Best Players of the 2023-2024 twentieth week

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

The League’s teams played 34 games last week, with 554 players (43 goalies, 187 defensemen, and 324 forwards) taking part in the action. The scoring was at 5.53 goals per game.

- Best goalie for the fourth time in his career was Vladislav Podyapolsky (Lada), who recorded two wins in three games last week, with one SO series. The Togliatti goalie faced 104 shots, or 34.7 per night, posting a saves percentage of 97.12% and a goals-against average of 0.97. Podyapolsky posted two shutouts for the week.

- Best defenseman for the first time in his career was Semyon Chistyakov (Avangard), who scored 4 (1+3) points in three games last week. The Omsk defenseman posted no negative ratings, ending the week with a plus-5 differential. He also recorded four hits, blocked two shots, and had two takeaways.

- Best forward for the first time in his career was Arseny Gritsyuk (SKA), who scored 7 (3+4) points in three games last week. The forward posted no negative ratings, ending the week with a plus-5 differential. Gritsyuk netted the game-winner in SKA’s Jan 26 win over CSKA, recorded two hits and blocked one shot.

- Best rookie for the fourth time in his career was forward Dmitry Buchelnikov (Admiral), who scored 3 (2+1) points in three games last week. Buchelnikov also recorded two hits, blocked five shots, and had one takeaway.