Latvian hockey club Dinamo Riga announced on Sunday that it is withdrawing from the Kontinental Hockey League in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Dinamo has been a part of the KHL for 14 seasons since the club was revived in 2008. They were one of five teams in the 24-team league based outside of Russia when this season began.
By Chris Cerullo 2 years ago
Andrew Zadarnowski of the SB Nation blog Eyes on the Prize is reporting that the KHL is negotiating with the NHL to host the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning for several exhibition games against its Russian teams.
Zadarnowski says that the two leagues are targeting September 2022 for the games to happen.
The Capitals have four Russian stars, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, and Ilya Samsonov, while the Lightning routinely feature Ruskies Nikita Kucherov, Mikhail Sergachev, and Andrei Vasilevskiy in their lineup.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
Sergei Fedorov is currently in his first year as head coach for CSKA Moscow.
While he was an NHL player, Fedorov was credited with having one of the brightest minds in hockey. Now as a KHL bench boss, Fedorov has led his team to one of the best records in the league. He’s also introduced a new, aggressive tactic in three-on-three overtime that’s getting attention in Russia: pulling the goalie while at even strength.
It’s working.
ESPN+ is quickly turning into a hockey lover’s dream.
Friday, the sports streaming giant announced that it had come to an agreement with the KHL to air more than 130 games this season. The agreement includes two KHL games per week, plus the entirety of the KHL postseason and Gagarin Cup Finals.
Nikita Popugaev was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft. After playing three seasons of junior hockey, he spent two seasons with two separate KHL teams, bounced around the Devils’ ECHL and AHL affiliates, and then returned overseas to play for two more KHL teams.
Popugaev, most recently of Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik in the KHL, announced on Monday that he was retiring from professional hockey in pursuit of becoming a social media influencer.
By Chris Cerullo 2 years ago
Alex Ovechkin signed a five-year, $47.5 million extension with the Washington Capitals in July, but hedged in a recent interview that he may have some hockey left after his age-40 season in the NHL.
While speaking to Sergei Fadeichev of TASS, Ovechkin left the door open that he would still finish his career with Dynamo Moscow, the team that gave him his start in professional hockey.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
Washington Capitals prospect Alex Alexeyev was honored by the KHL on Tuesday.
The Capitals’ 2018 first-round pick was named the KHL’s Rookie of the Month. Alexeyev scored four goals and tallied seven points during January 2021.
What was reported last week is now official.
Ilya Kovalchuk’s second stint in the NHL is over as he’s signed a two-year deal with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. The 37-year-old Kovy finished last season with the Washington Capitals after a trade deadline deal in February.
Ilya Kovalchuk’s second run in the NHL appears to be over.
Friday, Full Press Hockey’s Aivis Kalniņš reported that Kovalchuk, after not getting any intriguing offers from an NHL team, will sign with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. Kovalchuk previously spent six seasons with SKA St. Petersburg from 2012 to 2018.
Former Capital Sergei Shumakov and Alexander Burmistrov completed a historic feat in the KHL that some fans are calling NICE².
The KHL forwards, who both wear number 69, skated beside each other and managed to be on the same screen at the same time during Ak Bars Kazan’s game against Avangard Omsk. @HeresYourReplay posted the important screenshot on Twitter.
