2009–10 KHL season

2009–10 KHL season
League Kontinental Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Duration 10 September 2009 – 27 April 2010
Number of teams 24
Regular season
Continental Cup winner Russia Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Top scorer Russia Sergei Mozyakin
Atlant Moscow Oblast
Playoffs
Western champions Russia HC MVD
  Western runners-up Russia Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Eastern champions Russia Ak Bars Kazan
  Eastern runners-up Russia Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Gagarin Cup
Champions Russia Ak Bars Kazan
  Runners-up Russia HC MVD
Gagarin Cup MVP Russia Ilya Nikulin

The 2009–10 KHL season was the second season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It was held from 10 September 2009 to 27 April 2010, with a break for the Olympic winter games from 8 February to 3 March.[1] Ak Bars Kazan defended their title by defeating Western conference winners HC MVD in a seven-game play-off final.

League changes

On 16 June 2009, the KHL Board of Directors approved several changes to the league for the 2009–10 season.[2]

Team changes

The league admitted a new team, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Khimik Voskresensk did not play in the 2009–10 season due to financial problems, but they retained KHL membership and may return at a later date, meanwhile playing in the Russian Major League. Overall, the number of teams playing in 2009–10 remained at 24.

Division realignment

Teams were geographically aligned to aid travel conditions. The league were divided into a Western and an Eastern conference, each containing two divisions of six teams. Each team played the other teams in the same division 4 times (for a total of 20 games) and each team in the other divisions 2 times (for a total of 36 games). The regular season thus consisted of 56 games for every team.

Play-off structure

The top eight teams from each conference qualified for the play-offs. Division winners were awarded the top two seeds. In each conference quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be played and the conference winners play for the Gagarin Cup. Conference quarterfinals were best-of-five series, the remaining rounds best-of-seven series. Overtime periods last 20 minutes or until the sudden death goal.

Salary cap

The aggregate income of all players of a team was limited to 620 million rubles (~$20 million USD). Minimum aggregate salary for the players was 200 million rubles (~$6.5 million USD). Each teams was allowed one "franchise player" exception, who did not count towards the cap.

Rosters

25 players are allowed to be in the major team roster and 25 in the junior team roster of every club. The number of foreign players is restricted to 5, at most one of them as goaltender.

Junior league

The league implemented a more advanced and organized junior hockey sub-league to focus on development. It features players from 17 to 21 years of age.

Entry draft

On 1 June 2009, the inaugural entry draft for the KHL was held. Each team's hockey school was able to protect 25 players from the 17-21 agegroup prior to the draft.

Goal crease

Goal crease was shrunk to the NHL dimensions.[3]

Regular season

The regular season started on 10 September 2009 with the "Opening Cup" and ended on 7 March 2010. A few small breaks for the national team and the All-Star game as well as a large break for the Olympic winter games from 8 February to 3 March were scheduled.[1] Each team played a total of 56 games (4 times against the division opponents and 2 times against all other teams). The winner of the regular season was awarded the Continental Cup.[2]

Notable events

Opening Cup

The first game of each KHL season is the "Opening Cup" played between the two finalists of the last season. In 2009, the game was played at the TatNeft Arena in Kazan and won by last year's champion Ak Bars Kazan, beating runner-up Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3–2 in overtime. The two teams were wearing special uniforms with an Opening Cup logo.[4]

Fetisov comeback

On 11 December 2009, Russian hockey legend Viacheslav Fetisov gave a one-game comeback in professional hockey at the age of 51. In this game for CSKA Moscow he played for 8 minutes without a shot on the goal, but it created a very large media interest, not only for himself but also for CSKA Moscow and the KHL.[5]

Mass brawl in Chekhov

On 9 January 2010, in the game between Vityaz Chekhov and Avangard Omsk, a bench-clearing brawl broke out in the 4th minute of the first period, and a bench- and penalty-box clearing brawl broke out 39 seconds later, forcing the officials to abandon the game, since only four players were left to play. 33 players and both team's coaches were ejected, and a world record total of 707 penalty minutes were incurred.[6] The KHL imposed fines totaling 5.7 million rubles ($191,000), suspended seven players, and counted the game as a 5–0 defeat for both teams, with no points being awarded.[7]

