Bilyaletdinov, Fedorov, and Larionov named finalists for Best Coach award

KHL.ru presents the finalists for the Best coach award – the trophy for the top head coach of the 2022-2023 KHL season.

Zinetula Bilyaletdinov (Ak Bars)

49 games, 35 wins

Bilyaletdinov took the helm of Ak Bars in late December and since then the team balanced its play and started winning games, ending the regular season at the top of the Eastern Conference and surrendering only to CSKA in the seventh game of the Gagarin Cup finals.

Sergei Fedorov (CSKA)

95 games, 59 wins

Fedorov and CSKA won the Gagarin Cup for the second straight time, and in the coach’s two-year tenure, the team is yet to lose a single playoff series. Moreover, Fedorov has a 100% record in game sevens, with five wins in five clashes.

Igor Larionov (Torpedo)

75 games, 46 wins

A veteran among debutant coaches, Larionov and his Torpedo had a fantastic season. He introduced to pro hockey several young players, and the Nizhny Novgorod side ended the 2022-2023 campaign with a more than satisfactory sixth overall place.

Oleg Znarok (four times), Zinetula Bilyaletdinov (twice), Milos Riha, Mike Keenan, Vyacheslav Bykov, Dmitry Kvartalnov, Igor Nikitin, Bob Hartley, and Sergei Fedorov have won this award in the past.

The Closing Ceremony for the 2022-2023 season will be held on May 18, 2023.