KHL - Winter Classic 2017 Jokerit v SKA 3-4 December 02, 2017

Any match-up between Jokerit and SKA is a momentous occasion: the teams are fierce rivals at the top of the Western Conference, and there’s a local edge to these clashes across the Gulf of Finland. But today’s encounter was extra-special for several reasons.
This was the Helsinki Ice Challenge, the first ever open-air KHL game, played on a site that is almost sacred in the development of Finnish hockey. In a park where the earliest games of hockey were played in the capital, it attracted the biggest ever crowd for any KHL game, with 17,645 fans there to witness the spectacle. And, while Jokerit celebrated its 50^thanniversary, SKA saw Ilya Kovalchuk become the club’s all-time record goal-scorer to help the league leader become the fastest team to reach 100 points in a season. SKA achieved that milestone in 38 games at an average of 2.68 points per game.

Kovi’s big moment

Kovalchuk opened the scoring in the ninth minute, rifling home a wrist shot over Karri Ramo’s shoulder after a nicely-weighted feed from Vadim Shipachyov. Ramo was unsighted by Vladislav Gavrikov’s presence on the slot and could do nothing as the puck whistled into the top corner. That made it 150 goals since joining SKA – initially on a temporary basis during the 2012-13 NHL lock-out – and took Kovi clear of Maxim Sushinsky’s previous record of 149. Kovalchuk finished the game with two more assists taking his career tally to 194 for the Petersburg team. But it didn’t give SKA the lead for long: visiting goalie Mikko Koskinen wasn’t all that busy in the opening exchanges, and he couldn’t react in time to prevent Henri Ikonen tying the game two minutes after Kovi’s opener.
The visitor continued to press, and regained the lead thanks to some lovely skill by Alexander Barabanov. His deke tied Sami Lepisto up in knots, and his pass presented Jarno Koskiranta with the perfect chance to put his mark on the festivities in his homeland.

SKA presses, Jokerit digs in

The second period saw Jokerit looking to stem the tide of SKA attacks and ensure that the league leader did not put the game out of reach. And the Finns did just that with a tying goal in the 27^th minute when Tommi Huhtala fired home a one-timer after Marko Anttila came up with the puck following a battle in the corner. That sparked an exchange of views between Anttila and Kovalchuk, but the SKA captain came up with a riposte on the ice to help his team regain the lead. His unexpected pass sprang the Jokerit defense and Shipachyov cashed in to make it 3-2 at the second intermission.

Marko Anttila fans

The Army Men take control

Neutralizing the threat of young Jokerit star Eeli Tolvanen was a key part of SKA’s strategy on the night, and for much of the evening the visitor managed it. On the two occasions when the teenager did get a significant shooting chance, he was denied. First, he saw a wrister charged down, then Koskinen had the answer to his slap shot. And then, moments later, it was 4-2. Penalty trouble left Jokerit killing a 3-on-5 situation, and SKA’s offensive power was simply too great. Kovalchuk got involved again, starting off a slick combination that ended with Sergei Kalinin putting the puck in the net. Jokerit wasn’t quite done: a late penalty saw the home team gamble on a spell of 6-on-4 hockey, and that enabled Peter Regin to reduce the deficit to a single goal. But the clock was always against the host and, despite a late flourish, there was no way to save the game and take this historic Helsinki Ice Challenge into overtime.

More than 17,000 people packed the stands to watch Jokerit and SKA play under open skies, and every single spectator played a part in making the atmosphere suit such a unique occasion.

The attendance was a little below the capacity of 18,300, but it was still a healthy turnout. As this picture shows, the harsh Finnish winter is well underway, and the stands did not, at first glance, appear to be the sturdiest constructions ever made. The stands were tougher than they looked, however, and did not wilt or sag.

It is less than five minutes to the opening face-off, and the fans are still arriving in droves at Kaisaniemi Park, where 90 years ago Finnish hockey was born. All the stadium places were standing only, just as they were nine decades ago. The fans were happy to spend the whole game on their feet, and the SKA sector was particularly visible and audible.

Many had dressed specially for the occasion. There were the unique team uniforms…

… and the woolly hats for the pre-match skate The war paint...

… and the puffer jackets to warm the coaches on the bench.…

… and the wall of flame heralding the players' arrival on the ice.

The crowd scarcely needed any encouragement to raise the decibel level, but Jokerit's cheerleaders took part in the occasion in their special outdoor gear, and they looked no less striking as a result.

After the game, the players were unanimous in their praise for the playing surface. For an open-air venue in temperatures hovering around zero, the ice was certainly better than many expected. There was a festive atmosphere among the spectators, but out on the ice the two teams produced a fierce and uncompromising battle, with passions threatening to spill over at any moment.

The scorer of the opening goal in this historic match was Ilya Kovalchuk.

Finland - 50 Years of Jokerit

On the 2nd of December, 2018, Helsinki hosted the KHL's first ever open-air regular championship match, timed to coincide with and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the League and the 50th anniversary of the famous Finnish club, Jokerit. The opposition on this special day will be the reigning KHL champion, SKA Saint Petersburg, and KHL.ru has decided to mark the occasion by presenting you with a few fascinating facts about one of the most popular clubs in Finland.

From Makinen and Baseball to Harkimo and Stability

The official date of the foundation of Jokerit is October 27, 1967, but the team's first gathered together on the 10th of November the same year. The father of the club is acknowledged to be Aimo Makinen, a constructionmagnate who previously had interests in baseball. He bought out a debt-ridden hockey team by the name of Toolon Vesa, from which he formed Jokerit. The first taste of success came in 1973, when the team won the championship of Finland, which in those days rejoiced in the grand name of the Canada Cup. This was a high point in an era of hard times for the team, but the a sharp upturn in fortune occurred in the early 90s.
In February 1991 the then owner of the team (and later the President of the Finnish Hockey Federation), Kalervo Kummola, persuaded a well-known and popular businessman, Harry ”Hjallis” Harkimo, to invest in the club. This ushered in a golden era, during which the club won five league titles (1992, 1994, 1996, 1997 and 2002), and then, in the 2014-15 season, the Jokers joined the KHL. Harkimo, whose relationship with the club stretches back more than 25 years, is still the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Hjallis Harkimo.

