Helping hands – KHL week in review
KHL players and clubs continue to support Russia’s efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic while more of last season’s stars sign contract extensions with their clubs.
KHL stars step up
With life in lockdown throwing up new challenges, KHL players past and present have been doing their bit to help in their hometowns. Players, coaches and staff at Ak Bars have decided to each donate one day’s salary to support vulnerable members of the community across Tatarstan. Three players, Danis Zaripov, Kirill Petrov and Albert Yarullin, have been out and about distributing groceries where needed in Kazan. In addition, Zaripov donated funds to Tatarstan’s volunteer resource center to help cover fuel costs.
Данис Зарипов, Кирилл Петров и Альберт Яруллин развезли продукты пожилым, многодетным семьям и людям, оказавшимся в трудной жизненной ситуации. Игроки прошли инструктаж и доставили наборы бесконтактным способом при соблюдении всех рекомендаций о безопасности. Также капитан вручил Ресурсному центру добровольчества Татарстана топливные карты «Татнефти», чтобы снизить транспортные расходы волонтёров. В это время важно не оставаться в стороне − мы призываем вас присоединиться: Волонтёры «Татнефти»: 8-(8553)-30-50-60 Волонтёрское движение #МыВместе: 8-800-200-34-11 Министерство труда Татарстана: 8-(843)-598-3-598Elsewhere, Traktor’s Anton Glinkin has been helping deliver food in Chelyabinsk while New York Rangers’ prospect Vitaly Kravtsov, his former team-mate in the Urals, has been doing the same in his hometown of Vladivostok. Sochi defenseman Nikita Shchitov went home to his native Ufa and joined the volunteer effort there. And Sibir’s Alexei Krasikov, Ilya Morozov, Konstantin Alexeyev and Nikolai Timashov have signed up with the volunteers in Novosibirsk, while head coach Nikolai Zavarukhin visited the city’s hospital for infectious diseases with a donation of medical kit.
⠀ Берегите себя и близких. ⠀ #хктрактор #мыоднакоманда #затанкоград #stayathome #лучшедома #явдомикеAnd it’s not just about providing support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. When CSKA defenseman Alexei Marchenko heard that the Blokhin Cancer Research Center in Moscow was finding it hard to maintain supplies of vital child cancer drugs, he stepped up to pay for the expensive treatment.
Slepyshev stays in Moscow
CSKA forward Anton Slepyshev turned down the chance to return to Edmonton and decided to stay with the Army Men. The 25-year-old spent three years with the Oilers, making 114 NHL appearances in total and was reportedly invited back to Canada after two successful seasons in the KHL. But the promise of a big role on the team he helped to Gagarin Cup glory last year was more attractive than the lure of lining up alongside Connor McDavid. This season he was third in scoring for CSKA, behind Kirill Kaprizov and Linden Vey; next time he could have an even more significant part to play with several of his current colleagues weighing up their futures.
Sibir keeps its Finnish connection
Last season Sibir returned to the playoffs after a three-year absence — and did it with a big Finnish accent. Unwilling to change a successful formula, the Novosibirsk team moved quickly to secure the services of four Finnish imports. Goalie Harri Sateri, leading defensemen Jyrki Jokipakka and forwards Mikael Ruohomaa and Juuso Puustinen will be back in the heart of Siberia next season.
Cormier continues in Kazan
Another import who will be back for more is center Patrice Cormier. The naturalized Kazakh international returns for another year with Ak Bars, where he had 24 (11+13) points in regular season this time around. Head coach Dmitry Kvartalnov described the 29-year-old as “our key center, who plays well around the opposition net. He’s part of our core, we’re very happy with him but we think he has the potential to bring us even more.”
New board of directors
The KHL Board of Directors held a remote meeting on Thursday and agreed to bring an early end to the tenure of the existing board. An election was held to bring in a new board of 21 representatives. Gennady Timchenko will continue as chairman of the board, alongside recently-appointed KHL president Alexei Morozov, KHL vice-president Valery Kamensky, chief referee Alexei Anisimov, Dmitry Baskov, Sergei Batekhin, Kirill Fastovsky, Boris Korol, Dmitry Kurbatov, Jari Kurri, Nail Maganov, Alexander Medvedev, Alexander Krylov, Sergei Laskov, Vitaly Prokhorov, Viktor Rashnikov, Arkady Rotenberg, Roman Rotenberg, Juris Savickis, Igor Yesmantovich and Alexei Zhamnov.
League elects new Board of Directors
