Barys swaps goalies, KHL changes status

With only a couple of weeks to go before the players head back for pre-season, Barys had a busy week of trades. And a change in Russian law brings a new legal status for the KHL and the Ministry of Sport.

Merkley motors on

Canadian forward Nick Merkley is on his way to Avtomobilist after signing a two-year contract. After two seasons with Dinamo Minsk, Merkley has already proven himself in the KHL: in his first campaign he potted 20 goals to lead the Belarusian team and he remained a top scorer in Minsk last season. In Yekaterinburg he joins fellow import Brendan Leipsic as the Motormen look to build on their best ever playoff campaign last term.

Busy week for Barys

In Kazakhstan, Barys has acquired two imports and parted company with a third. Goalie Eddie Pasquale is leaving the club after cutting short his second spell in Astana. He’s replaced by Swedish stopper Johan Mattsson, who arrives from SKA. The 32-year-old had an unhappy season last term, limited to just 12 games after injury disrupted his summer move from Avtomobilist. Barys also added Canadian forward Justin Ellison to the roster. Ellison has 75 NHL games for the Flyers (13+9 points) but divided his time last season between Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL. This is his first time outside of North America, and he’s signed a one-year deal.

Dragons sign American goalie

Another goalie is on the move, with Kyle Keyser joining Kunlun Red Star. Keyser, 25, won World Junior silver with team USA back in 2019 and has been part of the Bruins organization since then. He dressed as an unused understudy in the NHL but didn’t make it onto the ice in the show. Instead, he saw frequent action in the AHL and ECHL with Boston’s farm clubs. Keyser joins long-serving U.S.-born netminder Jeremy Smith and summer signing Konstantin Volkov in the Dragons’ goaltending stable.

Millennium men

Last season, Evgeny Biryukov became the first man to play 1,000 KHL games. He’s since hung them up, and will be coaching with Salavat Yulaev next season. But the 2024-2025 campaign should see more players reach that millennium milestone. Vadim Shipachyov, who moved from Ak Bars to Dinamo Minsk this summer, is currently on 987 games and could get there on Oct. 10. Ilya Kablukov, a true “iron man” of a center, is also within touching distance on 972 appearances. However, after his contract with Dynamo Moscow expired at the end of the season he has yet to confirm if and where he will play in the coming campaign.

KHL to work directly with Ministry of Sport

Following new legislation affecting how Russian sport is organized, the KHL will now work as a direct partner of the Ministry of Sport. Previously, the league operated Russia’s hockey championship on license from the Russian Hockey Federation, but now that authorization will come direct from the government. This change will help the KHL to promote its plans to enhance the development of Russian hockey. Meanwhile, the league will continue to work with the Russian Hockey Federation and the IIHF to support the national team and ensure that international transfers continue to operate smoothly.