Mayorov: I came to Lukko, and ended up at Jokerit

At the time of Harkimo's arrival at Jokerit, the team - to put it mildly – was not exactly setting the hockey world ablaze. and in November 1991, thoughts turned to legendary Soviet forward and coach Boris Mayorov, who had already spent two seasons in charge of the team back in the 70s. The story behind the coach's return reads like a passage from a Le Carre spy novel. Boris Mayorov described the curious episode in an interview withSovietsky Sport:
”In the Summer of 1990, I traveled to see representatives of the Finnish club Lukko of Rauman. Their team had started the season with five straight losses, so they wanted a change of coach, We talked, and we agreed all the terms. However, by the time I had arrived to take over they had won five games in a row. Understandably, they changed their minds about their staff, but they had no idea what to do with me. We agreed I would leave, but I would stay in touch. And then things began to resemble a spy novel. The next day, I was waiting at the Helsinki station when two strangers approached me. One said, “Are you Mayorov?” I confirmed that I was, and one said, “We want you to come and coach our team, Jokerit.” The team was last in the standings, and 8 points adrift of the team above them. We immediately began to discuss financial terms, and by the 15th of November I had already started work in my new job.”
The club persuaded up-and-coming star, Teemu Selanne, to stay on for another year, and in the spring of 1992, under the guidance of Mayorov, the Jokers won their second Finnish Championship.

Boris Mayorov

Into the finals with Makarov!

Mayorov had previously, albeit indirectly, helped Jokerit produce a rare season of good form during the wilderness years of the early 80s. Boris helped facilitate the transfer to Jokerit of Soviet defenseman Nikolai Makarov, a world champion in 1981 and the older brother of Toronto Hall-of-Famer Sergei Makarov. The move was a success: Nikolai had an outstanding season and helped the Jokers reach the final series, where they were defeated by their eternal rival, HIFK of Helsinki.

Nikolai Makarov.

Selanne: the Jokerit legend

The club is understandably proud of the fact that the Finnish Flash, Hall-of-Famer Teemu Selanne, wore no other jersey than that of Jokerit while playing club hockey in his homeland. He made his debut in 1989, and by the 1990-91 season was already the club's finest forward. A year later, at the age of 21, he was alternate captain under Boris Mayorov when he helped the team claim the Finnish Championship, after which he crossed the Atlantic to embark on a glittering NHL career, including a Stanley Cup triumph with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. Four years later, and still with Anaheim, he played in what must have been for him one of the most emotional exhibition games, against his former club Jokerit in Helsinki. That evening, a packed Hartwall Arena was supporting just one player.

Teemu Selanne.

The Untouchables

It is a curious fact that Jokerit has not, to date, retired Selanne's Number 8 jersey. The current list of unavailable numbers reads:5, 15, 17, 23, 24 and 91.
The retired number 5 belongs to Esa Tikkanen, who first donned the Jokerit jersey at the tender age of four – he was the team mascot. Three decades were to pass before he would wear the uniform again, in the 1999-2000 season, after finally calling time on an NHL career which saw him claim five Stanley Cups. Number 15 was worn by Henry Leppa, who played for Jokerit throughout the 1970s and into the 80s, clocking up 11 seasons in all. The number 17 adorned the jerseys of Timo Turunen, who played for the club from its inception, and Jari Kurri, who made his debut at the age of 17. Kurri played for the club for three seasons, before setting off for his glory years in the NHL, and is now General Manager of the club. Number 23 belonged to Petri Varis, the club's all-time leading scorer with 420 (200+220), points, while 24 was worn by Waltteri Immonen, the team's longest-serving captain.

Jari Kurri.

The mascot's Czech godfather

Otakar Janecky, a native of Pardubice in the Czech Republic, arrived in Helsinki in 1991, just in time to become part of the championship-winning side, and he stayed on in Helsinki almost until the end of the century, becoming a firm favorite with the fans. Janecky's number 91 jersey has also been retired, and this season he was acknowledged as the finest player in the club's history. An indicator of the fans' love for the Czech forward is the fact that the club mascot has been christened “Otto,” the name by which Otakar was known during his years with the Helsinki Men.

Otakar Janecky.

The shutout king

This is not about Ryan Zapolski, whose shutout series in the current season has smashed so many records, but about Tim Thomas. In the late 90s, Thomas, seeking time off from trying to break into the NHL, came to Helsinki and played for HIFK. He returned to Finland during the 2004/05 lockout, but chose Jokerit, for whom he amassed 15 shutouts in under a season – a club record – before returning to North America, where he eventually tasted Stanley Cup glory with the Bruins.

The Third Coming of Westerlund

Coach Erkka Westerlund first came to Jokerit in 1999 from HIFK, and the team won silver under his stewardship. After two seasons, he left to take charge of the Finland national team. In 2010, he returned for another two-season stint with the Jokers, but this time, success on the ice proved elusive. Then, after leading Team Finland to bronze at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Westerlund came back for his third spell with the club, which was now a member of the KHL.

Erkka Westerlund

LoKoMotive from Helsinki

It was in Westerlund's third tour of duty with Jokerit that he put together one of the League's most excitingand memorable offensive lines. Fans called the Linus Omark – Petr Koukal – Steve Moses troika the LoKoMo Line. In its first year in the KHL Jokerit proved a formidable and combative force, and this line, while nominally the third, became widely feared as the sharpest weapon in the Jokerit arsenal. Moses even set a new KHL snipers' record of 36 goals in a season, although this was later surpassed by a certain Sergei Mozyakin.

Steve Moses and Linus Omark

Three open-air “derbies”

From the moment Jokerit was born, its fiercest rival has been fellow Helsinki resident HIFK, and this crosstown rival has often gained the upper hand in contests between the two. Curiously, the upcoming match under open skies will not be Jokers' first, but their fourth, and the previous three were all against HIFK. On the 5th of February, 2011, Jokerit suffered a narrow 3-4 loss in front of a crowd of 36,644, then a European hockey record. The following year, the Jokers lost in the shootout (2-3), and again in regulation (1-2).

Jokerit — HIFK open-air game.

