Sergei Fedorov: Sensational also as a Coach
KHL.ru continues its series of articles on players and coaches who have become legends of the League. Today the star is Sergei Fedorov, who unexpectedly took charge of CSKA in 2021 and led the team to two Gagarin Cup victories.
In April 2021, CSKA played in the Gagarin Cup finals against Avangard and lost 2-4. However, the public was convinced that this defeat would hardly impact the future of the team’s head coach Igor Nikitin. After all, finishing in second place is still a significant achievement. Additionally, Nikitin had previously led CSKA to a Gagarin Cup victory and secured a silver medal. Under his leadership, CSKA reached the finals three times in three full seasons, and when the season was cut short in 2020-2021, they were crowned national champions. The results spoke for themselves.
CSKA was on a break, and everything seemed to be moving along as usual. No one anticipated any significant changes. The team was just about to begin preparations for the new season. Then, out of the blue, a shocking announcement came — on July 14th, the CSKA Supervisory Board held a meeting where the members decided to entrust the head coach position to Sergei Fedorov.
Sergei Fedorov
As a KHL head coach: 229 games, 136 wins.
July 14, 2021 Appointed as CSKA’s head coach.
Feb. 20, 2022 Silver medal at the Olympic Games as one of Team Russia’s assistant coaches.
Apr. 30, 2022 Led CSKA to Gagarin Cup triumph in his debut season, rallying from a 1-3 result in the final series.
The surprise wasn’t just in Nikitin’s dismissal but also in who was chosen to replace him. As a player, Sergei Fedorov needs no introduction. He’s one of the greatest hockey players of all time — a silver and bronze Olympic medalist, three-time world champion, and three-time Soviet champion. After retiring, he stayed close to hockey, working as CSKA’s general manager and serving on the club’s supervisory board. However, in the more than nine years since leaving professional sports, Fedorov had not spent a single day as a coach, not even as an assistant. And now, he was appointed head coach of a top club. At 51, it’s quite a late start for a coaching career.
CSKA explained the change by stating that the season’s objectives had not been met. Additionally, the boards believed that with Fedorov’s arrival, the team would begin playing a more offensive, creative, and entertaining style of hockey.
Fedorov himself described the appointment as unexpected but welcomed it. The new head coach praised Nikitin’s work and stated that CSKA didn’t need a complete overhaul — just some “tweaking in certain areas.”
A difficult start, pulling the goalie, and raising the Cup
CSKA’s first season under Fedorov’s leadership began with challenges, starting even during the preseason. The team returned from their break late, playing their first exhibition game only on Aug 19 and participating in just five preseason matches overall. Naturally, the team entered the season far from peak condition. This seemed to be part of the coaching staff’s strategy, fully aware that the team would gradually build up its form and that, after several consecutive late-season finishes, they needed more time to rest. However, when results are lacking, rumors start swirling — especially when an experienced coach is replaced by a newcomer.
Voices of discontent varied. Some called for Nikitin’s return. Others suggested bolstering Fedorov’s staff with a more experienced coach. Some even talked about the need for trades. But the new coach calmly continued his work, and gradually, the team’s play stabilized, and results began to improve.
In November, Fedorov introduced a fresh idea to KHL coaching strategies. He started pulling the goalie for a fourth skater in overtime, giving his team a numerical advantage and increasing their chances of securing the second point. Although Evgeny Koreshkov, head coach of Barys, had first used this tactic in the fall of 2017, Fedorov began employing it systematically, making it his signature move. Incidentally, in 2021, Koreshkov was part of Fedorov’s staff at CSKA.
This tactic sometimes led Fedorov’s teams to victory and other times to defeat. It’s worth noting that after just three months as a coach, Fedorov received an invitation from Alexei Zhamnov in October to join the national team’s staff for the 2022 Olympic Games.
In November, Team Russia competed in the Karjala Cup with a roster composed of young players, coached by Oleg Bratash and Sergei Zubov. The first major tournament for the new coaching staff was the Channel One Cup in December. The Moscow-based tournament was the first and last rehearsal before the Beijing Olympics, which naturally added significant importance to the competition.
It was even more surprising to see Team Russia’s coaches decide to pull the goalie in OT during the decisive game against Finland. A Finnish player broke away towards the empty net and was fouled. In such situations, a goal is automatically awarded, which ended up being the game-winner, depriving Russia of the main prize. Incidentally, it was Finland again that denied Russia gold in Beijing, winning the final 2:1.
