One week to go
We’re coming into the final week of the regular season – and there’s still plenty to be determined. Here’s a look at what you need to know for the final action before the playoffs.
One space to fill
On Sunday, Admiral was confirmed as the seventh playoff contender from the Eastern Conference. That means just one of the 16 post season spots remains vacant – and it’s a straight fight between Sibir and Neftekhimik. Sibir is five points clear of its rival, which has three games left. Thus Vadim Yepanchintsev’s men can secure their place with victory at home to Barys on Monday.
Top spot to be decided
Lokomotiv or Traktor? Who is going to win the Continental Cup? Loko’s surprise shoot-out loss at home to Neftkehimik on Friday means the race is still alive. However, Igor Nikitin’s team is the hot favorite. It needs just one point from its three remaining games – at home to Admiral or on the road at CSKA and Dynamo – to guarantee first place. Alternatively, if Traktor fails to win either of its remaining games, the prize goes to Yaroslavl.
First playoff pair set
Amid the uncertainty, one thing is clear. The first round of the playoffs will see Lokomotiv play Torpedo. The Railwaymen cannot be caught at the top of the Western Conference, while Torpedo can only finish in eighth. Thus, the teams will start their post-season journey in Yaroslavl on March 26 or 27.
Chasing the record
Salavat Yulaev forward Josh Leivo is still in with a chance of breaking Sergei Mozyakin’s record 48-goal haul in a regular season. Last week, Leivo moved up to 45 goals, moving into second place all-time ahead of Dmitrij Jaskin. Now he has three games left to try to overtake Moyzakin’s mark, set in 2017. Avtomobilist, Sibir and Barys are the teams standing in his way.
The youngest coach
The weekend saw one KHL record that might take a while to be bettered. When Traktor’s head coach Benoit Groulx was unable to take his position behind the bench for Friday’s game at Avangard, his assistant Raphael-Pier Richer took charge. Nothing unusual in that, except that Richer is just 30 years old. That makes him, by some margin, the youngest ever head coach in a KHL game. And youth came out on top, with Traktor winning 5-3 to snap Avangard’s 12-game winning streak.
KHL more popular than ever
That wasn’t the only record set last week, although this one is likely to be shorter-lived. On Saturday, the total attendance at KHL games this season reached 5,396,844 and counting. That sets a new league attendance record, updating the figure from 2014/2015, when 5,395,035 attended the 840 regular season games. Moreover, the current season is on track to set a new record for average attendance, clearing 7,000 for the first time. Meanwhile, with bigger arenas opening – most recently in Yekaterinburg – the number of people able to watch KHL hockey live is set to keep increasing in coming years.
UGMK Arena opens its doors
Avtomobilist moved into its new home on Monday, and immediate set a club record attendance of 10,489 at the UGMK Arena. However, CSKA spoiled the opening night, jumping to a 4-1 lead after two periods and holding off a late fightback to win 4-3. The Motormen’s first victory in their new home came in the next game, when another five-figure crowd saw a 2-1 verdict against Torpedo.
Tkachyov returns
Avangard’s playoff hopes got a big boost last week with the return of influential forward Vladimir Tkachyov. Last season he was second in team scoring with 75 points in the, but a serious injury in pre-season meant he missed almost all of the 2024/2025 campaign. Fit at last, he made his first appearance against Torpedo, played more than 20 minutes and popped up at the end with the winning goal to complete his team’s fightback from 1-3.