KHL - Ak Bars Round Up - November 2017

Sunday 6 - Ak Bars v Torpedo 1-2
It’s been a long time coming, but Torpedo finally picked up a victory in Kazan after an eight-year wait. There was also a bit of a wait for action around either net in this game. The first period was goalless, and chances were hard to come by at both ends as the teams played cautiously. For Torpedo, thumped 5-0 at home by Ak Bars earlier in the season, it was important to stay in the game early on.
In the second period, though, the visitor did more than stay in contention. A shorthanded goal, clinically finished by Evgeny Mozer, gave Torpedo a 22^nd-minute lead, then a baseball-style swing from Ivan Zakharchuk doubled the advantage midway through the game. That was a specially sweet moment for the 28-year-old, as his brother Stepan was on the ice for Ak Bars at the time. Ak Bars hit back, with Nikita Yazkov reducing the deficit. But Torpedo held on, even after a major penalty against Gennady Stolyarov in the third period gave the home team a golden chance to level the scores.



Sunday 13 - Ak Bars @ Dinamo Minsk 1-4

Dinamo sprung a surprise against Ak Bars to keep Zinetula Bilyaletdinov’s team away from the Eastern Conference summit. The first period was all Dinamo, but despite outshooting Ak Bars 14-2, the Belarusians remained deadlocked at the first intermission. That all changed with Yegor Sharangovich’s power play goal at the start of the middle session, as Emil Garipov finally yielded in the visiting net. However, giving up that marker also galvanized Ak Bars, and Mikhail Glukhov hauled the Tatars level in the 27^th minute. At this point, it seemed that the visitor was poised to take control of the game, but Evgeny Kovyrshin had other ideas and made it 2-1 to Dinamo against the run of play. In the final session, the Bison were able to reinforce that lead. Charles Linglet made it 3-1 on the power play, and Marc-Andre Gragnani added a fourth into the empty net.
Tuesday 15 - Ak Bars @ Vityaz 4-1
Ak Bars took advantage of Barys’ earlier slip to return to the top of the Eastern Conference thanks to a comfortable road win at Vityaz. The home team handed a debut to goalie Tomi Karhunen, recently of Kunlun Red Star, but the new guy had to retrieve the puck from his net four times as the visitor dominated. Stanislav Galiyev opened the scoring after 17 seconds and Albert Yarullin doubled the lead in the first period before Maxim Afinogenov got one back for the host in the middle session. The third period was a reminder of Vityaz teams of old: the host accrued 50 minutes of penalties, including 10-minute calls against Sergei Gimayev and Evgeny Katichev, plus Artyom Voroshilo’s ejection from the game. But there were no power play goals to be seen: Artyom Lukoyanov and Jiri Sekac extended Ak Bars’ lead during five-on-five play.


Thursday 17 - Ak Bars @ CSKA Moscow 0-3
The leader in the East headed to Moscow to face the second-placed team in the West … and lost its way inside the first 10 minutes. CSKA made a blistering start to this game, taking the lead through Nikita Nesterov after 67 seconds and doubling the advantage when Andrei Kuzmenko got a power play goal in the ninth minute. Kuzmenko is enjoying a good week after picking up 2+1 in the Army Men’s 3-0 victory over Salavat Yulaev on Wednesday. This game also finished 3-0, thanks to a third-period goal from Kirill Petrov and 13 saves from Ilya Sorokin. For the second game running, CSKA not only enjoyed a comfortable win, but did a good job at muting a dangerous offense. Two successive shut-outs came after allowing just 30 shots in total.


Sunday 20 - Ak Bars v Avangard Omsk 3-4 SO
The day’s big clash saw top play second in the Eastern Conference … and after a roller-coaster game, the two teams finished level on 60 points following a shoot-out win for Avangard. Looking to overhaul a one-point deficit at the top of the table, the Omsk team made the better start. Goals from Alexander Perezhogin and Maxim Chudinov gave Avangard a 2-0 lead early in the second period, but Ak Bars recovered to tie the game shortly after the midway point. Albert Yarullin and Nikita Yazkov brought the host level to set up a compelling third period. Yaroslav Kosov got his first goal since moving to Ak Bars from Magnitogorsk to put his team in front with eight minutes left. That was almost enough to win it, but Avangard saved itself in the last minute. Andre Petersson’s shot was parried across the face of goal where Ilya Mikheyev was waiting unmarked to tuck away the rebound. Ak Bars swapped goalies for the shoot-out, bringing on Timur Bilyalov in place of Emil Garipov. But the switch did not pay off: Kirill Semyonov found the way past the new man, while Oleg Shilin denied all of the home attempts



Tuesday 22 - Ak Bars @ Salavat Yulaev Ufa 5-0
The first  ‘Green Derby’ of the season renewed the old rivalry between Salavat Yulaev and Ak Bars. The teams had not met since last season’s playoff, when Ak Bars cruised to victory in five games … and today’s clash came against a background of disappointment in Ufa over the team’s inconsistent form. A home win would have gone a long way to quashing questions about the future of head coach Erkka Westerlund, and could have given Salavat something to build on after a morale-boosting 3-1 win at Sochi last time out. Instead, though, Ak Bars delivered a five-star show in what turned into a demolition derby. Admittedly, there wasn’t much in the game early on. Neither side created many chances in a tight opening period, but Ak Bars took the initiative when Vladimir Tkachyov converted a power play late in the session. The door inched open, and that was all the visitor needed. Alexei Potapov added a second power play goal and Anton Glinkin took the lead to 3-0 in the 38^th minute.
Most of the game’s secondary indicators – shots on goal, time on offense – suggested that Salavat was more than competitive, but the scoring told a different story. While Emil Garipov dealt with everything the host could throw at him, Ben Scrivens found life tougher at the other end. He was beaten twice more in the final stanza as Tkachyov got his second and Yaroslav Kosov wrapped it up.
Apart from the convincing margin of victory, the discipline of the visitor was also impressive. Ak Bars did not take a single penalty over the course of the game, and punished both of Salavat Yulaev’s trips to the sin bin



Friday 25 - Ak Bars v Barys Astana 2-0


There was no role for Danis Zaripov
, cleared to play for Ak Bars after his drug ban was reduced from two years to six months, but the four-time Gagarin Cup winner watched the Eastern Conference leader picked up a handy win against a fellow high-flyer. The visitor has been full of goals this season, and Emil Garipov’s shut-out was crucial to Ak Bars’ victory. That defensive feat was a team effort, with Barys limited to 21 shots on target, and there was help from the officials when Linden Vey’s effort late in the second period was ruled out for an infringement on the goalie. At the time, the game was still goalless. Ak Bars made the most of its reprieve to take the lead just before the second intermission on a Rob Klinkhammer goal. That was his first tally for Ak Bars following his early-season move from Dinamo Minsk and it proved decisive. Anton Glinkin scored an empty-net goal to wrap up the win; Garipov’s fifth shut-out of the season is a personal best for the goalie.



