2008–09_KHL_season

2008–09 KHL season

2008–09 KHL season

Sports season

The 2008–09 KHL season was the inaugural season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It started on September 2, 2008, and finished on April 12, 2009.[1] 24 teams each played 56 games.

Quick Facts League, Sport ...

League business

NHL player transfer

KHL teams signed several players from the NHL, including Jaromír Jágr, Alexander Radulov, Ray Emery,[2] Sergei Brylin, Ladislav Nagy, Jozef Stümpel, Marcel Hossa, Ben Clymer, Alexei Zhitnik, Bryan Berard and Chris Simon.

Dispute

A dispute between the two leagues over some of these signings was supposed to have been resolved by an agreement signed on July 10, whereby each league would honor the contracts of the other, but the signing of Alexander Radulov was made public one day after the agreement (though it was actually signed two days prior to the agreement taking effect),[3] leading to an investigation by the International Ice Hockey Federation.[4]

Finances

Ownership

On a deal dated October 30, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works bought 11.76% of the KHL.[5]

Salary cap

The league has implemented a salary cap.

Economic trouble

Metallurg Novokuznetsk has so far experienced difficulty financing its operations, largely due to the global financial crisis of 2008. Team sponsor Evraz Group is rumoured to be cutting funding. There is a possibility the team will cease operations by New Years.[6]

HC MVD has experienced delays in paying players, while Khimik Voskresensk has run itself into debt. Metallurg Magnitogorsk has been forced to cut staff expenditures by 30%. Avangard Omsk owner Roman Abramovich has promised to continue financial support so long as the team maintains good results. Other teams experiencing financial limitations are Vityaz Chekhov, Atlant Moscow Oblast, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, HC CSKA Moscow.

As far as the league is concerned it has devised a "crisis package" for dealing with the economic turmoil. Cuts will be made to non-salary expenditures, such as pre-game activity, training camps, and elimination of pre-season tournaments. Mid-level player salaries may also be rolled back. Divisional re-alignment will also take place for the 2009–10 season to cut down on travel costs.

Inaugural All-Star Game

The inaugural KHL All-Star Game took place on January 10, 2009. Each team consisted of ten forwards, five defensemen, and two goaltenders. The starting rosters were voted upon on the KHL.ru website and decided by December 22. The secondary lines and goaltenders were to be voted upon by the media, and announced December 26, with the following players and reserves announced by January 8. The game took place in Moscow's Red Square, with Team Jágr (International All-Stars) defeating Team Yashin (Russian All-Stars) 7–6.

Regular season

Death of Alexei Cherepanov

Main article: Alexei Cherepanov § Death

On October 13, 2008 during a match between Avangard Omsk and Vityaz Chekhov, forward Alexei Cherepanov died due to a heart condition.

On December 29, 2008, Russian investigators revealed that he suffered from myocarditis, a condition where not enough blood gets to the heart, and that he should not have been playing professional hockey. The federal Investigative Committee also announced that a chemical analysis of Cherepanov's blood and urine samples allowed experts to conclude "that for several months Alexei Cherepanov engaged in doping".[7] Official sources have stated the banned substance taken was nikethamide, a stimulant, and that it had been taken 3 hours prior to the game in which he died.[8]

Omsk club director Mikhail Denisov has since been fired,[7] whereas the league Disciplinary Committee has since removed Omsk's doctors from that role with the club, and has suspended Avangard general manager Anatoly Bardin and team president Konstantin Potapov. The KHL Disciplinary Committee met on this matter on January 5,[9] and also suspended Chekhov's team president.[10]

League standings

Final standings.[11]

Points have been awarded as follows:

  • 3 Points for a win in regulation ("W")
  • 2 Points for a win in overtime ("OTW") or penalty shootout ("SOW")
  • 1 Point for a loss in a penalty shootout ("SOL") or overtime ("OTL")
  • 0 Points for a loss in regulation ("L")
     Division winner
     Qualified for playoffs
More information Rank, Team ...

Divisional standing


More information DR, LR ...
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League leaders

GoalsCzech Republic Jan Marek (Magnitogorsk)35
AssistsRussia Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant)42
PointsRussia Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant)76
ShotsCanada Kevin Dallman (Astana)218
Plus–minusRussia Alexei Tereschenko (Ufa)+41
Penalty minutesCanada Chris Simon (Chekhov)263
Wins (Goaltenders)Russia Georgi Gelashvili (Yaroslavl)30
Goals against averageRussia Dmitri Yachanov (SKA)1.47
Save percentageKazakhstan Vitaly Kolesnik (Atlant).945

Goaltenders: minimum 15 games played

Scoring leaders

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

More information Player, Team ...