All-Star Game

The 2nd KHL All-star game was played on 30 January 2010 in the new Minsk-Arena in Minsk, Belarus. As in the previous year, Team Jágr won against Team Yashin, this time with a score of 11–8.[8]

Continental Cup

The first Continental Cup in the KHL history was won by Salavat Yulaev Ufa on 5 March 2010, after the club became unreachable by other clubs in the KHL standings one game before the end of the regular season, and extended their remarkable regular season winning streak to three.[9]

League standings

Source: khl.ru[10]

Points are awarded as follows:

     Division winner
     Qualified for playoffs

Conference standings

The conference standings will determine the seedings for the play-offs. The first two places in each conference are reserved for the division leaders.

Western Conference GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
Russia SKA Saint Petersburg 56 36 1 3 3 3 10 192 118 122
Russia HC MVD 56 30 1 0 6 4 15 160 135 102
Russia Dynamo Moscow 56 28 2 3 4 3 16 166 151 101
Russia Atlant Moscow Oblast 56 24 4 9 1 2 16 173 137 101
Russia Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 56 26 3 2 4 4 17 163 132 96
Russia Spartak Moscow 56 24 4 4 4 0 20 178 168 92
Russia CSKA Moscow 56 22 3 5 4 1 21 148 135 87
Latvia Dinamo Riga 56 23 1 3 4 3 22 174 175 84
Russia Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 56 22 1 1 1 4 27 154 163 75
Russia Severstal Cherepovets 56 16 2 7 6 2 23 151 16274
Belarus Dinamo Minsk 56 17 1 5 2 0 31 139 164 65
Russia Vityaz Chekhov 56 13 3 2 2 3 331 1421 2161541
Eastern Conference GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
Russia Salavat Yulaev Ufa 56 37 4 3 3 1 8 215 116 129
Russia Metallurg Magnitogorsk 56 34 2 4 1 0 15 167 111 115
Russia Ak Bars Kazan 56 25 4 4 3 2 18 159 128 96
Russia Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 56 27 3 1 4 0 21 176 166 93
Russia Avangard Omsk 56 24 2 2 6 4 18115211281901
Kazakhstan Barys Astana 56 20 5 1 6 1 23 169 173 79
Russia Traktor Chelyabinsk 56 18 0 3 2 2 31 137 192 64
Russia Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 56 14 2 6 2 4 28 127 159 64
Russia Sibir Novosibirsk 56 15 2 5 3 1 30 147 190 63
Russia Amur Khabarovsk 56 12 3 6 4 2 29 129 187 60
Russia Lada Togliatti 56 14 0 2 6 3 31 115 173 55
Russia Metallurg Novokuznetsk 56 13 1 2 2 5 33 105 159 52

1 The KHL decided that as a result of the game between Vityaz Chekhov and Avangard Omsk on 9 January 2010 being abandoned due to a mass brawl which left neither team having the required number of players to continue, the game would count as a 5-0 defeat for both teams with no points being awarded.[7]

Divisional standings

Western Conference

Bobrov Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
Russia SKA Saint Petersburg 56 36 1 3 3 3 10 192 118 122
Russia Dynamo Moscow 56 28 2 3 4 3 16 166 151 101
Russia HC Spartak Moscow 56 24 4 4 4 0 20 178 168 92
Russia CSKA Moscow 56 22 3 5 4 1 21 148 135 87
Latvia Dinamo Riga 56 23 1 3 4 3 22 174 175 84
Belarus Dinamo Minsk 56 17 1 5 2 0 31 139 164 65
Tarasov Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
Russia HC MVD 56 30 1 0 6 4 15 160 135 102
Russia Atlant Moscow Oblast 56 24 4 9 1 2 16 173 137 101
Russia Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 56 26 3 2 4 4 17 163 132 96
Russia Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 56 22 1 1 1 4 27 154 163 75
Russia Severstal Cherepovets 56 16 2 7 6 2 23 151 16274
Russia Vityaz Chekhov 56 13 3 2 2 3 33 142 216 54

