Nabokov, Nikishin scoop hat-trick of awards
The KHL’s Closing Ceremony brought the 2023-2024 season to a glittering finale, celebrating an exciting campaign.
The event was dominated by the end-of-season awards and this year’s prizes were dominated by two players: Metallurg goalie Ilya Nabokov and SKA defenseman Alexander Nikishin.
Nabokov, 21, was already the youngest ever playoff MVP. On Monday he added the rookie of the year award and a golden helmet for making the team of the year. In addition, he was short-listed for goalie of the year, but just missed out to Lokomotiv’s Daniil Isayev.
“It’s great to be at an event like this,” Nabokov said. “I’m very grateful to my parents, my family and friends, who all did so much to help me get this far. I’d also like to thank Metallurg, the club management and the coaches who worked with me and continue to work with me. Thanks for giving me a chance to show what I could do.”
Nikishin’s hat-trick saw him recognized as the top-scoring defenseman in the league (56 points) and the most effective player (+32). He topped that with a golden helmet.
Metallurg’s champion head coach Andrei Razin was named coach of the year, and immediately paid tribute to his colleagues in Magnitogorsk.
“This is an award for the best coaching staff,” Razin said. “I have a top-class team around me. I’m also very grateful to my parents who, sadly, did not live to see this success. Thanks to my wife and children: if it wasn’t for their love, the motivation they give me, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
Evgeny Biryukov, who became the first man to play 1,000 KHL games, was awarded the Sergei Gimayev award for loyalty to hockey. The former Metallurg and Salavat Yulaev defenseman is staying in the game and will begin his coaching career in Ufa next season.
Other notable awards went to Dynamo Moscow’s Nikita Gusev, whose 89 points made him the KHL’s top scorer and earned him the Golden Stick for the leading player in regular season. He also joined Nabokov and Nikishin on the Golden Helmet team. That line up was completed by Metallurg defenseman Robin Press and forwards Nikolai Goldobin (Spartak) and Vladimir Tkachyov (Avangard). Tkachyov formed part of the most prolific line of the season, sharing 66 goals with Ryan Spooner and the KHL’s leading sniper Reid Boucher.
This season saw a new award. The Fonbet Overtime Hero prize was voted by fans, who could choose from any of the players who decided the 195 games that went to OT this season. In the end, Torpedo youngster Vasily Atanasov came out on top.
In the Women’s Hockey League, the player of the year went to another youngster. Biryusa Krasnoyarsk goalie Darya Grezden is only 20, but she’s an established figure in the league and her performances have got stronger and stronger since she made her debut as a 15-year-old. Last season she backstopped the Siberians all the way to a first ever cup final, narrowly missing out on the top prize to Dynamo Neva.
All the winners:
Gagarin Cup: Metallurg
Playoff MVP: Ilya Nabokov (Metallurg)
Top scorer: Nikita Gusev (Dynamo Moscow), 89 points
Top goalscorer: Reid Boucher (Avangard) 44 goals
Top-scoring defenseman: Alexander Nikishin (SKA) 56 points
Golden stick: Nikita Gusev
Golden helmet: Ilya Nabokov, Robin Press (both Metallurg), Alexander Nikishin (SKA), Nikita Gusev (Dynamo), Nikolai Goldobin (Spartak), Vladimir Tkachyov (Avangard)
Top goalie: Daniil Isayev (Lokomotiv)
Rookie of the year: Ilya Nabokov (Metallurg)
Coach of the year: Andrei Razin (Metallurg)
Best + / -: Alexander Nikishin (SKA) +32
Most productive line: Vladimir Tkachyov, Ryan Spooner, Reid Boucher (Avangard) 66 goals
Bobrov award (highest scoring team): Metallurg, 270 goals
Sergei Gimayev award (loyalty to hockey): Evgeny Biryukov (Salavat Yulaev)
Best director: Alexei Teksler (Traktor)
Referee of the year: Konstantin Olenin
Linesman of the year: Dmitry Sivov
Iron man: Yegor Yakovlev (Metallurg) 234 games in three seasons
