. ^ a b "Russian investigators say Cherepanov was 'doping'". The Sports Network. 2008-12-29. http://www.tsn.ca/story/?id=261215. 
  8. ^ "Заявление Континентальной хоккейной лиги по итогам расследования обстоятельств смерти хоккеиста Алексея Черепанова". KHL.ru. 2008-12-30. http://www.khl.ru/news/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=10149. 
  9. ^ "KHLfires Omsk doctors". The Sports Network. 2008-12-31. http://www.tsn.ca/story/?id=261479. 
  10. ^ "Officials suspendedpublisher=The Sports Network". 2008-01-15. http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=263478&lid=sublink04&lpos=headlines_main. 
  11. ^ KHL Official Statistics for season 2008/2009
  12. ^ "KHL Playoff Statistics: Skaters". KHL.ru. http://en.khl.ru/stat/players/186/skaters/. 
  13. ^ "KHL Playoff Statistics: Goalies". KHL.ru. http://en.khl.ru/stat/players/186/goalies/. 
  14. ^ "Player Stats: 2008–2009 Playoffs: All Skaters – Total Points". Kontinental Hockey League. http://en.khl.ru/stat/leaders/165/pts/. 
  15. ^ "Player Stats: 2009–2010 Playoff: Goalie – Goals Against Average". Kontinental Hockey League. http://en.khl.ru/stat/leaders/165/gaa/. 
  16. ^ KHL Best players (in Russian)
  17. ^ Kontinental Hockey League Awarded Laureates Of 2008/2009 Season khl.ru, 2009-05-15. Accessed 2009-06-20. Archived 2009-06-22.