Eastern Conference

Kharlamov Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
Russia Metallurg Magnitogorsk 56 34 2 4 1 0 15 167 111 115
Russia Ak Bars Kazan 56 25 4 4 3 2 18 159 128 96
Russia Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 56 27 3 1 4 0 21 176 166 93
Russia Traktor Chelyabinsk 56 18 0 3 2 2 31 137 192 64
Russia Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 56 14 2 6 2 4 28 127 159 64
Russia Lada Togliatti 56 14 0 2 6 3 31 115 173 55
Chernyshev Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
Russia Salavat Yulaev Ufa 56 37 4 3 3 1 8 215 116 129
Russia Avangard Omsk 56 24 2 2 6 4 18 152 12890
Kazakhstan Barys Astana 56 20 5 1 6 1 23 169 173 79
Russia Sibir Novosibirsk 56 15 2 5 3 1 30 147 190 63
Russia Amur Khabarovsk 56 12 3 6 4 2 29 129 187 60
Russia Metallurg Novokuznetsk 56 13 1 2 2 5 33 105 159 52

League leaders

Source: khl.ru[11][12]

Goals Slovakia Marcel Hossa (Riga) 35
Assists Russia Alexei Yashin (SKA) 46
Points Russia Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant)
66
Shots Slovakia Marcel Hossa (Riga) 216
Plus/minus Norway Patrick Thoresen (Ufa) +45
Penalty minutes Canada Darcy Verot (Chekhov) 374
Wins (Goaltenders) United States Robert Esche (SKA) 29
Goals against average Finland Petri Vehanen (Kazan) 1.73
Save percentage Finland Petri Vehanen (Kazan) 93.5
Shutouts Russia Vasily Koshechkin (Magnitogorsk) 8

Goaltenders: minimum 20 games played

Scoring leaders

Source: khl.ru[13]

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
Russia Mozyakin, SergeiSergei Mozyakin Atlant Moscow Oblast 56 27 39 66 +24 44
Russia Sushinski, MaximMaxim Sushinski SKA Saint Petersburg 56 27 38 65 +28 87
Russia Yashin, AlexeiAlexei Yashin SKA Saint Petersburg 56 18 46 64 +21 38
Russia Radulov, AlexanderAlexander Radulov Salavat Yulaev Ufa 54 24 39 63 +44 62
Sweden Weinhandl, MattiasMattias Weinhandl Dynamo Moscow 56 26 34 60 +10 36
Norway Thoresen, PatrickPatrick Thoresen Salavat Yulaev Ufa 56 24 33 57 +45 71
Slovakia Hossa, MarcelMarcel Hossa Dinamo Riga 56 35 19 54 –3 44
Czech Republic Hudler, JiříJiří Hudler Dynamo Moscow 54 19 35 54 +7 115
Slovakia Radivojevič, BrankoBranko Radivojevič Spartak Moscow 56 18 36 54 –4 18
Russia Zinovjev, SergeiSergei Zinovjev Salavat Yulaev Ufa 47 17 36 53 +24 83

Leading goaltenders

Source: khl.ru[14]

GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SOL = Shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Player Team GP Min W L SOL GA SO SV% GAA
Finland Petri Vehanen Ak Bars Kazan 25 1528:58 15 5 5 44 3 .935 1.73
Russia Alexander Yeremenko Salavat Yulaev Ufa 32 1769:55 24 5 0 52 2 .931 1.76
Russia Ilya Proskuryakov Metallurg Magnitogorsk 32 1809:31 19 8 4 58 4 .927 1.92
Russia Vasily Koshechkin Metallurg Magnitogorsk 49 2840:43 25 16 8 93 8 .933 1.96
Canada Michael Garnett HC MVD 44 2561:54 24 15 4 88 5 .917 2.06

Playoffs

The eight best teams of each conference qualified for the playoffs. The first three rounds are played within the conferences, then the two winners will play in the Gagarin Cup final. The playoffs started on 10 March 2010 and ended on 27 April with the seventh game of the Gagarin Cup final.[1] Remarkably, each of all the fifteen play-off series was won by the team which won the first game in the series.