Sunday 27 - Ak Bars @ HC Sochi 3-1

Eastern Conference leader Ak Bars came from behind to take the win at Sochi as captain Alexander Svitov got his 100th KHL goal. The home team had the better of the first period, and got its reward in the 12th minute when Vadim Shchegolkov set up Evgeny Lapenkov for the opening goal. But Ak Bars did not panic, and turned the game around with two goals early in the middle frame. Rob Klinkhammer got the tying goal, shooting home Andrei Markov’s pass from behind the net as the visitor enjoyed a power play. Then Vasily Tokranov finished off a well-worked play to make it 2-1. Svitov’s big moment came five minutes from the end to bring up his landmark and secure the win.

Tuesday 29 - Ak Bars v Salavat Yulaev Ufa 0-1
Salavat Yulaev pulled off a significant win at the home of old rival Ak Bars. The single-goal margin may have been tight, but this was a big success for a team facing a rising tide of criticism amid a lackluster run of form. The visitor avenged a painful 0-5 loss in Ufa just one week earlier and, while it can hardly now claim to be back on form after a run of eight losses in 10 games, there was plenty of character on display in this game. Goalie Ben Scrivens made 27 saves to collect his third shut-out of the season, while the team dug deep to repel an Ak Bars team that spent almost a third of the game on the attack without finding a way to goal. A cagey opening session finished goalless, but the visitor took the lead early in the second through Anton Burdasov. Fyodor Belyakov’s pass to Enver Lisin turned defense into attack, then Lisin picked out Burdasov in a central position for a one-timer past Emil Garipov. Into the final frame, and Ak Bars tightened the screws. However, Salavat Yulaev stood firm, despite intense pressure. As the frustration increased, the host briefly found itself at a two-man disadvantage, a chance that went unpunished but helped to run down the clock in the closing stages. Danis Zaripov, four-time Gagarin Cup winner and three-time World Champion, has agreed a two-year contract with Ak Bars, the team with whom he won his first two KHL Championships (in 2009 and 2010). The 36-year-old winger spent 12 years with the Kazan team before moving in 2013 to Magnitogorsk, where he repeated his success with Metallurg, lifting the Gagarin Cup in 2014 and 2016.

KHL - Round Up - November 21-27, 2017

The lure of the Olympics is still attracting players to the KHL, with experienced NHL forward Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau one of the latest to head to Russia. He gave KHL.ru an exclusive interview about his move to Yekaterinburg. Before Korea, though, there’s the league’s first ever outdoor game coming up this week when Jokerit hosts SKA on Saturday. And it’s not long until the All-Star action goes to Astana in January, with voting already underway for the fans’ choice of players. Two big names could also be back in action this week: Danis Zaripov is available after a successful appeal against his two-year doping suspension, while Patrick Thoresen is expected to return to SKA until the end of the season.


Zaripov returns
After a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Russian international and four-time Gagarin Cup winner Danis Zaripov saw his suspension for doping violations reduced from two years to six months. The reduced ban made him eligible to return to the ice on November 23, and the forward quickly returned to Ak Bars, where he had signed a contract in the summer after leaving Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Zaripov could make his Ak Bars debut this week when the Eastern Conference leader entertains Salavat Yulaev on Wednesday and Neftekhimik on Saturday.

Thoresen heads back to SKA

Patrick Thoresen, one of the KHL’s most successful imports of all time, is reportedly on his way back to SKA until the end of the season. The Norwegian forward, who won Gagarin Cups with SKA and Salavat Yulaev, was the leading scorer among imports with 365 (144+221) points, until he was overtaken last season by Barys duo Brandon Bochenski and Nigel Dawes. Now, two years after leaving St. Petersburg, the 34-year-old is expected to be officially unveiled at SKA in the coming week. Swapping his home-town team, Storhamar, for the KHL means a boost for his prospects in his third trip to the Olympics, but also means a battle to get into a loaded roster at the Gagarin Cup holder.
“I know that, even without me, SKA looks like a really, really strong team,” he told Russian newspaper Sport Express. “But I’m not just coming to sit on the bench, I want to fight for a place on the team. I’m ready to do everything needed, to help us win the cup. I understand perfectly well that I’ll have to prove my worth to the coaching staff, and I’m entirely confident that I can do it.”

Parenteau chases Olympic dream in Yekaterinburg

Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, veteran of eight NHL teams and more than 500 games in the big league, is one of many players who opted for the KHL this season in the hope of booking a trip to the Olympics. He arrived at Avtomobilist in November, marked his debut with a goal (albeit, a streaky one) and is set to join up with Team Canada at December’s Spengler Cup. International play, for the first time since the 2003 World Juniors, is a big deal for the 34-year-old.
“I want to play in the Olympics,” he told KHL.ru. “I’m not going to lie, that’s the main reason I came overseas. At the same time, the KHL is a good league and I am excited to be part of this team.”

A Winter classic in Helsinki

This season is a double celebration for Jokerit. As well as marking the 10^th season of the KHL, the Finns are also celebrating 50 years of the Helsinki club. One of the highlights of that party is set for Saturday, Dec. 2, when Jokerit and SKA will meet in the open air for a festive special. It’s the first time a KHL game will be played outside, but for SKA’s Pavel Datsyuk the game evokes memories of NHL spectaculars and childhood scrimmages. “In the NHL, I think the atmosphere was the most memorable part,” he told KHL.ru. “There were so many fans in the stands, it was a great feeling playing in front of 40,000 in one game and 100,000 in the other.”
And those childhood games? Well, that was a little different. “If you played street hockey as a kid, you probably remember the biting cold, the icy winds from all directions and the snow falling. But in that kind of atmosphere, you just have to enjoy it while it lasts, because games like this are few and far between and they linger in the memory.”

