Lokomotiv turns to Hartley, SKA upgrades defense, CSKA completes its international squad. Top transfers

Bob Hartley takes over at Lokomotiv, CSKA lands Spencer Martin and Rhett Gardner, while SKA strengthens the blue line with Murphy and Menell. KHL.ru presents the top international transfers of the last week.

Bob Hartley

New Lokomotiv head coach

The Railwaymen lost a lot when Igor Nikitin moved to CSKA, but they managed to get one of the best possible replacements in Bob Hartley. The bench boss need no introduction – it’s enough to say that not only did he win the Stanley Cup and the Gagarin Cup in the past, but he also lifted cups in the AHL and in Switzerland, other than winning Coach of the Year awards in both the NHL and the KHL in addition to other several accolades to further highlight an extraordinary career. Now, Hartley will be called to another difficult task – win the Gagarin Cup again, but this time on a back-to-back. But the Canadian coach has already shown that he knows how to win, and Lokomotiv managed to retain most of its core from its last triumphal season.

Spencer Martin

From Chicago Wolves to CSKA

After last year’s starter Ivan Prosvetov left CSKA, the Muscovites had to seek a new man between the piping. The choice fell on Spencer Martin. The 30-years-old from Ontario spent time in the NHL and the AHL last season, lining up for nine games with the Carolina Hurricanes and 33 with their affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. In his career, Martin accumulated 66 NHL appearances with Carolina, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Vancouver Canucks, and the Colorado Avalanche. With CSKA going to improve its record in the next season, Martin’s contributions will be key for the team to rebound back after a disappointing 2024-2025 campaign.

Trevor Murphy

From Sibir to SKA

The St. Petersburg franchise had some interesting signings last week, one of them being offensive defenseman Trevor Murphy – one of the most productive players in the league on the blue line, scoring an impressive 64 points in 71 games (15 goals and 49 assists) last term. Murphy will enter his seventh year in the league, having represented in the past Kunlun Red Star, Ak Bars, and Sibir – his longest tenure so far with four seasons. Murphy inked a two-year deal in St. Petersburg, and is expected to take on a key role for SKA.

Brennan Menell

From Dynamo Moscow to SKA

Other than Murphy, SKA had another upgrade on the blue line with American-born defenseman Brennan Menell. However, while Murphy was signed as a free-agent, Menell was acquired by trading, with SKA sending to Moscow young goalie Stanislav Berezhnoi (22 years) and blue-chip prospect Timur Kol, who has already 13 KHL games with Avangard and the Blue-and-Whites at just 18. Menell, 28, will enter his fifth season in the league, having spent the last three seasons with Dynamo Moscow and a successful 2020-2021 campaign with Dinamo Minsk. SKA will want Menell to be as productive as he was in the Belarusian capital.

Rhett Gardner

From Lehigh Valley Phantoms to CSKA

The Muscotives completed their international squad with Rhett Gardner. With Martin, CSKA also has Jeremy Roy, Colby Williams, and Cole Cassels in its five-men contingent. Gardner is an imposing forward with great size and a good touch around the net who wants to bounce back after a disappointing AHL campaign last year, with only five goals scored. In the past, however, Gardner showcased excellent two-way abilities and some offensive production to come with it. He is also well acquainted with one of CSKA offensive leaders, Denis Guryanov, with whom he played for several teams. The Saskatoon native will need to give CSKA some power and secondary scoring as the Muscovites will aim for a long playoff run.

William Dufour

From Colorado Eagles to Lada

The Togliatti side just signed its fourth import, acquiring the Quebec native, young forward William Dufour. A former NHL draft pick with the New York Islanders, Dufour won a gold medal on the international scene in 2022 with Team Canada at the World Juniors in Edmonton – he even scored a goal in the winning final game against Team Finland. That same season, Dufour won the Michel Briere Trophy as the QMJHL MVP, and the Stafford Smythe Trophy as the Playoffs MVP of the CHL Memorial Cup. However, his career hasn’t developed as expected, as he only played one game with the Islanders with the big boys – he’s now heading to Togliatti on a one-year deal.