Boucher, Gusev, and Tkachyov named finalists for Golden Stick award

KHL.ru presents the finalists for the Golden Stick award – the trophy for the most valuable player of the 2023-2024 KHL regular season.

The Golden Stick award recipient is determined by a vote among all the Kontinental Hockey League head coaches. Avangard’s Reid Boucher and Vladimir Tkachyov, and Dynamo Moscow’s Nikita Gusev are the three finalists for the 2023-2024 edition.

Reid Boucher (Avangard)

78 (44+34) points in 64 games

In the 2023-2024 season, Boucher became the KHL’s top sniper for the first time. He also broke the KHL scoring record for the Omsk-based franchise, and became the third player in KHL history to score 40 or more tallies in a single regular season, and the second to score 50 or more goals in a full season.

Nikita Gusev (Dynamo Moscow)

89 (23+66) points in 68 games

Gusev was already the recipient of the Golden Stick award back in the 2017-2018 season. He will approach the ceremony as the new holder of several KHL regular season records, for points, assists, and powerplay points.

Vladimir Tkachyov (Avangard)

75 (20+55) points in 58 games

Tkachyov’s regular season results would have been even better if not for injuries that prevented him from playing a full season. The Omsk forward spent the season at Gusev’s pace and finished fifth in the overall top scorer’s list, with ten fewer games played than his competitors.

Alexander Radulov, Sergei Mozyakin (both four times), Vadim Shipachyov, Dmitrij Jaskin (both twice), Danis Zaripov, and Nikita Gusev have won this award in the past.

The Closing Ceremony for the 2023-2024 season will be held on May 13, 2024.