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.

2009–10 KHL season
LeagueKontinental Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Duration10 September 2009 – 27 April 2010
Number of teams24
Regular season
Continental Cup winnerRussia Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Top scorerRussia Sergei Mozyakin
Atlant Moscow Oblast
Playoffs
Western championsRussia HC MVD
  Western runners-upRussia Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Eastern championsRussia Ak Bars Kazan
  Eastern runners-upRussia Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Gagarin Cup
ChampionsRussia Ak Bars Kazan
  Runners-upRussia HC MVD
Finals MVPRussia Ilya Nikulin
KHL seasons

League changes

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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 (~US$20 million). Minimum aggregate salary for the players was 200 million rubles (~US$6.5 million). 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

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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

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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. Thirty-three players and both teams' 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 regular-season winning streak to three.[9]

League standings

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Source: khl.ru[10]

Points are 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

Conference standings

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

Rank Western Conference GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
1   SKA Saint Petersburg 56 36 1 3 3 3 10 192 118 122
2   HC MVD 56 30 1 0 6 4 15 160 135 102
3   Dynamo Moscow 56 28 2 3 4 3 16 166 151 101
4   Atlant Moscow Oblast 56 24 4 9 1 2 16 173 137 101
5   Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 56 26 3 2 4 4 17 163 132 96
6   Spartak Moscow 56 24 4 4 4 0 20 178 168 92
7   CSKA Moscow 56 22 3 5 4 1 21 148 135 87
8   Dinamo Riga 56 23 1 3 4 3 22 174 175 84
9   Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 56 22 1 1 1 4 27 154 163 75
10   Severstal Cherepovets 56 16 2 7 6 2 23 151 162 74
11   Dinamo Minsk 56 17 1 5 2 0 31 139 164 65
12   Vityaz Chekhov 56 13 3 2 2 3 331 1421 2161 541
Rank Eastern Conference GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
1   Salavat Yulaev Ufa 56 37 4 3 3 1 8 215 116 129
2   Metallurg Magnitogorsk 56 34 2 4 1 0 15 167 111 115
3   Ak Bars Kazan 56 25 4 4 3 2 18 159 128 96
4   Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 56 27 3 1 4 0 21 176 166 93
5   Avangard Omsk 56 24 2 2 6 4 181 1521 1281 901
6   Barys Astana 56 20 5 1 6 1 23 169 173 79
7   Traktor Chelyabinsk 56 18 0 3 2 2 31 137 192 64
8   Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 56 14 2 6 2 4 28 127 159 64
9   Sibir Novosibirsk 56 15 2 5 3 1 30 147 190 63
10   Amur Khabarovsk 56 12 3 6 4 2 29 129 187 60
11   Lada Togliatti 56 14 0 2 6 3 31 115 173 55
12   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 counted as a 5–0 defeat for both teams with no points being awarded.[6][7]

Divisional standings

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Western Conference

DR CR Bobrov Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
1 1   SKA Saint Petersburg 56 36 1 3 3 3 10 192 118 122
2 3   Dynamo Moscow 56 28 2 3 4 3 16 166 151 101
3 6   HC Spartak Moscow 56 24 4 4 4 0 20 178 168 92
4 7   CSKA Moscow 56 22 3 5 4 1 21 148 135 87
5 8   Dinamo Riga 56 23 1 3 4 3 22 174 175 84
6 11   Dinamo Minsk 56 17 1 5 2 0 31 139 164 65
DR CR Tarasov Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
1 2   HC MVD 56 30 1 0 6 4 15 160 135 102
2 4   Atlant Moscow Oblast 56 24 4 9 1 2 16 173 137 101
3 5   Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 56 26 3 2 4 4 17 163 132 96
4 3   Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 56 22 1 1 1 4 27 154 163 75
5 3   Severstal Cherepovets 56 16 2 7 6 2 23 151 162 74
6 12   Vityaz Chekhov 56 13 3 2 2 3 33 142 216 54

