Prizes handed out at Closing Ceremony
Lokomotiv collected multiple awards at the KHL Closing Ceremony in Barvikha on Thursday evening.
The Gagarin Cup winner had two Golden Helmet winners in the traditional all-star team for the season with goalie Daniil Isayev and forward Alexander Radulov selected alongside defensemen Damir Sharipzyanov (Avangard) and Mitch Miller (Ak Bars), as well as forwards Sam Anas (Dinamo Minsk) and Konstantin Okulov (Avangard). Isayev was also selected as playoff MVP after backstopping his team to glory once again.
Another Loko forward, Maxim Beryozkin, was voted the Fonbet Overtime Hero after his vital goal earned the Railwaymen victory in game seven of the semifinal series against Avangard, keeping the Gagarin Cup dream alive.
“Hockey in Russia gets better and better, it’s harder than ever to win,” he said. “I’d like to thank the management at Lokomotiv, the team staff, the coaches and all the guys who came together to win two Gagarin Cups in a row. My goal might not have been the prettiest, but scoring in second overtime in game seven means a lot. Seeing the faces of my team-mates, of the best fans in the game.”
And in a further award for Lokomotiv, club president Yury Yakovlev was named best club director for 2026/2027. It is his fourth award, and his second during the KHL era.
Sharipzyanov added two other awards to his Golden Helmet: top-scoring defenseman with 67 points in 66 regular season games, and Golden Stick prize for the regular season MVP.
“The main thing in hockey is honest effort and a proper work ethic,” he said. “I’m happy that this has brought rewards. To the young guys who are just starting their journeys – find your path, be true to yourself, to your colleagues and to everyone around you. Do the right thing, and everything will work out.”
Anas also had more prizes: top scorer in regular season, and a part of the most productive line alongside Alex Limoges and Vitaly Pinchuk.
After greeting the hall in Russian, the American forward added: “That prize is really heavy! This is a great event, first class. Thank you to everyone, our fans, the management, the coaches, Limo and Pinye (Limoges and Pinchuk). And thanks to my beautiful wife, who supported me throughout the season!”
Metallurg’s Roman Kantserov led the regular season in goals, scoring 36 in 63 games while another forward, Salavat Yulaev’s Alexander Zharovsky, was named rookie of the year. He had 44 (16+28) points in 69 games in his first full season in the KHL.
The Sergei Gimayev award for devotion to hockey went to Sibir’s Sergei Shirokov. The 40-year-old is still going strong and this season he played his 900th KHL game and scored his 250th goal.
And Shirokov admitted that winning an award dedicated to the memory of Gimayev meant a lot at the end of a long career for club and country.
“This man gave me a path into professional sport when I was just a kid at the CSKA sports school,” he said. “Thank you to the KHL for choosing me. I wondered a lot about how it would be and I couldn’t imagine a happier moment to announce my retirement.”
Unusually, the coach of the year award did not go to the Gagarin Cup winner. Instead, Ak Bars head coach Anvar Gatiyatulin, this year’s runner-up, took the prize for the first time in his career. As well as reaching his first cup final, he was also involved in the All-Star Game for the first time.
“You can’t change my mind; this was a great team effort,” he said. “And that team includes my family, my loved ones, everybody who is working for the good of Ak Bars. It’s a big group which goes far beyond the players and coaching staff who we see on the bench each game. I’m grateful to all the coaches who have been and are still involved in my professional development. And special thanks to our fans – we play for you!”
Avangard’s Nikita Serebryakov was selected as top goalie, winning the prize for the second time in his career. He’s the fourth man to do so, joining Alexander Yeryomenko (2012, 2013), Vasily Koshechkin (2014, 2017) and Daniil Isayev – who was shortlisted again this year. Serebryakov played 71 games, winning 46 with a 93.2% save ration and a GAA on 2.08 as the Hawks reached the semifinals.
“It’s a special evening when we come together, united by our love of hockey,” Serebryakov said. “When we honor the best, when everyone’s heart beats for our great sport. It’s a great honor for me to stand here. I’m really grateful that people have recognised my efforts. Hockey is more than just a game for me. It’s a passion, it’s my life, it’s a whole universe where every shot, every save, every second on the ice is a story of its own. It’s amazing! I’d like to thank everyone for a wonderful season.”
The Golden Whistle awards for the top officials went to referee Viktor Birin and linesman Nikita Novikov. Birin officiated in the 2009 Gagarin Cup final between Ak Bars and Lokomotiv, and was back this year as the teams contested the top prize once again. He has worked 898 games in the KHL to date. Novikov started in the KHL in 2011/2012 and has officiated 745 games in total, 77 of them this season.
