Best Players of the first Week: Metsola, Rylov, Pulkkinen, and Martynov

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the first week of the Regular Season in four categories.

- best goalie was Juha Metsola (Salavat Yulaev), who won two of three away games last week. Metsola posted a shutout in the Sep. 4 game against Kunlun, and the previous day, again against the Dragons, he brought the game to OT. The Finn goalkeeper had a saves percentage of 95.83% and a goals-against average of 1,30. Metsola’s shutout streak lasted 125 minutes and 07 seconds (best numbers of the week).

- best defenseman was Yakov Rylov (Spartak), who posted 3 (2+1) points in four games last week, including three road matches. The Spartak defenseman posted no negative ratings and ended the week with a plus-6 rating (best performance of the week). Rylov also blocked six shots from the opposition.

- best forward was Teemu Pulkkinen (Dinamo Minsk), who scored four goals (best performance of the week) and posted an assist in four games last week, including three road matches. Dinamo’s Finn forward scored at least a goal in each of the four games. Pulkkinen has also had seventeen shots on goal (best performance of the week).

- best rookie was forward Igor Martynov (Dinamo Minsk), who posted four assists in four games, including three road matches. In the game against HC Sochi, the Belarusian forward had three assists, scoring his first points in the KHL. Martynov had an average time on ice of 16 minutes and 15 seconds.