Coaching staff change in Team West for Challenge Cup, Alexei Morozov in Sochi. JHL week in review Team West announced a change in their coaching staff ahead of JHL Challenge Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan. In lieu of Sergei Oreshkin, Mikhail Milyokhin will be assisted by Loko Yaroslavl head-coach Dmitry Krasotkin. Due to coaching change in MHC Dinamo St. Petersburg, Junior Hockey League consulted with top coaches of the Western Conference and decided to name Loko Yaroslavl head-coach Dmitry Krasotkin as assistant coach of Team West at the 2018 JHL Challenge Cup.
2-time world championship gold medalist and Junior Hockey League managing director Alexei Morozov shared his sports experience and talked about modern professional junior hockey in Russia on November 21st as part of educational program for professional young hockey players. Educational Center Sirius hosted All-Russian competition among Federal Districts hockey team among U-15 players from November 13th to November 20th in Sochi. 175 athletes participated in the competition, representing Moscow, Central, Privolzhie, North-West, Sibir, Far East, Ural and Southern federal districts.
 
MHC Spartak Moscow beat Chayka Nizhny Novgorod in a hard-fought game. With this 4-2 win Spartak climb on top of the Western Conference.

Top players of the week:
Best goaltender – Andrei Skovronsky (MHC Spartak)
Best defenceman – Yegor Bryutov (Tyumenskiy Legion)
Best forward – Alexandr Dzedayev (Tyumenskiy Legion)

WHL week in review

Six more games took place in the Women's Hockey League over the past seven days, and not all the results went the way the pundits might have predicted. In Krasnoyarsk, Biryusa welcomed Dynamo Saint Petersburg, who were playing their last matches of 2017, but the hosts were not in a hospitable mood. The Siberian team won both matches by a 2-1 score, although they needed a shootout to edge the first encounter. In Ufa, the current leader, Agidel, played host to Arctic University. The first match was a resounding 6-1 win for the home team and favorite, but in the second encounter the visitor raced to a shock 3-1 lead. Home nerves were soothed, however, in a blistering 10-minute spell in which Ufa captain Olga Sosina hit a hat-trick to seal a thrilling victory. In Nizhny Novgorod, Skif took on the reigning champion, Tornado of Moscow Region. The visitors took the spoils in the first match with a 3-1 triumph, but Skif showed admirable spirit in the rematch, exacting sweet revenge with a 3-1 win. Following her captain's performance, Agidel's Olga Sosina leads the League in both goals and points, with her account now showing 23 (8+15), and her team tops the standings with 26 points. In second place, 5 points adrift of the Ufa women, is Skif on 21, three points ahead of third-placed Biryusa on 18, while Dynamo Saint Petersburg clings to fourth place with 17.

KHL - Round Up - November 14-20, 2017

Chris Lee, Alexei Bereglazov and, of course, Vadim Shipachyov. Three players linked by their return to the KHL this week. Lee and Bereglazov are back at Metallurg, while Shipachyov was quickly back on the goal trail for SKA. Elsewhere, Salavat Yulaev’s indifferent form hasn’t been enough to persuade Danish international Philip Larsen that he made the wrong choice in heading to Ufa while, off the ice, the KHL plans to get tough on drug cheats.

Lee – I didn’t want to risk missing the Olympics
After four successful seasons in Magnitogorsk, Chris Lee headed back across the Atlantic last summer. But this week he returned to the Urals to resume his role on the blue line. In an exclusive interview with KHL.ru, he explained why.
“I wouldn’t say Magnitogorsk was my only option, but having decided to come back to Russia, it was at the top of my list,” he said. “After the great way the club treated me, and all the success we had, I’d be crazy not to want to come back.
“I had a shot at camp with Los Angeles. There was interest from other teams, but I decided to try out for the Kings. I had a good camp, but for some reason it just didn’t work out. I was happy with the way I played, and there was still interest from elsewhere, but no concrete offers of a one-way contract. I didn’t want to risk my eligibility for the Olympics, so here I am.” Lee, now 37, was the only KHLer to play for Canada in last May’s World Championship. He also featured on the roster at the Karjala Cup and is widely tipped to feature in the team’s plans for Korea.


Chris Lee


Shipachyov’s scoring return
The Vadim Shipachyov saga was one of the biggest talking points in Russian hockey at the start of the season. After arriving in Las Vegas as something of a marquee signing, nobody expected to see the SKA forward sent off to a farm club before he’d even suited up in the NHL. Despite a brief taste of the big show (three games, one goal), it was clear that all was not well and before long the 30-year-old and his family were on a plane back to Russia. Back home, Shipachyov slotted in like he’d never been away. In three appearances for SKA last week he scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win at Admiral and picked up two assists in a Kovalchuk-inspired 8-1 thrashing of Kunlun Red Star. And now, he’s in with a shot at the Olympic roster. The Vegas gamble may not have paid off, but Shipachyov could yet hit the jackpot this season.

Vadim Shipachyov

Bereglazov back in Magnitogorsk
Chris Lee isn’t the only familiar face back on Magnitka’s blue line. Alexei Bereglazov has also come back to Russia after Metallurg reached an agreement with the New York Rangers. The Rangers effectively loaned their player to Russia rather than keep him playing AHL hockey and – so far – the move seems to be working out. Since his return, Metallurg has seven points from three games – and back-to-back shut-outs against Severstal and Dinamo Riga as the new-look blue line takes shape under Viktor Kozlov, recently confirmed as head coach.

