Chelyabinsk was set to be the focus of the hockey world as the All-Star Week got underway in the South Ural city. However, before the Junior Challenge Cup on Saturday, Oleg Znarok grabbed the headlines. He resigned as head coach at Ak Bars on Friday night, bringing an end to a brief, tumultuous reign in Kazan.
Znarok leaves Ak Bars
The tempestuous time of Oleg Znarok at Ak Bars came to an end last week. The much-titled head coach rode into Kazan in the summer amid huge expectations. He was placed in charge of a roster studded with top class, title-winning players including many who worked with him on successful club and national teams in the past. Yet, for some reason, results did not come. On occasion, Ak Bars looked unstoppable. All too often, though, performances were below par: seventh place in the Eastern Conference was far short of the standard required. As a result, Znarok quit despite winning three of his last four games. In the short term, Yury Babenko stepped up as interim head coach.
Chinese prospect Zhang scores first goal
Kunlun Red Star narrowly missed out on only a second ever victory over SKA on Sunday. Consolation came in the form of a goal from Zhang Zesen. The 25-year-old is a product of the club’s pathway to develop Chinese-born talent and after three seasons playing in the VHL he has established himself as a KHL player despite missing a season during the pandemic. His goal in the second period of Sunday’s game makes him the second Chinese-born player to score in the KHL after Rudi Ying.
SKA battles past brave Dragons, Ak Bars wins after Znarok’s departure
Tertyshny Sr leaves, Tertyshny Jr scores
Znarok was not the only coach on the move during the week. Traktor, another team failing to match expectations in the East, replaced two members of the coaching staff. One of them, Alexei Tertyshny, is father of Traktor forward Nikita Tertyshny. You might expect that to put a damper on Nikita’s game. Instead, though, it inspired the 25-year-old to get his first goal of the season in his 36th game. Unfortunately, it could not save Traktor from a 4-6 loss at Salavat Yulaev.
The Class of 2005
Nikita Susuyev became the first player born in 2005 to score a goal in the KHL. He potted two in Spartak’s 5-3 win at Traktor. But he’s not alone. The next day, Lokomotiv’s Daniil But, another 2005 child, joined him in the annals of the league’s history with his first goal in a 3-2 win over Avangard. Once again, a new generation is emerging in the league.
Jordan leaves Khabarovsk
Czech defenseman Michal Jordan is one of the KHL’s longest-serving imports. The former Carolina Hurricane arrived at Ak Bars for the 2016-2017 campaign. The following season, he joined Amur and remained there ever since, beginning this season as club captain. In total he played 303 games in the KHL, scoring 92 (28+64) points and recording +13. During his time with the Tigers, he also represented his country at the 2018 Olympics as well as featuring in several World Championship campaigns including last year’s bronze medal success in Tampere. Last week, though, he announced his departure from Khabarovsk due to family issues. There are three Czech players still active in the league: Admiral’s Libor Sulak and Rudolf Cerveny, plus SKA’s Dmitrij Jaskin.
Team West grabs Women’s All-Star success
While Traktor is on the road, Chelyabinsk is hosting the All-Star Week. The climax comes next weekend with the KHL All-Star Game. However, the festivities are already underway. Sunday saw the Women’s Hockey League showcase, with team West edging a 4-3 verdict. This was no exhibition game. The two teams played a thoroughly competitive clash. Alexandra Nesterova, a 17-year-old in her first All-Star appearance, scored twice and highlighted her status as one of the brightest prospects in Russian women’s hockey. She’s also the first player to score twice in an All-Star Game. The day was also notable for Zhang Qinan’s appearance on defense for Team East. The KRS Shenzhen player is the first Chinese-born All-Star in the WHL’s history.
Team East wins Junior Challenge Cup
One day before the Women’s game, the top players from the Junior Hockey League played their Challenge Cup. Team East came away with a 5-2 victory, posting its second successive win and cutting Team West’s overall lead in the series to 8-4. As usual, the top four players go on to feature in next weekend’s KHL All-Star Game. This year, the Eastern Conference dominates the selection. Defenseman Artyom Zhukov (Sibirskiye Snipery) and forwards Roman Kantserov (Stalnye Lisy) and Vladimir Konov (Loko-76) were chosen. SKA-1946 forward Ivan Demidov is the sole representative from the Western Conference this season.
Vityaz edges Severstal, East wins Challenge Cup. December 3 round-up