  Conference Quarter-Finals
(best-of-5)
Conference Semi-Finals
(best-of-7)
Conference Finals
(best-of-7)
Gagarin Cup Finals
(best-of-7)
                                     
1  Salavat Yulaev 3     1  Salavat Yulaev 4  
8  Avtomobilist 1     4  Neftekhimik 2  
2  Metallurg Mg 3 Eastern Conference
7  Traktor 1  
    1  Salavat Yulaev 2  
  3  Ak Bars 4  
3  Ak Bars 3  
6  Barys 0  
4  Neftekhimik 3   2  Metallurg Mg 2
5  Avangard 0     3  Ak Bars 4  
  E  Ak Bars 4
(Pairings are re-seeded after the first round.)
  W  HC MVD 3
1  SKA 1     2  HC MVD 4
8  Dinamo Riga 3     8  Dinamo Riga 1  
2  HC MVD 3
7  CSKA 0  
  2  HC MVD 4
  5  Lokomotiv 3  
3  Dynamo Moscow 1  
6  Spartak 3   Western Conference
4  Atlant 1   5  Lokomotiv 4
5  Lokomotiv 3     6  Spartak 2  

Playoff leaders

Source: khl.ru[15][16]

Goals Belarus Alexei Ugarov (Balashikha) 9
Assists Russia Alexander Radulov (Ufa)
Russia Alexei Tsvetkov (Balashikha)
11
Points Russia Alexander Radulov (Ufa)
19
Shots Slovakia Martin Štrbák (Balashikha) 63
Plus/minus Czech Republic Josef Vašíček (Yarsolavl)
+15
Penalty minutes Russia Dmitri Kalinin (Ufa) 58
Wins (Goaltenders) Finland Petri Vehanen (Kazan)
15
Goals against average Russia Ivan Kasutin (Nizhnekamsk)
1.36
Save percentage Russia Ivan Kasutin (Nizhnekamsk)
95.5
Shutouts Russia Ivan Kasutin (Nizhnekamsk)
Finland Petri Vehanen (Kazan)
Germany Dimitri Kotschnew (Moscow)
2

Goaltenders: minimum 5 games played

Scoring leaders

Source: khl.ru[17]

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
Russia Alexander Radulov Salavat Yulaev Ufa 16 8 11 19 +7 10
Finland Niko Kapanen Ak Bars Kazan 22 8 9 17 +3 6
Russia Alexei Tsvetkov HC MVD 22 5 11 16 +6 14
Russia Alexander Galimov Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 16 8 6 14 +4 33
Norway Patrick Thoresen Salavat Yulaev Ufa 15 5 9 14 +3 37

Leading goaltenders

Source: khl.ru[18]

GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Player Team GP Min W L GA SO SV% GAA
Russia Ivan Kasutin Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 9 528:58 5 4 12 2 .954 1.36
Finland Petri Vehanen Ak Bars Kazan 22 1388:40 15 7 37 2 .937 1.60
Russia Alexander Eremenko Salavat Yulaev Ufa 12 725:34 8 4 52 1 .934 1.65
Russia Georgi Gelashvili Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 17 1050:13 10 6 33 1 .933 1.89
Latvia Edgars Masaļskis Dinamo Riga 6 373:30 3 2 12 1 .934 1.93

Final standings

RankTeam
1 Russia Ak Bars Kazan
2 Russia HC MVD
3 Russia Salavat Yulaev Ufa
4 Russia Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
5 Russia Metallurg Magnitogorsk
6 Russia Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
7 Russia Spartak Moscow
8 Latvia Dinamo Riga
9 Russia SKA Saint Petersburg
10 Russia Dynamo Moscow
11 Russia Atlant Mytishchi
12 Russia Avangard Omsk
13 Russia CSKA Moscow
14 Kazakhstan Barys Astana
15 Russia Traktor Chelyabinsk
16 Russia Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
17 Russia Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
18 Russia Severstal Cherepovets
19 Belarus Dinamo Minsk
20 Russia Sibir Novosibirsk
21 Russia Amur Khabarovsk
22 Russia Lada Togliatti
23 Russia Vityaz Chekhov
24 Russia Metallurg Novokuznetsk

Awards

Players of the Month

Best KHL players of each month.