Shortly after the Olympics, the KHL playoffs began, as the regular season had been prematurely ended due to COVID-19. Even though Fedorov and a significant portion of CSKA’s players had been with the national team for an extended period, the coaching staff managed to prepare the team well for the crucial playoff matches.
The first two rounds against Lokomotiv and Dynamo Moscow appeared easy for CSKA, judging by the scores — 4-0 in both series. However, what followed were grueling seven-game battles against SKA and Metallurg. In both series, the outcome hung by a thread. In the semifinals, SKA led 3-2 after five games. In the finals, Metallurg was up 3-1. But CSKA managed to turn both series around and ultimately claimed the Gagarin Cup.
Second Gagarin Cup and Dismissal
Some might have considered Fedorov’s first Gagarin Cup win as merely riding the coattails of his predecessor, Nikitin. The following season was therefore set to be a true test of his coaching abilities. As the saying goes, winning a trophy is easier than defending it. This time, Fedorov needed to implement more significant innovations, boost his players’ motivation, and find ways to counter opponents who were increasingly determined to beat his team.
At the end of September and early October, CSKA suffered five losses in six games. Fedorov’s critics rejoiced, anticipating further failures and possibly his dismissal. However, just like the previous year, CSKA soon recovered from this rough patch and went on an 11-game winning streak. The playoffs, however, proved to be more challenging than the previous season. In the first round, Fedorov’s team barely scraped by, needing a tough seven-game battle to defeat Severstal.
The rest of CSKA’s playoff run was no easier — seven games against Lokomotiv, six against SKA, and once again a seven-game series to end the elimination stage. In the 2023 finals, CSKA led the series 3-1, and the public had already begun to award them the Cup. But this time, it was their opponent, Ak Bars, who mounted a comeback. Although Kazan managed to win two games and force a decisive seventh match, they ultimately fell short. CSKA pulled off another heroic feat, once again winning the decisive game on the road.
May 19, 2022 KHL Best Coach.
Dec. 10-11, 2022 Tarasov Division’s head coach at the KHL All-Star Game.
April 29, 2023 Second straight Gagarin Cup win with CSKA.
May 18, 2023 Second straight award as the KHL Best Coach.
March 27, 2024 Left CSKA after a first-round defeat.
Two Gagarin Cups in Two Debut Seasons
Winning two Gagarin Cups in his first two seasons as head coach was an unprecedented achievement in KHL history. With these victories, Fedorov equaled Vyacheslav Bykov in terms of trophies, with only Oleg Znarok and Zinetula Bilyaletdinov ahead of him. In both 2022 and 2023, Fedorov was named the League’s Best Coach. But as the saying goes, “The team wins, the coach loses.” In case of failure, it is typically the coach who bears the blame.
The 2023-2024 season turned out to be much more challenging for CSKA than the previous ones. As in the past two years, the team had a rocky start of the season. However, remembering their previous slow starts, many assumed that CSKA would eventually stabilize. But the team’s play remained inconsistent.
There was still hope that the experienced CSKA squad would shine in the playoffs, where everything starts from scratch. And after their first game — a 4:0 road win over Lokomotiv — CSKA fans were optimistic. However, Lokomotiv won the next four games, eliminating Fedorov’s team in the first round and ending their title defense.
The club’s supervisory board was dissatisfied with this result. They decided not to renew Fedorov’s contract, effectively giving him a break from coaching. However, if he decides to return, he will likely receive a lucrative offer — after all, there are no active coaches with two Gagarin Cups under their belt.
KHL.ru dossier
Sergei Fedorov
Born on December 13, 1969, in Pskov.
Playing Career: 1985-1986 – Dinamo Minsk; 1986-1990 – CSKA; 1990-2003 – Detroit Red Wings; 2003-2004, 2005 – Anaheim Ducks; 2005-2007 – Columbus Blue Jackets; 2008, 2008-2009 – Washington Capitals; 2009-2012 – Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
Player Achievements: Silver (1998) and bronze (2002) Olympic medalist; Gold (1989, 1990, 2008) and silver medalist (2010) at the World Championships; Stanley Cup champion (1997, 1998, 2002); World Junior Championship gold medalist (1989); USSR champion (1987, 1988, 1989); European Champions Cup winner (1988, 1989, 1990).
Coaching Career: 2021-2024 – CSKA; 2021-2022 – Team Russia (assistant).
Coaching Achievements: Gagarin Cup winner and Russian champion (2022, 2023); Silver Olympic medalist (2022).