Eastern Conference

DR CR Kharlamov Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
1 2   Metallurg Magnitogorsk 56 34 2 4 1 0 15 167 111 115
2 3   Ak Bars Kazan 56 25 4 4 3 2 18 159 128 96
3 4   Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 56 27 3 1 4 0 21 176 166 93
4 7   Traktor Chelyabinsk 56 18 0 3 2 2 31 137 192 64
5 8   Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 56 14 2 6 2 4 28 127 159 64
6 11   Lada Togliatti 56 14 0 2 6 3 31 115 173 55
DR CR Chernyshev Division GP W OTW SOW SOL OTL L GF GA Pts
1 1   Salavat Yulaev Ufa 56 37 4 3 3 1 8 215 116 129
2 5   Avangard Omsk 56 24 2 2 6 4 18 152 128 90
3 6   Barys Astana 56 20 5 1 6 1 23 169 173 79
4 9   Sibir Novosibirsk 56 15 2 5 3 1 30 147 190 63
5 10   Amur Khabarovsk 56 12 3 6 4 2 29 129 187 60
6 12   Metallurg Novokuznetsk 56 13 1 2 2 5 33 105 159 52

League leaders

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Source: khl.ru[11][12]

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

Goaltenders: minimum 20 games played

Scoring leaders

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Source: khl.ru[13]

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

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
  Sergei Mozyakin Atlant Moscow Oblast 56 27 39 66 +24 44
  Maxim Sushinski SKA Saint Petersburg 56 27 38 65 +28 87
  Alexei Yashin SKA Saint Petersburg 56 18 46 64 +21 38
  Alexander Radulov Salavat Yulaev Ufa 54 24 39 63 +44 62
  Mattias Weinhandl Dynamo Moscow 56 26 34 60 +10 36
  Patrick Thoresen Salavat Yulaev Ufa 56 24 33 57 +45 71
  Marcel Hossa Dinamo Riga 56 35 19 54 –3 44
  Jiří Hudler Dynamo Moscow 54 19 35 54 +7 115
  Branko Radivojevič Spartak Moscow 56 18 36 54 –4 18
  Sergei Zinovjev Salavat Yulaev Ufa 47 17 36 53 +24 83

Leading goaltenders

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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
  Petri Vehanen Ak Bars Kazan 25 1528:58 15 5 5 44 3 .935 1.73
  Alexander Yeremenko Salavat Yulaev Ufa 32 1769:55 24 5 0 52 2 .931 1.76
  Ilya Proskuryakov Metallurg Magnitogorsk 32 1809:31 19 8 4 58 4 .927 1.92
  Vasily Koshechkin Metallurg Magnitogorsk 49 2840:43 25 16 8 93 8 .933 1.96
  Michael Garnett HC MVD 44 2561:54 24 15 4 88 5 .917 2.06

Playoffs

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The Gagarin Cup

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 Quarterfinals Conference Semifinals Conference Finals Gagarin Cup Finals
            
1   Salavat Yulaev 3
8   Avtomobilist 1
1   Salavat Yulaev 4
4   Neftekhimik 2
2   Metallurg Mg 3
7   Traktor 1
1   Salavat Yulaev 2
Eastern Conference
3   Ak Bars 4
3   Ak Bars 3
6   Barys 0
2   Metallurg Mg 2
3   Ak Bars 4
4   Neftekhimik 3
5   Avangard 0
E   Ak Bars 4
W   HC MVD 3
1   SKA 1
8   Dinamo Riga 3
2   HC MVD 4
8   Dinamo Riga 1
2   HC MVD 3
7   CSKA 0
2   HC MVD 4
Western Conference
5   Lokomotiv 3
3   Dynamo Moscow 1
6   Spartak 3
5   Lokomotiv 4
6   Spartak 2
4   Atlant 1
5   Lokomotiv 3

Playoff leaders

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Source: khl.ru[15][16]

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

Goaltenders: minimum 5 games played

Scoring leaders

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Source: khl.ru[17]

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

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

Leading goaltenders

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

Final standings

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

Awards

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Players of the Month

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Best KHL players of each month.

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

KHL Awards

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

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

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

References

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  1. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b "KHL Board of Directors Approved Championship Structure". KHL.ru. 16 June 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  3. ^ "Goal crease diagram". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  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. ^ a b "Brawl in KHL game yields 691 penalty minutes". ESPN.com. 10 January 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Both teams lose". en.khl.ru. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  8. ^ "No revenge for Yashin". KHL.ru. 30 January 2010. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. 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. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  12. ^ "KHL Regular Season Statistics: Goalies". KHL.ru. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. 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. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  21. ^ "November's finest". KHL.ru. 2 December 2009. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  22. ^ "December's finest". KHL.ru. 1 January 2010. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. 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. 1 April 2010. Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  25. ^ "April's Finest". KHL.ru. 29 April 2010. 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.