Alexei Bereglazov

‘I believe in Westerlund’ – Larsen
Defenseman Philip Larsen turned down the chance to remain in the NHL when he learned that Erkka Westerlund’s Salavat Yulaev was interested in hiring him. But as the Ufa team slipped to a fifth loss in six games, questions about the head coach’s future were heard ever more loudly. But not where the experienced Dane was involved.
“I had chances to stay in the NHL but I wanted to play with Erkka,” Larsen said in an exclusive interview with KHL.ru. “I believe in his hockey philosophy. When I got the offer, I realized that I could not pass up this chance.”
As for the team’s recent problems, that’s an issue for the players. “The problem is not with the coaches, the management or the owners,” he said. “It’s the players that have to do what needs to be done, to go out on the ice and find a way to win.”
Stirring words were followed on Sunday by a much-needed victory: Salavat Yulaev won 3-1 at HC Sochi, easing some of the pressure around the club.

Philip Larsen

No escape for drug cheats
The KHL has no place for anyone involved with doping. Despite the recent isolation of Russia from the world anti-doping campaign – compounded by the suspension of RUSADA’s activities – the KHL is determined to remain highly vigilant in tackling any doping violation. As part of the seven-year plan for the league through to 2023, a document presented to the executive committee last week, there will be on-going increases in the number of drug tests, up 10% each season, and an anti-doping education program developed to support players and club staff in reinforcing the message that drug cheats have no part in the game.

CIBC Canada Russia Series outcome, 2018 Challenge Cup website and tickets. JHL week in review
In the final CIBC Canada Russia Series match, the under 20 Russian national team defeated Team QMJHL 2:1, forcing a penalty shootout to see who was going to win the Series. Maxime Comtois scored the only shootout goal, sealing Canada's Super Series victory.

KHL announced launch of 2018 All-Star Week official website. The festivities will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from January 10th to January 14th, 2018. JHL Challenge Cup will take place at Barys-Arena on January 11th. Also tickets for 2018 Challenge Cup are now available on All-Star Week official website.
On November 16th, before the Krylja Sovetov - MHK Dinamo SPb match a personalized banner of the world class master of sports, Krylja Sovetov player and nowadays sporting director of JHL Igor Romashin was raised to the rafters of ice palace. Romashin then dropped the puck on the ceremonial faceoff and signed autographs before the match.

Top players of the week:
Best goaltender – Vladimir Galkin (Avto)
Best defenceman – Daniil Zhuravlyov (Irbis)
Best forward – Nikita Shashkov (Sibirskiye Snaipery)

WHL week in review

Last week saw six more matches – three pairs of back-to-back games - played in the Women's Hockey League. In Nizhny Novgorod, host Skif welcomed Arctic University of Ukhta; in Yekaterinburg, Dynamo Saint Peterburg were the guests of the team representing Sverdlovsk Region; while in Ufa, there was a Clash of the Titans between the top two teams from the previous championship, Agidel and Tornado. The two match-ups between Sverdlovsk Region and Dynamo went the way the form book would have predicted. Not even home ice could help the Yekaterinburg women take points from the Petersburg team, who duly recorded two emphatic wins. The final scores: 1-7 and 1-9. The games between Skif and Arctic University were also a little one-sided, but this time the celebrations took place in the home team locker room. The Nizhny Novgorod women won 5-2 and 4-1 to add 6 more points to their account. The most fascinating contests came at the weekend, in Ufa, between the host, last year's silver-medalist and the current season's pace-setter, Agidel, and the reigning champion, Tornado of Moscow Region. Even the opposing head coaches, Agidel's Denis Afinogenov and Tornado's Alexei Chistyakov, later agreed that the games were very closely-fought contests, and the history of meetings between the two sides had shown five wins apiece. The first part of the drama, and indeed, the Ufa women's first game on home ice of the 2017-18 WHL season, ended with the host keeping the Moscow Region women off the scoreboard and recording a 2-0 victory. Things were even tighter in the re-match, and regulation time was unable to produce a winner, but Agidel persevered to triumph in overtime. Thus, Tornado returned home with 1 point, while Agidel banked 4 to further strengthen its place at the top of the Championship standings. Skif is in second spot, having made up a little ground on the leaders, while third place currently belongs to Dynamo Saint Petersburg. In the coming days, Agidel awaits the visit of Arctic University, with the games scheduled for the 22 and 23 of November. While Dynamo Saint Petersburg embarks for Krasnoyarsk to test its mettle against Biryusa, and Skif prepares to face off in Nizhny Novgorod against Tornado.

KHL - Round Up - November 08-13, 2017

Last week was all about international play, with a strong KHL presence at the various competitions taking place around Europe. For Russia – and for Finland – there were promising signs ahead of next year’s Olympics; across the Atlantic, Canada and the USA were left with more questions than answers. On the domestic front, the big news was Vadim Shipachyov’s return to the KHL after a brief spell in Vegas.

Victory in Augsberg, silver in Helsinki – Russia’s international week
Russia had two national team in action last week, with the ‘A’ team heading to Finland for the Karjala Cup while the ‘Olympic’ roster – Russia’s second string – took part in the Deutschland Cup. Both rosters were experimental, inviting as many players as possible to put their case for an Olympic call, and both gave Oleg Znarok and his colleagues plenty to ponder as the deadline for Korea draws closer. At times, Russia found things tough in Finland. An opening 3-2 loss against the host confirmed, once again, that Suomi is a persistent thorn in Russia’s side in international play. Then came Switzerland, and a 6-2 scoreline that suggests a comfortable but belies the fact that the Red Machine trailed 1-2 going into the final stanza. Game three, and a 5-2 victory against the Czechs, offered a more convincing performance; six points in the new tournament format proved good enough to shade Sweden for second place.
Znarok reflected on another step towards February’s Olympics after the Czech game. “The whole team looked good today, we’ll carry on preparing,” he told Championat.com. “Did [Mikhail] Grigorenko prove himself? Everyone proved himself, I won’t single out individuals. [Kirill] Kaprizov and [Nikita] Gusev are still looking for that chemistry, they didn’t get much time together here. We hope we can get even better.”
CSKA’s Grigorenko finished the tournament strongly with a hat-trick against the Czechs to be named the top forward at the event. Gusev and Kaprizov combined for two goals in the competition, with SKA’s Gusev making four assists in total.
In Germany, meanwhile, Russia’s hopefuls were imperious. Eight different goalscorers fired an 8-2 win over the host, a resolute comeback saw the power play turn a 0-2 deficit into a 5-2 victory against the USA, and the decider against Slovakia saw Vityaz’s Alexei Makeyev score all four in a 4-2 success.

