Demidov, Surin, and Vyazovoi finalists for Rookie of the Year

KHL.ru presents the finalists for the Alexei Cherepanov award, whose recipient is the top rookie of the 2024-2025 season.

The Alexei Cherepanov award recipient is determined by a vote among all the Kontinental Hockey League head coaches. SKA’s Ivan Demidov, Lokomotiv’s Yegor Surin, and Salavat Yulaev’s Semyon Vyazovoi are the three finalists for the 2024-2025 edition.

Ivan Demidov (SKA)

54 (22+32) points in 71 games

19-year-old Ivan Demidov became SKA’s top scorer of the season. In the 2024-2025 regular season, he set a scoring record for players under 20 years old, with 49 points. Demidov was named rookie of the week seven times and rookie of the month three times, and was also recognized as the best rookie of the first playoff round.

Yegor Surin (Lokomotiv)

20 (12+8) points in 57 games

Surin has made a strong impression in the current Gagarin Cup playoffs, where he continues to compete. Following the semifinal series, he was named the best rookie of that stage. In the playoffs, he broke the scoring record for young Lokomotiv players, with six points to his credit.

Semyon Vyazovoi (Salavat Yulaev)

37 GP, 18 W, 93.4%, GAA 1.95, 5 SO

Vyazovoi became the team’s top goalie of the season based on metrics such as save percentage and goals against average. In the playoffs, he became the first netminder in the league’s history to record two assists in a single match. Vyazovoy was named the best rookie of the second playoff round.

Ilya Proskuryakov, Anatoly Nikontsev, Pavel Zdunov, Dmitry Lugin, Valery Nichushkin, Andrei Vasilevsky, Maxim Mamin, Artem Alyayev, Vladimir Tkachyov, Vitaly Kravtsov, Ilya Konovalov, Artyom Galimov, Yegor Chinakhov, Arseny Gritsyuk, Nikita Grebyonkin, and Ilya Nabokov have won this award in the past.

The Closing Ceremony for the 2024-2025 season will be held on May 29, 2025.