Record crowds, soccer stars and a legend returns
The All-Star Game dominated the week, delivering a festive package of fun and excitement at the end of a busy opening phase of the regular season. Away from that, one of the KHL’s all-time greats announced his return, another head coach departed and we saw one of the three highest-scoring games in the league’s history.
Team Kharlamov celebrates first All-Star win
A shoot-out goal from Semyon Der-Arguchintsev gave Team Kharlamov victory in the 2023 Fonbet KHL All-Star Game. It’s the first time Kharlamov has won it since the event switched to a divisional format. The gold-medal game produced a 7-7 tie against Team Tarasov, with youngster Sergei Kolesnikov scoring twice for the eventual winner. Kolesnikov was one of four players invited to join the All-Star Game after impressing in the junior Challenge Cup last week. Team Bobrov took the bronze medal game, beating Team Chernyshev 7-4. On Saturday, the two semi-finals ended in 8-6 wins. Kharlamov defeated Chernyshev, and Tarasov got the better of Bobrov.
Team Kharlamov wins All-Star gold
Bobrov best in Skill Show
Team Bobrov dominated the Skill Show this year, winning five of the six events. Torpedo’s young forward Vasily Atanasov made the biggest splash on the day, picking up 36% of the audience vote in the penalty shot contest. Atanasov wowed the arena with his pineapple-themed attempt to win a challenge that also saw Sibir youngster Vladimir Mikhalyov attempt to recreate Nikita Gusev’s legendary 2015 effort. Other individual winners included Alexander Nikishin, Pavel Poryadin, Nikolai Goldobin and Vladislav Podyapolsky.
Record crowd sees Team Bobrov dominate the Skill Show
Soccer stars on target
The assistant coaches for this year’s All-Star were all chosen from Russia’s most famous footballers. Euro 2008 semi-finalists Andrei Arshavin, Roman Shirokov and Dmitry Sychev were joined by two-time Soviet champion and Celta Vigo legend Alexander Mostovoi. On Sunday, all four appeared as players as well, and demonstrated some skills in hockey as well as soccer. Arshavin and Shirokov each had 1+1 in the gold-medal game, Sychev converted an attempt in the penalty competition and had an assist in the bronze-medal game.
Goalie goal
It wasn’t just the footballers who were on target. Goalie Alexander Samonov got a rare goalie goal – an authentic one, from his own shot, rather than a deflection into an empty net – for team Chernyshev in the semi-final game against Team Kharlamov. He wasn’t the only goalie to catch the eye: Sochi’s Mikhail Berdin decided to try out as a forward for Team Bobrov, galloping up the ice for an unusual assist. Evgeny Alikin (Avtomobilist, Kharlamov) also had a helper and Vladislav Podyapolsky (Lada, Kharlamov) stopped all seven attempts in the goalie challenge during the Skill Show.
Attendance record
This year’s All-Star venue, the SKA Arena, is the biggest hockey arena in the world. Not surprisingly, then, its first major event set All-Star attendance records. Day one brought over 19,000 spectators, day two more than 20,000, both of which are one-day record crowds. The combined turn-out of 40,066 is the biggest total All-Star Game crowd since it became a two-day event.
Kovi comes back
Ilya Kovalchuk has been a big player at previous All-Star Games – and may yet be involved again. The 40-year-old signed up to play for Spartak Moscow last week, making a return to the pro game after a two-year absence. Kovi last played for Avangard in 2021, winning his third Gagarin Cup with the Hawks. Now he’s heading back to his first team, having made his pro debut with the Red-and-Whites back in 1999/2000.
Ilya Kovalchuk returns to the game
Krivokrasov’s debut win
Before the All-Star Game, there was a busy week of KHL action. Among the big stories, Sibir parted company with head coach David Nemirovsky after a run of four losses, and his interim replacement Sergei Krivokrasov steadied the ship with a win over Barys in his first game in charge. Nemirovsky took over in Novosibirsk in the summer, but the team were never consistent under his guidance. The permanent replacement will be expected to secure a playoff spot, with the team currently holding on to eighth place in the East.
15-goal thriller in Moscow derby
There was no doubt about the game of the week. The Moscow match-up between Spartak and Dynamo was always going to be a big deal, with the capital clubs competing for top spot in the Western Conference. But the game turned into a classic. The teams tied 7-7 in regulation, with both enjoying spells on top. In OT, Spartak got the verdict, winning a 15-goal epic on Alexander Belyayev’s goal. Only two other games have produced so many goals in the KHL: in Jan. 2009, Barys beat Vityaz 11-6 to set the current record, then in Oct. 2016, Vityaz won 9-6 at home to Dinamo Minsk.
Spartak wins 15-goal thriller, returns to Western summit. December 5 round-up
Channel 1 Cup rosters
The KHL continues to take a break next week, with international action taking center stage. The Channel 1 Cup takes place in St. Petersburg, with Russia 25 facing Belarus, Kazakhstan and a VHL select team. Spartak forwards Pavel Poryadin and Nikolai Goldobin, who both took part in the All-Star Weekend, are unavailable for the Russian team. Torpedo forward Nikolai Kovalenko, Lokomotiv goalie Daniil Isayev and defensemen Sergei Telegin (Traktor) and Nikita Yevseyev (Ak Bars) also miss out. The tournament runs Thursday through Sunday.
