New record, new leader, trade deadline

The last full week of 2024 was full of interest in the KHL. From Shipachyov’s latest scoring achievement to a busy deadline day of trading, here are your highlights.

Shipachyov sets all-time assist record

Vadim Shipachyov’s record-breaking season continued on Sunday with two helpers in Dinamo Minsk’s 4-1 win over Lokomotiv. That gives the 37-year-old a career tally of 658 assists in Russia’s top leagues, moving him ahead of Sergei Mozyakin’s record of 656. Earlier this season, Shipachyov overtook Mozyakin’s mark as the KHL’s all-time scoring leader. Currently he has 951 (294+657) points in the league.

New leader in the East

As 2024 comes to an end, Salavat Yulaev moved in front of Traktor to top the Eastern Conference. Viktor Kozlov’s team reeled off three wins last week to go two points clear of the Chelyabinsk team, which has stuttered in recent weeks. To ensure top spot going into the New Year break, Salavat will need to take at least a point from Monday’s home game against Barys, while Traktor travels to Neftekhimik looking to bounce back after two straight losses.

Red hot CSKA

Ilya Vorobyov’s CSKA finished 2024 in fine style, putting together a run of 11 consecutive victories. The sequence started on Nov. 28 with a 1-0 win at Moscow rival Dynamo, and includes success against table-topping Lokomotiv (2-1), a Spartak team battling with CSKA for second place and a thrilling 6-5 verdict over SKA. The hot streak lifts CSKA to second in the Western Conference on 57 points. Lokomotiv remains way out in front on 66.

SKA busy on deadline day

Last week’s trade deadline brought the usual frenzy of activity as teams looked to add depth to their rosters with an eye to the playoffs. SKA was busier than most, and the decision to release Vasily Glotov on deadline day was one of the more startling moves. The 27-year-old forward was second in team scoring in last season’s playoffs, and had 21 (12+9) points from 30 games this term. However, SKA badly needs a reliable stay-at-home defenseman and Traktor’s Ilya Karpukhin was the top target. To get the deal done, Glotov and young defenseman Artemy Koromyslov were traded to Chelyabinsk. Ak Bars defenseman Dmitry Yudin was another deadline day arrival in Petersburg, with Belarusian blue-liner Stepan Falkovsky going the other way. Earlier in the week, SKA also swapped Croatian forward Borna Rendulic for Metallurg’s Pavel Akolzin.

Sikura in, O’Dell out for Dynamo

Traktor, whose strong start to the season has faltered in recent weeks, made further trades. Canadian forward Dylan Sikura is heading to Dynamo Moscow, with Matvei Guskov and Andrei Prybylsky heading in the opposite direction. Sikura was one of the highest scorers in pre-season, but his return in the championship has been more modest – 15 (5+10) points in 28 games. In Moscow, the center could be used in place of Eric O’Dell, who moved to Ak Bars last week.

Wilson heads to Ufa

Canadian center Scott Wilson is moving on after half a season at Metallurg. The 32-year-old Stanley Cup winner enjoyed two successful seasons at Vityaz, but struggled to adapt to Andrei Razin’s requirements at the defending champion. After just seven points in 30 games, he’s moving to Salavat Yulaev, where head coach Kozlov sees him as a top-6 forward. Magnitka’s attacking options were bolstered by the addition of Rendulic, and also Troy Josephs, who has been a leader on Lada’s offense for the past two seasons.

Canadian pair for CSKA

In-form CSKA looked to add to its roster from a position of strength. Long-serving forward Konstantin Okulov was allowed to leave for Avangard, freeing space for Cole Cassels to take his place. Cassels, new to the KHL this season, has not always looked entirely comfortable in Omsk and will hope that his game is a better fit with Ilya Vorobyov’s approach. In addition, the Muscovites added another Canadian forward, Rourke Chartier. The 28-year-old arrived in the KHL this season with Kunlun Red Star, and has 17 (8+9) points on a struggling team. After trading Chartier to CSKA, Kunlun moved to claim Spartak goalie Patrik Rybar off waivers.