A Gagarin Cup champion, a top goalie, and a strong talent. Who will be the 2024-2025 Rookie of the Year?

Commentator for KHL TV channels and expert at KHL.ru, Anton Vasyatin, presents the finalists for the Alexei Cherepanov award. The finalists for the 2024-2025 edition are goalie Semyon Vyazovoi and forwards Ivan Demidov and Yegor Surin.

Semyon Vyazovoi (Salavat Yulaev)

Regular season: 28 games, 15 wins, 93.8%, GAA 1.80, 5 SO

Playoffs: 9 games, 4 wins, 92.3%, GAA 2.36

Goalies have rarely claimed the Alexei Cherepanov Trophy — it’s happened only four times. But you don’t have to look far for a recent example: just last year, Ilya Nabokov, the breakout star of the Gagarin Cup playoffs, took home the honor after playing a pivotal role in Metallurg’s championship run. This time, Salavat Yulaev fell short of their ultimate goal, but young netminder Semyon Vyazovoi — who was born in the same year as Nabokov, 2003 — left a strong impression. Without question, Ufa’s return to the playoff semifinals for the first time in six years would have been far more difficult without his contribution.

During the regular season, Vyazovoi was more often matched up against teams from the lower half of the standings. Still, he helped Salavat Yulaev defeat top contenders like Ak Bars, Avtomobilist, Lokomotiv, and even Avangard (after their midseason overhaul). By the end of the regular season, Vyazovoi led the entire league in save percentage (93.8%, tied with Vladislav Podyapolsky) and ranked second in goals-against average (1.80, trailing only Daniil Isayev). He also recorded five shutouts — not the highest total in the league, but given that he played just 28 games, it’s clear his performance was on par with the top goaltenders. For comparison, Canadian goalie Zach Fucale posted nine shutouts, but in 49 games.

But Vyazovoi’s real breakout came in the playoffs. To start the Gagarin Cup run, the 22-year-old was backing up the more experienced Alexander Samonov. However, what proved to be a turning point was Vyazovoi’s entry into the lineup at a crucial moment. Salavat Yulaev won three straight games against Spartak with him in net. He also started the series against the eventual champions, helping Ufa take the first game. His calm, confident play had a ripple effect on Salavat Yulaev’s skaters, and his clutch saves in key playoff moments were instrumental in helping the Bashkortostan franchise earn KHL bronze medals.

Ivan Demidov (SKA)

Regular season: 65 games, 49 (19+30) points, +14, 2 GWG

Playoffs: 6 games, 5 (3+2) points, +1

As early as the summer, it was easy to predict that Ivan Demidov — one of the most talented young players on the planet — had the potential to deliver a historic season for a player his age. The only real question was how much trust he would earn in SKA’s main lineup. The start of the regular season wasn’t smooth — the forward often logged no more than ten minutes of ice time and rotated through different linemates. Yet even in this limited role, Demidov managed to contribute offensively, at times stringing together point streaks. As early as mid-September, he put up a remarkable 2+2 performance in an away game against HC Sochi. Then, in the second half of October, he went on a seven-game point streak.

The real turning point in terms of his role on the team came around mid-December, after the KHL regular season pause. Starting on December 19, Demidov scored in six consecutive games and soon was seeing nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game. He finished the regular season with 49 points, including 19 goals — a new scoring record for players under 20 years old. The previous mark, held for eight years by Kirill Kaprizov (42 points with Salavat Yulaev), was decisively broken. In the first round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs, the young phenom added three goals and two assists. Demidov ended up as SKA’s top scorer both in the regular season and in the elimination stage.

Almost every time Demidov stepped onto the ice, fans could expect something special. His all-around skill, self-confidence, and the presence of strong linemates led to bold, creative plays with the puck — often resulting in goals that were not only highlight-reel material, but also crucial for SKA’s success.

Yegor Surin (Lokomotiv)

Regular season: 41 games, 14 (7+7) points, +10, 2 GWG

Playoffs: 19 games, 7 (5+2) points, +1, 1 GWG

If Ivan Demidov’s game is all about artistry and puck-handling finesse, then Yegor Surin’s style is a finely tuned machine built for the grittiest games — including playoff battles. It’s no coincidence that the 18-year-old Lokomotiv forward became one of the most effective players on his team during their Gagarin Cup-winning campaign.

Let’s start from the start of the season. Surin’s spot in the Yaroslavl lineup was the result of two key factors. The first — chronologically — was his outstanding 2022–2023 season in the JHL with Loko, where Yaroslavl’s junior team reached the Kharlamov Cup Finals. Very few players in the league had as much impact on the outcome of games as Surin. The second was his strong showing during KHL preseason games last summer. While that didn’t guarantee a permanent spot in Lokomotiv’s pro ranks, it was clear that Surin was knocking on the door.

At the start of the regular season, Surin wasn’t a KHL regular. He even returned to the junior league occasionally, and his time on ice was limited. His first offensive contributions came in October — an assist that sparked a comeback win against Avangard, and later his first KHL goal, which proved to be the game-winner against Barys. Over 41 regular-season games, he collected 7 goals and 7 assists — the best total for any 18-year-old this season, and the tenth-best mark in league history for players of that age.

Surin’s confidence kept growing, and in the playoffs he flourished — especially on a line with Georgy Ivanov and Alexander Radulov. In a sense, misfortune created this opportunity: Stepan Nikulin, a regular in that trio during the season, suffered a season-ending injury. Surin seized his chance. In the postseason, he scored five goals — all in the series against Avangard and Salavat Yulaev — including the one that sent Lokomotiv to the finals. In KHL playoff history, only three players aged 18 or younger have scored more goals in a single postseason: Valery Nichushkin, Eeli Tolvanen, and Vitaly Kravtsov (each with six).

But Surin’s value isn’t just in his ability to score all kinds of goals. His off-the-puck play is aggressive and focused on disrupting the opposition through relentless forechecking. For his age, he’s already physically mature — and still developing. He’s strong on the puck, sharp in puck battles, and isn’t afraid to drive into high-traffic areas where space is tight and most players hesitate. What’s perhaps most impressive is that he’s accomplished all of this while averaging just eight minutes of time on ice per game.