Tolvanen sinks Canadians, Finland wins home tourney Eeli Tolvanen’s burgeoning reputation took another leap forward as he got the game-winning – and tournament-winning – goal for Finland at the Karjala Cup. The 18-year-old Jokerit star has been attracting rave reviews all season in the KHL, and announced himself in his first senior international competition with the decisive goal in a 4-3 verdict over the Canadians to secure Finland’s third win in three games, and top spot in the competition ahead of second-placed Russia. Earlier in the competition, Tolvanen had 1+1 in the host’s 3-1 victory over its Nordic neighbor. Tolvanen wasn’t the only KHL man to confound the Canadians: goalie Magnus Hellberg of Kunlun Red Star picked up a shut-out as Sweden won 2-0 on Saturday. Hellberg made 35 saves to deny an offense that featured plenty of KHL players. Canada’s roster managed one victory from its three games, beating Switzerland 3-2 at the start of the tournament and taking fourth place.
If that left Willie Desjardins with questions before he puts together his Olympic roster, the same was true for Team USA. Playing at the Deutschland Cup, the Americans lost their opener against Slovakia, blew a two-goal lead before falling to Russia’s representatives, and dropped a 1-5 verdict to the host on Sunday as it finished last in the four-team event. Head coach Tony Granato was left to talk up ‘a real positive in terms of the evaluation process’ after a disappointing run of results.

Eeli Tolvanen

Shipachyov back to SKA
SKA’s formidable options on offense got that little bit more daunting last week following confirmation that Vadim Shipachyov was returning to Petersburg. The 30-year-old put pen to paper on a deal until the end of the current campaign, ending an unhappy association with the Golden Knights of Las Vegas that saw him make just three NHL appearances at the expansion franchise. He returns to a team where he helped to win two Gagarin Cups, and where he had 19 points in 17 playoff outings last season following a 76-point haul in regular season that was bettered only by Ilya Kovalchuk in the club’s scoring charts. Shipachyov’s return to the KHL also puts him in contention for a trip to the Olympics.

Vadim Shipachyov

Karhunen talks Kunlun, Vityaz, and Stamkos

Shipachyov wasn’t the only notable player on the move. Finnish goalie Tomi Karhunen – somewhat surprisingly released by Kunlun Red Star – arrives at Vityaz as he swaps one playoff battle for another. The 28-year-old spoke to KHL.ru about his move, his experiences in China, and some of the famous team-mates – from Steve Stamkos and Patrik Laine to fellow goalie Pekka Rinne – in an exclusive interview.

Tomi Karhunen

KHL - Round Up - November 01-07, 2017

Even with the international break beckoning, there was still plenty going on. The departure of Metallurg head coach Ilya Vorobyov was the week’s biggest news, but there was also a KHL novelty as Eliezer Sherbatov became the first Israeli player to score in the league. More unusual events: SKA lost in regulation for the first time this season, and Dinamo Riga won inside 60 minutes for only the second time in 27 games.


Metallurg dismisses head coach Vorobyov
It’s a results business, and that doesn’t leave much room for sentiment. Just ask Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s former head coach, Ilya Vorobyov. He lost his job following his team’s 1-3 defeat at home to Lada on November 2, Magnitka’s fifth loss in six games. The result left last season’s Gagarin Cup finalist in danger of dropping out of the playoff spots, and prompted the club to wield the axe. Yet Vorobyov, who also has a role on Team Russia’s coaching staff, has been one of the most successful coaches in recent times. As assistant to Mike Keenan, then as head coach in his own right, he’s guided Metallurg to three cup finals, winning two of them. In 2016, he also became the first – and so far, only – man to take over behind the bench in mid-season and finish by winning it all. Now, fans in Magnitogorsk are hoping their team can repeat that trick this time around. Viktor Kozlov, interim head coach, got off to a winning start with an overtime success at Avtomobilist in his first game.

Ilya Vorobyov

From Israel to Slovan … introducing Eliezer Sherbatov
Israel rarely gets a look-in at the top end of the hockey world. The national team is some way down the IIHF rankings, the country’s championship is not noted as a big league, and few players have made an impact on the game. But in the KHL, there’s a tradition of breaking new hockey boundaries, and when Eliezer Sherbatov found the net in Slovan’s 4-2 win at Ugra, he became the first Israeli international to score in the league. Sherbatov, 26, moved to Canada with his family as a youngster. He even jokes that he got through immigration because his father promised to turn him into the next Guy Lafleur. But, unlike many players with similar back stories, he then returned to his homeland and made his senior hockey debut for Metulla in Israel’s national championship – at the age of just 13. The same season saw him gain international recognition and become the youngest ever player at an IIHF u18 championship. Why the KHL? Well, maybe that’s also down to Dad: Eliezer’s parents were born in Moscow, and even as a youngster, their boy was brought up as a lover of both Russian and Canadian hockey. 


Regulation wins, regulation losses – two streaks come to an end
SKA finally lost a game in regulation for the first time this season when Spartak Moscow went to St. Petersburg and won 3-1. Former SKA man Alexander Dergachyov had a goal and an assist, Alexander Khokhlachyov, also once of the Army Men, got the opener, and Dmitry Kalinin, who spent five seasons beside the Neva, added an assist. SKA’s run without a loss in regulation time ended after 29 games. Meanwhile, Dinamo Riga got its first regulation time victory since August 26 when it thumped Lokomotiv 4-0 in Yaroslavl. Miks Indrasis was the key player here, collecting two goals and an assist to take his tally to 18 (10+8) points for the season and stay one point ahead of Danny Kristo on the club’s scoring chart. It was the first regulation win in 26 games for Dinamo, but the Latvians are still waiting for their first three-pointer at home this season. That might come on November 14, when Lada visits Arena Riga.


Best rookie was 18-year-old Jokerit forward Eeli Tolvanen, whose statistics for October include 12 matches, 8 victories, 9 (5+4) points, a +3 rating, 42 shots at goal, 13 hits and an average of 17 minutes 3 seconds on the ice. The month ended with the Finnish youngster being selected to represent his country at senior level in the Karjala Cup.


