Continuing KHL.ru’s club-by-club preview for the 2024-2025 season, we’re looking at Spartak today. The Red-and-Whites impressed everyone with their play last season, reaching the second round of the playoffs. Can they climb even higher this time?
Last season
The 2023-2024 season was one of the best, if not the best, in Spartak’s KHL history. The Red-and-Whites played an exciting, offensive style of hockey, scoring 233 goals in the regular season, and then reached the second round of the playoffs, where they fell to the eventual champion, Metallurg, in six games. The season will also be remembered for the brilliant play of the line featuring Poryadin, Morozov, and Goldobin, who played both productively and beautifully.
Roster changes
Departures: goalies Andrei Kareyev (Dinamo Minsk), Andrei Skovronsky (HK Tambov, VHL, trade); defense Semyon Ruchkin (Admiral, trade); offense Alexander Burmistrov, Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexei Lipanov (Traktor, trade), Ilya Talaluyev (Amur, trade), Maxim Tsyplakov (New York Islanders).
Arrivals: defense Roman Bychkov (Lokomotiv, trade), Yegor Martynov (Amur, trade), Andrei Mironov (Dynamo Moscow), Daniil Sobolev (Brantford, OHL); offense Will Bitten (Springfield Falcons, AHL), Konstantin Lukin (Metallurg Zhlobin, BLR), Adam Ruzicka.
Top 3 signings
Andrei Mironov
The former captain and record holder of Dynamo Moscow for games played has an impressive 644 KHL games under his belt, along with 173 points (43 goals, 130 assists) and a Gagarin Cup win in 2013. It's also worth noting that during the preseason, he already donned the captain’s patch on his new Red-and-White jersey. Considering his recent move from Dynamo, a key rival, this detail highlights his outstanding leadership qualities, which will make Mironov a significant figure not just on the ice, but also in Spartak’s locker room.
Adam Ruzicka
The 25-year-old Ruzicka is a power forward with strong puck-handling skills and an excellent shot. In his youth, Ruzicka played in Slovakia, Czechia, and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was a standout and productive player in all leagues — in the OHL, for example, he accumulated 196 points (96 goals, 100 assists) in 189 games. Ruzicka eventually made it to the NHL, where he skated in a total of 117 games for Calgary and Arizona from 2020 to 2024, producing 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists). While adapting to a new place can be challenging for foreign players, Adam has a strong ally in Spartak — his brother-in-law, Michal Cajkovsky, who also plays for the team.
Will Bitten
The 26-year-old Bitten is known for being a fast and highly agile forward. He also shoots right, which is a rarity in Spartak’s current offensive lineup. Bitten previously won the OHL championship and spent the last few seasons in the St. Louis system, where he scored 180 points (80 goals, 100 assists) in 346 games.
Coaching
Alexei Zhamnov successfully completed his first season as the head coach of a KHL team. Under his leadership, Spartak won 40 out of 68 games in the regular season and earned an impressive 88 points (64.7%). Additionally, the Red-and-Whites reached the second round of the playoffs, something they hadn’t achieved since 2010 (excluding the 2022 Gagarin Cup playoffs, where they advanced past the first round automatically due to Jokerit withdrawing from the tournament).
Last season, Zhamnov mentioned that the management had given him the task of “building a competitive team within two years that will make the playoffs and compete for the Gagarin Cup.” A significant step towards this goal has been made — Spartak, with its distinct style, is already considered one of the contenders for the top-seed positions in the Western Conference.
Goalies
Spartak enters the season with Patrik Rybar and Dmitry Nikolayev as its goalies. Rybar was Spartak’s number one goalie during the 2023-2024 season, but an injury in January prevented him from playing in the elimination stage. The 24-year-old Nikolayev, who started the season with SKA, then moved to Neftekhimik, and finally was traded to Spartak, took over in the playoffs after playing 17 regular-season games for the team.
Defense
Considering that Spartak’s only significant loss on defense is Semyon Ruchkin, who was traded to Admiral, and that they added Andrei Mironov, the defense has arguably improved. With the hard-hitting Yegor Zaitsev, the productive Michal Cajkovsky, the progressing Yegor Savikov and Daniil Orlov, and the experienced Dmitry Vishnevsky and Mironov, Spartak’s defense looks to be one of the most balanced in the Western Conference.
Offense
The departure of Maxim Tsyplakov to the NHL is set to be compensated by productive foreign players, but otherwise, Spartak’s offense was already in good shape. Most of the players were already under contract, but most importantly, the top line has been retained. Pavel Poryadin’s contract was originally set through 2026, and both Nikolai Goldobin and Ivan Morozov signed new deals during the offseason. Additionally, Mikhail Maltsev and Alexander Pashin also secured new contracts.
Young players
In the 2023-2024 season, Zhamnov frequently involved young players, and some of them even became regulars in the main roster. One such player is 21-year-old defenseman Yegor Savikov, who played 71 games, recorded 20 points (5+15), and had a +18 rating.
Defenseman Daniil Orlov also had a solid season, playing in 65 games, contributing 7 points (2+5), and earning a plus-4 rating. Among the forwards, Alexander Pashin stands out as a key young player.
Other young players who got their opportunities included defenseman Daniil Ivanov and forwards Nikita Susuyev, Demid Mansurov, Daniil Usmanov, Maxim Krovyakov, and Yegor Chezganov. Additionally, Yegor Varyushkin made his debut last season.
What to expect
Despite losing one of their top scorers, Spartak has actually strengthened its roster by bringing in several solid players. Additionally, the team has gained more experience as an organization, so the only logical direction for the new season is upward. A reasonable goal would be to secure a spot in the top four of the Western Conference and to reach at least the semifinals of the Gagarin Cup playoffs.