Playoffs

Main article: 2009 Gagarin Cup Finals
The Gagarin Cup
Preliminary Round
(best of 5) 		Quarter-finals
(best of 5) 		Semi-finals
(best of 7) 		Gagarin Cup Finals
(best of 7)
            
2 Russia Ak Bars 3
15 Kazakhstan Barys Astana 0
2 Russia Ak Bars 3
16 Russia Avangard 2
1 Russia Salavat Yulaev 1
16 Russia Avangard 3
2 Russia Ak Bars 4
7 Russia Dynamo Msk 2
4 Russia CSKA 3
13 Russia Lada 2
4 Russia CSKA 0
7 Russia Dynamo Msk 3
7 Russia Dynamo Msk 3
10 Latvia Dinamo Rg 0
2 Russia Ak Bars 4
3 Russia Lokomotiv 3
3 Russia Lokomotiv 3
14 Russia Neftekhimik 1
3 Russia Lokomotiv 3
9 Russia Spartak 0
8 Russia SKA 0
9 Russia Spartak 3
3 Russia Lokomotiv 4
6 Russia Metallurg Mg 1
5 Russia Atlant 3
12 Russia Traktor 0
5 Russia Atlant 1
6 Russia Metallurg Mg 3
6 Russia Metallurg Mg 3
11 Russia Torpedo 0

Playoff leaders

Source: khl.ru[12][13]

GoalsFinland Jukka Hentunen (Kazan)9
AssistsRussia Alexei Morozov (Kazan)
Russia Alexei Yashin (Yaroslavl)
11
PointsRussia Alexei Morozov (Kazan)19
ShotsRussia Danis Zaripov (Kazan)71
Plus–minusRussia Ilya Nikulin (Kazan)
+13
Penalty minutesRussia Grigori Panin (Kazan)69
Wins (Goaltenders)Russia Georgi Gelashvili (Yaroslavl)
13
Goals against averageKazakhstan Vitali Yeremeyev (Dynamo M)
1.63
Save percentageRussia Alexander Pimankin (Nizhny Novgorod)
94.4
ShutoutsRussia Georgi Gelashvili (Yaroslavl)
5

Goaltenders: minimum 5 games played

Scoring leaders

Source: khl.ru[14]

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

More information Player, Team ...

Leading goaltenders

Source: khl.ru[15]

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

More information Player, Team ...

Awards

Players of the Month

Best KHL players of each month.[16]

More information Month, Goaltender ...

KHL Awards

On 15 May 2009, the KHL held their first award ceremony. A total of 23 different awards were handed out to teams, players, officials and media.[17] The most important trophies are listed in the table below.

Golden Hockey Stick Trophy (regular-season MVP)Russia Danis Zaripov (Kazan)
Play-off Master Award (play-off MVP)Russia Alexei Morozov (Kazan)
Alexei Cherepanov Award (best rookie)Russia Ilya Proskuryakov (Magnitogorsk)

References

  1. [1]
    "Russian Ice Hockey Federation". Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
  2. [2]
    "Emery signs one-year deal with Russian team – tsn.ca". Archived from the original on 2008-07-15. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
  3. [3]
    "Radulov on His Return to Russia – NHL FanHouse". Archived from the original on 2009-09-01. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
  4. [4]
    Predator inks debatable deal – iihf.com Archived 2008-12-16 at the Wayback Machine
  5. [5]
    "Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works bought 11.76% of the authorized capital of KHL – sovsport.ru". Archived from the original on 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  6. [6]
    "»  »". Archived from the original on 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
  7. [7]
    "Russian investigators say Cherepanov was 'doping'". The Sports Network. 2008-12-29. Archived from the original on 31 December 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  8. [8]
    "Заявление Континентальной хоккейной лиги по итогам расследования обстоятельств смерти хоккеиста Алексея Черепанова". KHL.ru. 2008-12-30. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  9. [9]
    "KHLfires Omsk doctors". The Sports Network. 2008-12-31. Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  10. [10]
    "Officials suspended". The Sports Network. 2008-01-15. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  11. [11]
    "KHL Official Statistics for season 2008/2009". Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  12. [12]
    "KHL Playoff Statistics: Skaters". KHL.ru. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  13. [13]
    "KHL Playoff Statistics: Goalies". KHL.ru. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  14. [14]
    "Player Stats: 2008–2009 Playoffs: All Skaters – Total Points". Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  15. [15]
    "Player Stats: 2009–2010 Playoff: Goalie – Goals Against Average". Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  16. [16]
    KHL Best players (in Russian)
  17. [17]
    Kontinental Hockey League Awarded Laureates Of 2008/2009 Season khl.ru, 2009-05-15. Accessed 2009-06-20. Archived 2009-06-22.
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