Coach of the Year: Razin, Hartley and Nikitin nominated

KHL.ru presents the candidates for the 2020-2021 Coach of the Year award.

Andrei Razin (Severstal)

61 games, 32 wins

Razin assembled an attractive and competitive team in Cherepovets. During the regular season, the Steelmen defeated Ak Bars, Avtomobilist, Avangard, Jokerit and Metallurg. And they did all that with the KHL’s youngest roster, with an average age of 25 years, 60 days. The team made the playoffs for the first time in three years and picked up its first post-season win in eight before losing to Dynamo Moscow in five games.

Bob Hartley (Avangard)

84 games, 52 wins

Hartley again proved that he is a coach who can win in any league he chooses to work in as he led Avangard to a first Gagarin Cup. The Hawks were consistent through the regular season and progressed calmly through the playoffs. An unbelievable Eastern Conference final saw Avangard beat Ak Bars in series where every game went to the visiting team, then victory over defending champion CSKA gave Hartley the cup.

Igor Nikitin (CSKA)

82 games, 56 wins

Despite losing several big players, CSKA once again topped the regular season table. And, for the third year running, Nikitin took his team all the way to the grand final.

Previous winners of this award include Oleg Znarok (four times), Zinetula Bilyaletdinov (twice), Milos Riha, Mike Keenan, Vyacheslav Bykov, Dmitry Kvartalnov and Igor Niktin.

The KHL Closing Ceremony takes place on June 8, 2021.