The KHL’s closing ceremony celebrated the best of the 2023-2024 season. And that meant plenty of prizes for goaltending sensation Ilya Nabokov and star blue-liner Alexander Nikishin. Both players picked up three awards each. Nabokov, 21, was named playoff MVP and rookie of the year after backstopping Metallurg’s Gagarin Cup glory; SKA’s Nikishin was the most productive defenseman and the most efficient player. Both were on the ‘Golden Helmet’ team of the season.
Other award-winners include Andrei Razin (coach of the year, Metallurg), Nikita Gusev (top scorer, regular season MVP, Dynamo Moscow) and Reid Boucher (top goalscorer, Avangard). Evgeny Biryukov won the “loyalty to hockey” prize after playing his 1,000th KHL game.
Nabokov, Nikishin scoop hat-trick of awards
The KHL is more popular than ever, both online and in person. Attendances for the 2023-2024 campaign were higher than ever: games attracted 9,396 fans on average, setting a league record. The playoffs were also the best-attended in history, with 751, 703 supporters coming to the arenas for the season’s crucial clashes. The total ‘in person’ audience was just shy of 6 million, the third highest in KHL history (in previous years, the league has had more clubs, and therefore more games to bring in more fans).
Online, the signs are also encouraging. The KHL’s websites saw a 43% increase in views and a 41% rise in unique visitors. The mobile app enjoyed a 4% boost in unique visitors and a 24% increase in views.
The 2024-2025 KHL season will run one month longer. The Opening Cup curtain-raiser between Metallurg and Lokomotiv is set for Sep. 3 in Magnitogorsk. The 23 teams will again have a 68-game regular season, but in a bid to ease fixture congestion, the regular season will run through March 23. The playoffs will continue into May, with Game Seven of the Gagarin Cup final pencilled in for May 25.
Attendances climb, longer season to come
Anvar Gatiyatulin is the man to follow Zinetula Bilyaletdinov behind the bench at Ak Bars. He signed a two-year deal in Kazan last week, having earlier been announced as Sibir’s incoming head coach. Gatiyatulin was in demand after twice leading Traktor to the Eastern Conference final (2018 and 2022). He also spent two years on the coaching staff at SKA and Team Russia under Ilya Vorobyov, adding World Championship bronze to his honors list in 2019.
Traktor adds head coach and loads up, Avtomobilist retains its core. Top transfers
Gatiyatulin’s arrival led to almost all of Bilyaletdinov’s assistants leaving Ak Bars. Among them, Yury Babenko is on his way to CSKA. Unlike many KHL assistant coaches, Babenko has experience of the head coach’s job after a season with Vityaz. He’s joined by goalie coach Klemem Mohoric, a former Slovenian international who helped his country climb to the top division of the World Championship. He’s worked extensively in the KHL, first with Medvescak Zagreb and most recently at Metallurg, where he nurtured the talents of Gagarin Cup winner and playoff MVP Ilya Nabokov.
In Magnitogorsk, Morohic’s departure opens the door for club legend Vasily Koshechkin to return to the club. The two-time Gagarin Cup winner ended his playing career in 2023. Now, after a one-year break, he’s back in the game as the club’s new goalie coach. He joins two other champions on the coaching staff, Sergei Mozyakin and defenseman Yaroslav Khabarov. In a recent interview, Magnitka’s current star goalie Ilya Nabokov described Koshechkin has his idol.
With the import limit widely expected to be returned to five for the coming season, Severstal is making early preparations. With Slovakia’s Christian Jaros under contract, and both Mark Barberio and Adam Liska inking extensions, the arrival of Yanni Kaldis from Dinamo Minsk takes the Steelmen to four foreigners. He made his debut in the league last season and had a successful rookie year: 23 points in 56 games placed him second in scoring among defensemen behind Alexander Nikishin. He’s likely to quarterback the Severstal power play.
Another import on the move is Alex Galchenyuk, who swaps SKA for Amur. The Far East club is making ambitious moves ahead of the new season and the American international will be expected to lead the Tigers’ offense. Galchenyuk, who has Belarusian roots, had 47 (18+29) points through 70 games for SKA last season, ranking fourth on the team for scoring in regulation. Earlier in the summer, Amur announced the addition of Kunlun’s top scorer Devin Brosseau.
Highlights from each KHL game are available on the league’s YouTube channel (subscribe, if you didn’t already!). At the end of the season, the most popular games were announced. Surprisingly, the Gagarin Cup final did not take top spot: Metallurg’s Game Four triumph in Yaroslavl was second on the list with 315,474 views. But the most watched highlights came from the second round, and SKA’s dramatic Game Five loss to Avtomobilist. SKA blew a 4-2 lead and crashed out of the playoffs, which 323,984 viewers wanted to see again.