Amur season preview: new head coach and a rebuilding mission

In the Far East it’s all change as the Tigers look to find a way back to the playoffs. KHL.ru continues its report on the summer activity around the league with a look at Amur Khabarovsk.

Last season

Vladimir Vorobyov, previously head coach at Dynamo Moscow, began the season behind the bench at Amur. Unfortunately, he left the club on Sep. 27 after six losses in the first seven games. Mikhail Kravets replaced him and managed to reinvigorate the Tigers. However, the team struggled for consistency: wins over CSKA, Jokerit and Dynamo were cancelled out by losses to Sochi, Admiral, Neftekhimik and Sibir. Damaging losses against direct playoff rivals came in Vladivostok, Nizhnekamsk and Novosibirsk. In the end, the team finished 10th in the East.

Roster

Arrivals

Goalies: Alexander Yevgrafov (Olimp, LAT), Janis Kalnins (Tappara, FIN)

Defense: Rafael Batyshin (Ryazan, VHL), Ilya Dervuk (Zvezda, VHL), Anatoly Yelizarov (Ugra, VHL, try-out), Cam Lee (Wilkes-Barre / Scranton, AHL), Yelisei Minayev (Rostov, VHL), Ruslan Pedan (Vitkovice, CZE), Pavel Turbin (Torpedo)

Forwards: Artyom Antipov (Ugra, VHL), Vyacheslav Gretsky (Neman, BLR, try-out), Andrew Calof (Vaxjo, SWE), Yegor Maklozyan (Atlant, JHL), Ivan Nikolishin (Ilves, FIN), Evgeny Oksentyuk (Idaho, ECHL), Vadim Pereskokov (Kosice, SVK), Alexander Protapovich (Dinamo Riga), Igor Rudenkov (Metallurg), Kirill Slepets (Karpat, FIN), Kirill Chernykh (Yermak, VHL, try-out)

Remaining

Goalies: Evgeny Alikin, Dmitry Lozebnikov

Defense: Artyom Alyayev, Viktor Baldayev, Alexander Gopienko, Michal Jordan, Gleb Koryagin, Sergei Tereshchenko

Offense: Andrei Alexeyev, Vladislav Barulin, Artur Gizdatullin, Dmitry Konstantinov, Ignat Korotkikh, Sergei Lapin, Alexander Sharov.

Departures

Defense: Roman Bychkov (Lokomotiv, end of loan), Valery Vasiliev (Sokol, VHL), Alexei Volgin (Vityaz), Dmitry Znakharenko, Nikita Pivtsakin (Sochi)

Offense: Dmitry Arkhipov (Spartak), Vladimir Butuzov (Sibir), Alexander Gorshkov (Avangard), Gleb Zyryanov (Admiral), Alexander Kuznetsov, Roman Lyubimov (Spartak) Danil Faizulling, Gleb Shashkov.

Several players — Ruslan Pedan, Ivan Nikolishin, Kirill Slepets — are back in Khabarovsk after finishing last season in Europe. In addition, Igor Rudenkov returns from Metallurg to rejoin the club where he played his best hockey. The additions of goalie Janis Kalnins and forward Andrew Calof are also noteworthy. Both have substantial and successful experience of playing in the KHL.

The biggest losses affect the forward line. Vladimir Butusov and Alexander Gorshkov were leaders last season, finishing first and third in scoring for the team.

Coaching

In May, Amur announced Vadim Yepanchintsev as the new head coach. He has experience in the KHL from just over a season at Spartak and spent the past three years in the VHL with Ugra. During that time, he won the Petrov Cup in 2021 and was named coach of the year. In his interviews, Yepanchintsev always places great emphasis on discipline from his teams.

Goaltending

Evgeny Alikin had a great season last term, finishing fourth in the league for save ratio (92.9%) in regular season. Now he is joined by Kalnins, previously with Dinamo Riga and Jokerit. In Finland he consistently produced good numbers and the battle to be number one promises to be hard-fought. Alexander Yevgrafov and Dmitry Lozebinkov provide cover.

Defense

Amur has kept hold of its defensive leaders. Michal Jordan had an on-going contract, while Artyom Alyayev, Viktor Baldayev and Sergei Tereshchenko signed extensions. Veteran Gagarin Cup winner Rafael Batyrshin brings a wealth of experience, while Pavel Turbin returns to the club after a year with Torpedo. Moreover, Cam Lee’s arrival from the AHL could be a big boost. Amur will be counting on him to play a leading role in a defense that looks stronger than last year’s.

Offense

None of last season’s three leading scorers remain at Amur: Gorshkov, Butuzov and David Tomasek have all moved on. In addition, Gleb Zyryanov, Svyatoslav Grebenshchikov, Dmitry Arkhipov and Roman Lyubimov all moved on despite having significant roles in Khabarovsk. It all adds up to a serious reconstruction for the coaching staff, who need to integrate newcomers into the team and find the necessary chemistry between their players.

It’s highly likely that Calof will emerge as the central figure on Amur’s offense. He played two seasons in the KHL and topped 30 points on both occasions. Vadim Pereskokov looked good in 3×3 action over the summer and he has the skills to do some damage. Young Evgeny Oksentyuk’s arrival from the ECHL should be interesting to see. Meanwhile, Rudenkov will surely be looking to get back on track after a difficult season at Metallurg last time.

Youngsters

The coming season should see several promising young players involved at Amur. Oksentyuk, 21, tops the list after compiling 34 (19+15) points in 40 ECHL games. Defenseman Yelisei Minayev, a product of Lokomotiv’s system, joins from Rostov, while Yegor Maklozyan (20) arrives from Atlant. Of the players who got some action with Amur last season, look out for d-man Alexander Gopienko and forward Ignat Korotkikh.

Expectations

Fans in Khabarovsk have not seen playoff hockey since 2018. However, this season Amur looks capable of repeating that feat. However, much will depend on how quickly the new arrival — on and off the ice — can settle in and establish a winning system.