Month Goaltender Defense Forward Rookie
September[19] Russia Ilya Proskuryakov (Magnitogorsk) Russia Konstantin Korneyev (CSKA) Russia Kirill Knyazev (Spartak) Russia Sergei Belokon (Vityaz)
October[20] Finland Karri Rämö (Omsk) Russia Dmitri Kalinin (Ufa) Sweden Mattias Weinhandl (Dynamo M) Sweden Linus Omark (Dynamo M)
November[21] Russia Georgi Gelashvili (Yaroslavl) Russia Sergei Zubov (SKA) Russia Maxim Sushinsky (SKA) Russia Nikita Filatov (CSKA)
December[22] Kazakhstan Vitaliy Yeremeyev (Dynamo M) Russia Dmitri Bykov (Atlant) Russia Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant) Russia Nikolai Belov (Neftekhimik)
January[23] United States Robert Esche (SKA) Russia Sergei Zubov (SKA) Canada Geoff Platt (Minsk) Russia Alexander Komaristy (Chekhov)
February Olympic break
March[24] Russia Ivan Kasutin (Neftekhimik) Russia Alexander Guskov (Yaroslavl) Russia Alexander Radulov (Ufa) Russia Konstantin Plaksin (Traktor)
April[25] Finland Petri Vehanen (Kazan) Russia Ilya Nikulin (Kazan) Russia Alexei Tsvetkov (HC MVD) not awarded

KHL Awards

On 25 May 2010, the KHL held their annual award ceremony. A total of 20 different awards were handed out to teams, players, officials and media.[26] The most important trophies are listed in the table below.

Golden Stick Award (regular season MVP) Russia Alexander Radulov (Ufa)
Play-off Master Award (play-off MVP) Russia Ilya Nikulin (Kazan)
Alexei Cherepanov Award (best rookie) Russia Anatoli Nikontsev (Yekaterinburg)

The league also awarded six "Golden Helmets" for the members of the all-star team:

Forwards Russia Alexander Radulov
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Slovakia Marcel Hossa
Dinamo Riga
Russia Sergei Mozyakin
Atlant Moscow Oblast
Defense Russia Sergei Zubov
SKA St. Petersburg
Russia Dmitri Kalinin
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Goalie Canada Michael Garnett
HC MVD

References

  1. 1 2 3 "KHL President Approves The Rules And The Calendar Of KHL Championship in 2009/2010 Season". KHL.ru. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  2. 1 2 "KHL Board Of Directors Approved Championship Structure". KHL.ru. 16 June 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  3. Goal crease diagram
  4. "Eight Days Left Before The Opening Cup Game". KHL.ru. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  5. "Fetisov’s Day". KHL.ru. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  6. "This is hockey?". KHL.ru. 9 January 2010. Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Both teams lose". KHL.ru. 10 January 2010. Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  8. "No revenge for Yashin". KHL.ru. 30 January 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  9. "Ufa’s first trophy". khl.ru. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  10. "KHL Regular season standings". KHL.ru. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  11. "KHL Regular Season Statistics: Skaters". KHL.ru. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  12. "KHL Regular Season Statistics: Goalies". KHL.ru. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  13. "Player Stats: 2009–2010 Regular Season: All Skater – Total Points". Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  14. "Player Stats: 2009–2010 Regular Season: Goalie – Goals Against Average". Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  15. "KHL Playoff Statistics: Skaters". KHL.ru. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  16. "KHL Playoff Statistics: Goalies". KHL.ru. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  17. "Player Stats: 2009–2010 Playoffs: All Skaters – Total Points". Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  18. "Player Stats: 2009–2010 Playoff: Goalie – Goals Against Average". Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  19. "September’s stars". KHL.ru. 7 October 2009. Archived from the original on 20 October 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  20. "October’s finest". KHL.ru. 2 November 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  21. "November’s finest". KHL.ru. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  22. "December’s finest". KHL.ru. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  23. "January’s finest". KHL.ru. 1 January 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  24. "Finest in March". KHL.ru. 2010-04-01. Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  25. "April's Finest". KHL.ru. 2010-04-29. Archived from the original on 1 May 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  26. Все золото Лиги (in Russian). KHL.ru. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
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