Coming up … the Karjala Cup
Next week sees the first of this season’s Euro Hockey Tour events, with Finland hosting the Karjala Cup. In this Olympic year, it’s an expanded six team competition, with Canada and Switzerland joining the regular quartet of Russia, Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Not surprisingly, there’s a big KHL contingent in all the rosters. Russia’s squad is drawn exclusively from the KHL, with Oleg Znarok selecting 18 of his 25 players from SKA and CSKA. It’s also a young roster – particularly between the piping, where Salavat Yulaev’s Andrei Kareyev, 22, is the oldest of three goalies. Established international stars such as Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk and Andrei Markov also get to take a rest, while young prospects such as Kirill Kaprizov and Pavel Kraskovsky have a chance to stake their claims for an Olympic call-up. Among Russia’s rivals, there are also plenty of familiar names. Sweden has four players from Avangard – Andre Petersson, Dennis Everberg, Erik Gustafsson and Jonas Ahnelov – among 11 KHLers on its roster. The Czechs selected 13 current KHL players, including Traktor goalie Pavel Francouz, Loko defenseman Jakub Nakladal and Neftekhimik hot-shots Robin Hanzl and Andrej Nestrasil. Finland has 14 players from the league, with teen sensation Eeli Tolvanen forming part of a five-man party from Jokerit.

WHL week in review

The Women's Hockey League season has entered its second mid-season break after back-to-back matches in Saint Petersburg. The two protagonists were the host, Dynamo Saint Peterburg, and the visitor, Skif of Nizhny Novgorod Region, and both games turned out to be tense, tight affairs. The first ended in a 1-0 victory for Dynamo, and the re-match ended with the same score, but with the Nizhny Novgorod women triumphant.
October was a good month for goalies, with Anna Prugova of Agidel (Ufa), Nadezhda Morozova of Biryusa (Krasnoyarsk), joining Dynamo's Valerya Merkusheva and Skif's Valerya Tarakanova in the list of shutout heroes.
As for the offense, Biryusa pair Yekaterina Dobrodeyeva and Alexandra Budanova each tallied a double.

Top scorer – Valerya Pavlova, Biryusa, 7 (2+5) points. As Pavlova has provided the passes for 5 goals, she also becomes the League's top assistant.
Top snipers – Alexandra Budanova and Yekaterina Dobrodeyeva, both of Biryusa, have each scored 3 goals.
Highest-scoring defender – Yekaterina Lobova, Biryusa, with 3 (0+3) points.
Finally, the best plus/minus belongs to Biryusa's Alexandra Budanova, with a +6.

No fewer than 18 players from SKA and CSKA have been included in the Team Russia roster for the first stage of the Eurotour, the Karjala Cup in Finland, which runs from the 8th to the 12th of November. The four traditional participants – Finland, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Russia – are joined this year by Canada and Switzerland, eager for competitive practice as pre-Olymic preparations gather pace. Russia head coach Oleg Znarok has put the accent firmly on youth – Salavat Yulaev's Andrei Kareyev, at just 22, is the eldest of the three goaltenders, and there is no place for Pavel Datsyuk or Ilya Kovalchuk. In addition to the the Petersburg and Moscow Army Men, five other KHL clubs - Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Avtomobilist, Ak Bars, Lokomotiv and Salavat Yulaev – have players in the 25-man roster. Goaltenders:
Igor Shestyorkin (SKA), Ilya Sorokin (CSKA), Andrei Kareyev (Salavat Yulaev);
Defense:
Vladislav Gavrikov, Vyacheslav Voynov, Dinar Khafizullin, Andrei Zubarev (all – SKA), Bogdan Kiselevich, Nikita Nesterov (both – CSKA), Ilya Lyubushkin (Lokomotiv), Nikita Tryamkin (Avtomobilist), Vasily Tokranov (Ak Bars);
Forwards:
Nikita Gusev, Alexander Barabanov, Sergei Shirokov, Sergei Kalinin, Sergei Plotnikov (all – SKA), Kirill Kaprizov, Mikhail Grigorenko, Valery Nichushkin, Ivan Telegin, Sergei Andronov (all – CSKA), Vladimir Tkachyov (Ak Bars), Sergei Mozyakin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Pavel Kraskovsky (Lokomotiv).



Czech Republic head coach Josef Jandac has included 13 players from the KHL in the roster for the forthcoming Karjala Cup in Finland. The Czechs will play against Sweden, Switzerland and Russia in the tournament, which runs from the 8th to the 12th of November. Goaltenders:
Pavel Francouz (Traktor), Marek Mazanec (Slovan), Patrik Bartosak (Vitkovice);
Defense:
Jakub Nakladal (Lokomotiv), Tomas Kundratek (Torpedo), Libor Sulak (Lahti Pelicans, Finland), Vojtech Mozik (Vityaz), Ondrej Vitasek ( Ugra), Ladislav Smid (Bili Tygri Liberec), Vladimir Roth (Ocelari Trinec), David Nemecek (Mlada Boleslav), Michal Moravcik (Skoda Plzen);
Forwards:
Jan Kovar (Metallurg), Jiri Sekac (Ak Bars), Roman Horak (Vityaz), Lukas Radil (Spartak), Robin Hanzl, Andrej Nestrasil (both – Neftekhimik), Michal Repik (Slovan), Michal Birner (Fribourg-Gotteron, Switzerland), Jakub Klepis (Mlada Boleslav), Dominik Kubalik, Milan Gulas (both – Skoda Plzen), Jakub Lev (Vitkovice), Martin Zatovic (Kometa Brno).



October turned out to be a good month for Vladimir Tkachyov and for Ak Bars. A few things were not going right for him at the start of the season, and he approached October with just four goals and two assists in his account, but since then he has struck three doubles and a hat-trick. The Kazan Men are currently in the Far East, after road trips to SKA, Jokerit, Dynamo Moscow, Lokomotiv and Magnitogorsk, and are now on top of the Eastern Conference, second only to SKA in the overall standings. Tkachyov's surge in form has been a major factor. His performances have been outstanding, and he fully deserved this week's call-up for national team duty.