Surprise coaching change

The KHL was shocked by news from Yaroslavl last week where last season’s champion parted ways with its head coach. But the same club also captured one of the most intriguing new imports of the summer to keep itself in the summer headlines.

Nikitin leaves the champion

The biggest surprise of the current trade window was confirmed on Wednesday when Lokomotiv announced the departure of head coach Igor Nikitin. The shock news came less than a month after the 52-year-old led the Railwaymen to their first ever Gagarin Cup. Nikitin spent three seasons in Yaroslavl and was under contract for two more, but asked to leave after lifting the cup. Later, a Yaroslavl Telegram channel quoted the coach’s explanation for his departure, in which he said he felt he had passed on all he could to his team and wanted a new challenge, insisting that there was no conflict with the club’s management and no financial issue influencing his decision. The two-time KHL champion has yet to confirm his next role but has been widely linked with a return to CSKA following Ilya Vorobyov’s dismissal at the end of the season.

Canadian D-man heads to Yaroslavl

Despite the surprise departure of the head coach, Lokomotiv has gone into the transfer market and found an interesting new acquisition from North America. Mak Hollowell, a 26-year-old defenseman from Ontario, is a playmaking blue liner who collected regular assists over the past two seasons in the AHL with Hartford Wolf Pack and Wilkes-Barr/Scranton Penguins. It’s striking that Hollowell, whose game is built on quick thinking and unpredictable plays, is far from a natural fit for Nikitin’s highly-structured hockey. However, if a new head coach brings a new philosophy to Lokomotiv, he could offer the team something different from the D-core as Yaroslavl seeks to defend its title. 

Vityaz loses leading players

It’s all change in Balashikha as Vityaz faces the loss of several key figures. Forwards Derek Barach, Dmitry Buchelnikov and defenseman Jeremy Roy all moved on last week. American forward Barach, who spend the past two seasons at Vityaz and led the team with 21 goals last season, signed a one-year deal with Metallurg. Leading scorer Buchelnikov (54 points), who previously had spells with SKA and Admiral, is joining CSKA. He’ll find a familiar face in that locker room as Canadian blue-liner Roy is making the same move. The 28-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Muscovites after spending three seasons with Vityaz.

Farrance for Sibir

Another new import D-man is heading to Siberia. David Farrance played junior hockey with the US development program alongside the likes of Quinn Hughes, Brady Tkachuk and Alexander Chmelevski, but was limited to just two NHL appearances after he was drafted by Nashville. On moving to Europe, he rediscovered his form last season in Finland, where he had 37 points in 53 games for KooKoo. The 25-year-old is noted as a two-way contributor, and it remains to be seen whether he will be an addition to productive import Trevor Murphy or a replacement for the Canadian. 

Salavat Yulaev signs up Rodewald

After losing three prominent forwards – Nathan Todd, Scott Wilson and Mikhail Naumenkov – Salavat Yulaev is starting to fill the gaps. Jack Rodewald will play his fourth KHL season in Ufa. The 31-year-old Canadian, who began his Euro experience by winning the Czech championship and finishing runner-up in Finland, began his KHL adventures with Kunlun. After a short spell at Traktor, he joined Admiral last season and his 29 points represented his best scoring in Europe. But his value goes beyond goals and assists: Rodewald is a strong, committed character who does his best work battling in front of both nets.

Another Canadian forward, Jean-Sebastien Dea, agreed a one-year deal with Neftekhimik. Last season he had 31 (16+15) points in 59 games and his two seasons in the league – including time with Metallurg – brought 48 points in 104 games.