Best Players of the 2023-2024 ninth week

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the Regular Season’s ninth week in four categories.

The League’s teams played 32 games last week, with 550 players (41 goalies, 181 defensemen, and 328 forwards) taking part in the action. The scoring was at 4.97 goals per game. 

- Best goalie for the first time in his career was Konstantin Shostak (Severstal), who won three away game from three last week. The Cherepovets goalie faced 73 shots, or 24.3 per night, posting a saves percentage of 95.89% and a goals-against average of 1.01.

- Best defenseman for the third time in his career was Damir Sharipzyanov (Avangard), who scored 5 (4+1) points in three games. Sharipzyanov posted no negative ratings, ending the week with a plus-6 differential. The Hawks’ d-man had two game-winning goals, a hat-trick, two hits, and seven blocked shots.

- Best forward for the fifth time in his career was Nikita Gusev (Dynamo Moscow), who scored 7 (2+5) points in three games. Gusev posted no negative ratings, ending the week with a plus-6 differential. Both Gusev’s goals were game-winners, and he also recorded one hit and one takeaway.

- Best rookie for the first time in his career was defenseman Nikita Smirnov (Dinamo Minsk), who scored 2 (1+1) points in three games last week. Mirnov logged an average time on ice of 17 minutes and 58 seconds, also posting one hit and five blocked shots.