To mark the end of the fourth month’s play of the fifth season of the championship, The Kontinental Hockey League’s panel of judges, which now includes Boris Mayorov, Sergei Gimayev and Oleg Bratash, has named the best players of December in four categories.

– Best goaltender was Karri Ramo (Avangard), who in seven games earned three shutouts, saved 95.72% of shots and allowed an average of 1.15 goals per game;

– Best defenseman was Sergei Gonchar (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), whose account from nine outings shows one goal and 10 assists. Sergei earned an efficiency rating for December of +11;

– Best attacker was Evgeny Malkin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), who scored 25 points (8+17) in just nine games and merited a +15 for the month;

– Best rookie was goaltender Alexander Sharychenkov (Dynamo Moscow), who helped his team to victory in five of his seven appearances, saving 90.91% of shots and allowing an average of 2.4 goals per game.