Season review: Avtomobilist. Sprong pays off, Zavarukhin era comes to an end
KHL.ru continues its club-by-club review of the 2025-2026 season. Avtomobilist ended the regular season in the Eastern Conference’s top four and set a new scoring record, but once again the team suffered a first-round exit.
Under Nikolai Zavarukhin, Avtomobilist remained the definition of consistency. Thinking of Avtomobilist, the thought is one of a team that reliably delivers strong regular-season results, and the 2025-2026 campaign was no exception. After the first couple of months, the Yekaterinburg side was battling Metallurg for first place in the Eastern Conference, and by the end of 2025 the Motormen had firmly established themselves among the conference’s top four teams, leaving little hope for their pursuers.
Avtomobilist secured its playoff position well ahead of schedule. On Feb 22, the club officially clinched a postseason berth, and by March 7 it had also locked up home-ice advantage for the opening round. The team’s 206 goals during the regular season set a new franchise record in the KHL.
However, a strong regular season offered no guarantees once the elimination stage began. Avtomobilist faced Salavat Yulaev in the opening round and started the series with a 2:0 victory before the Ufa side responded with a narrow win in Game Two. The series then shifted to Ufa, where Avtomobilist dropped both road games and suddenly found itself on the brink of elimination.
Facing a must-win situation, the Motormen kept their season alive with a convincing 5:2 victory in Game Five on home ice. What followed was one of the most dramatic finishes of the entire postseason.
In Game Six, Roman Gorbunov appeared to save Avtomobilist’s season when he scored with just 32 seconds remaining in regulation. Yet Salavat Yulaev somehow found a way back. With only four seconds left on the clock, Evgeny Kuznetsov tied the game, and early in the second overtime Sheldon Rempal delivered the decisive blow, eliminating the Motormen from the Gagarin Cup Playoffs. After winning bronze medals in 2024, the club has now seen its season end in the first round in back-to-back years.
Best Players
Avtomobilist acquired Daniel Sprong from CSKA shortly after the New Year, and the move turned out to be one of the club’s best decisions of the season. The Dutch forward fit seamlessly into Avtomobilist’s system and immediately began producing at an elite rate. In just 29 games for the Yekaterinburg side, Sprong recorded 40 points (23 goals, 17 assists). Five of his goals came on the power play, while seven stood as game-winners, underlining his importance to the team’s success.
Strong goaltending was one of the foundations of Avtomobilist’s successful season. Both Vladimir Galkin and Evgeny Alikin were outstanding throughout the campaign, but Galkin held a slight edge in the statistical categories. The 24-year-old netminder posted 20 wins in 41 appearances, along with a 93,2% save percentage, a 2.16 goals-against average, and three shutouts. One of those blanks came in the playoffs, further highlighting his reliability in crucial games.
The 25-year-old forward enjoyed the best season of his KHL career and finished as Avtomobilist’s second-leading goal scorer behind Sprong. Denezhkin collected 29 points with 17 goals and 12 assists in 55 regular-season games, establishing new personal bests offensively. He also contributed in the playoffs, adding one goal and one assist.
Head coach
Nikolai Zavarukhin took charge of Avtomobilist during the 2021-2022 season and went on to become the most successful head coach in club history. Over his tenure, he coached 320 games and recorded 178 victories, both franchise records in the KHL. His 55.6% winning percentage ranks second among Avtomobilist coaches.
Following the end of the season, the club parted ways with Zavarukhin and appointed Alexei Kudashov as its new head coach. Speaking at his final press conference, Zavarukhin reflected on his time in Yekaterinburg:
“It was a pleasure to work within this organization. The time flew by like a single day. We wanted to go out with a bang and compete for the Cup, but it didn’t happen. Back in the summer, after meeting with management, I understood that our goal was to challenge for the Gagarin Cup. It’s disappointing that we couldn’t get past Salavat Yulaev because we had our chances. I’d like to thank the fans for their support and emotions—you can really feel it. The result was not what I expected, nor what the fans or management expected. I want to thank our sponsors, UMMC leadership, the club’s management, the staff, and my coaching colleagues for their support during difficult times. Everything is in place for this team to compete for the Gagarin Cup next season. My time at Avtomobilist was a happy period in my life.”
Best Game
One of Avtomobilist’s most memorable performances of the season came in mid-February, when the team crushed Metallurg 8:1 on home ice. The final score was particularly remarkable considering the statistical balance of the game. Metallurg held advantages in shots on goal (36-28) and offensive-zone time (19:22 to 10:35), but Avtomobilist converted its opportunities with ruthless efficiency.
Semyon Kizimov opened the scoring in the second minute, and by the beginning of the middle frame the hosts had already built a commanding 4:0 lead. Yegor Yakovlev eventually spoiled Vladimir Galkin’s shutout bid on a 6-on-4 advantage, but it was the visitors’ only goal of the night.
From there, Avtomobilist continued to pour it on. Daniel Sprong recorded a hat trick, Alexander Sharov and Kizimov each collected three points (0+3 and 1+2, respectively), and the crowd was also treated to a spirited fight between Nikita Shashkov and Luke Johnson. It was a statement victory over one of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders and arguably Avtomobilist’s finest performance of the campaign.
Young Players
Avtomobilist was one of the oldest teams in the KHL during the 2025-2026 season, which limited opportunities for younger players. Among those in the U23 age group, defenseman Yaroslav Busygin saw the most action.
Busygin appeared in 70 games, averaging 17:28 of ice time during the regular season and 18:29 in the playoffs. He finished as the Motormen’s second-highest-scoring defenseman with 26 points and led the entire team with a plus-26 rating. His 141 blocked shots ranked second on the roster, trailing only Kirill Vorobyov.
Up front, Artem Kashtanov was the most frequently used young forward, appearing in 45 games and recording 12 (5+7) points.
Offseason Moves
Has Avtomobilist undergone a major roster overhaul following the coaching change? Not really. While some departures are significant—the club parted ways with longtime leaders Brooks Macek and Stephane Da Costa and declined to extend contracts for several other players—the core of the roster remains intact.
At the same time, the club has been active in strengthening key areas. Up front, Avtomobilist added Alexander Kadeikin and veteran forward Anton Slepyshev. On defense, the team brought in Jordan Gross and Kale Clague, who spent last season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
Rather than rebuilding, Avtomobilist appears to be retooling around an established core, aiming to remain among the Eastern Conference contenders while beginning a new chapter under Alexei Kudashov.
