The 2021–22 KHL season was the 14th season of the Kontinental Hockey League. There were 24 teams that competed in 56 regular season games, beginning on 1 September 2021 and was scheduled to finish on 1 March 2022.[2] However, the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia resulted in more than 50 games being postponed prior to the break for the 2022 Winter Olympics, and in February, it was announced that no further regular season games would be played following the break.[3][4] In the finals, CSKA beat Metallurg in seven games.

2021–22 KHL season
LeagueKontinental Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Duration
  • 1 September 2021 – 14 January 2022
    (regular season)
  • (curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia)
  • 1 March – 30 April 2022 (playoffs)
Number of games56
Number of teams24
TV partner(s)
Regular season
Continental Cup winnerNot determined[1]
Top scorer
Playoffs
Playoffs MVPAlexander Popov
Finals championsCSKA Moscow
  Runners-upMetallurg Magnitogorsk
KHL seasons

Season changes

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For the 2021–22 season, the competition returned to 24 teams after Admiral Vladivostok returned from a season's hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia affecting their financial status.[5]

There was an additional break during the season due to the 2022 Winter Olympics, held in February in Beijing, China.[2]

Teams

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The 24 teams were split into four divisions: the Bobrov Division and the Tarasov Division as part of the Western Conference, with the Kharlamov Division and the Chernyshev Division as part of the Eastern Conference.

Following Admiral Vladivostok's return to the league, Torpedo moved back to the Western Conference and joined the Bobrov Division, with Severstal moving into the Tarasov. Admiral was inserted back into the Chernyshev Division, with Kunlun Red Star moving into the Kharlamov Division.[2]

Western Conference Eastern Conference
Bobrov Division Tarasov Division Kharlamov Division Chernyshev Division
  Jokerit   CSKA Moscow   Ak Bars Kazan   Admiral Vladivostok
  SKA Saint Petersburg   Dinamo Minsk   Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg   Amur Khabarovsk
  HC Sochi   Dinamo Riga   Kunlun Red Star   Avangard Omsk
  Spartak Moscow   Dynamo Moscow   Metallurg Magnitogorsk   Barys Nur-Sultan
  Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod   Lokomotiv Yaroslavl   Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk   Salavat Yulaev Ufa
  Vityaz Podolsk   Severstal Cherepovets   Traktor Chelyabinsk   Sibir Novosibirsk

League standings

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Each team was scheduled to play 56 games: playing every other team home-and-away (46 games), plus additional home-and-away games against five intra-conference teams (10 games).[2][6] Points were awarded for each game, where two points were awarded for all victories, regardless of whether it was in regulation time, in overtime or after game-winning shots. One point was awarded for losing in overtime or game-winning shots, and zero points for losing in regulation time. In the 2021–22 season, the second seed in each conference would not be guaranteed to a divisional winner.[7]

With the discontinuation of the regular season, it was proposed that teams were to be ranked by points percentage, with the top eight from each conference scheduled to qualify for the Gagarin Cup playoffs. This was subject to approval by the KHL Board of Directors and the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia.[4] This was confirmed on 16 February.[1]

Western Conference

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Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD PCT Qualification
1 SKA Saint Petersburg (Y) 48 25 6 6 11 146 98 +48 .708 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs
2 Jokerit 47 22 7 6 12 143 113 +30 .681
3 CSKA Moscow 47 18 11 5 13 120 107 +13 .670
4 Dynamo Moscow 48 26 4 4 14 159 119 +40 .667
5 Severstal Cherepovets 49 18 10 7 14 129 119 +10 .643
6 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 47 19 4 9 15 113 103 +10 .585
7 Spartak Moscow 48 19 7 4 18 122 118 +4 .583
8 Dinamo Minsk 47 18 5 8 16 138 144 −6 .574
9 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 47 20 1 7 19 117 113 +4 .521
10 Vityaz Podolsk 48 9 6 13 20 121 149 −28 .448
11 HC Sochi 48 13 5 5 25 111 133 −22 .427
12 Dinamo Riga 45 9 5 9 22 93 143 −50 .411
Source: KHL
Rules for classification: 1) points percentage; 2) games won in regulation time; 3) games won in overtime; 4) games won in shootouts; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) drawing of lots.
(Y) Won conference

Eastern Conference

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Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD PCT Qualification
1 Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Y) 48 26 8 3 11 164 120 +44 .740 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs
2 Traktor Chelyabinsk 49 22 12 3 12 152 119 +33 .724
3 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 45 24 4 6 11 131 96 +35 .689
4 Ak Bars Kazan 48 21 9 6 12 129 109 +20 .688
5 Avangard Omsk 47 24 4 2 17 137 104 +33 .617
6 Sibir Novosibirsk 50 18 8 5 19 109 108 +1 .570
7 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 49 16 6 8 19 121 140 −19 .531
8 Barys Nur-Sultan 47 14 8 4 21 127 138 −11 .511
9 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 45 15 3 6 21 127 129 −2 .467
10 Amur Khabarovsk 50 12 7 8 23 97 125 −28 .460
11 Admiral Vladivostok 49 11 4 5 29 88 150 −62 .357
12 Kunlun Red Star 48 7 2 7 32 101 198 −97 .260
Source: KHL
Rules for classification: 1) points percentage; 2) games won in regulation time; 3) games won in overtime; 4) games won in shootouts; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) drawing of lots.
(Y) Won conference

Gagarin Cup playoffs

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Following the curtailment of the regular season, the playoffs were brought forward to start from 1 March.[1]

On 25 February 2022, Jokerit announced their withdrawal from the league for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[8] Their first round opponents Spartak Moscow were given four forfeit victories and progressed to the second round of the playoffs.[9] Dinamo Riga subsequently also withdrew from the league for the same reason.[10]

Conference Quarterfinals Conference Semifinals Conference Finals Gagarin Cup Finals
            
1   Metallurg 4
8   Barys 1
1   Metallurg 4
4   Avangard 3
2   Traktor 4
7   Neftekhimik 0
1   Metallurg 4
Eastern Conference
2   Traktor 1
3   Salavat Yulaev 4
6   Sibir Novosibirsk 1
2   Traktor 4
3   Salavat Yulaev 2
4   Ak Bars 2
5   Avangard 4
E1   Metallurg 3
W2   CSKA 4
1   SKA 4
8   Dinamo 0
1   SKA 4
4   Spartak 1
2   Jokerit 0
7   Spartak 4*
1   SKA 3
Western Conference
2   CSKA 4
3   CSKA 4
6   Lokomotiv 0
2   CSKA 4
3   Dynamo 0
4   Dynamo 4
5   Severstal 3

Statistics

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Scoring leaders

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The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of the regular season.[11] If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
  Vadim Shipachyov Dynamo Moscow 48 24 43 67 +11 47
  Andrei Kuzmenko SKA Saint Petersburg 45 20 33 53 +15 10
  Corban Knight Avangard Omsk 47 18 30 48 +8 21
  Damir Zhafyarov Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 47 18 27 45 +9 12
  Nikita Mikhailis Barys Nur-Sultan 47 18 26 44 +1 10
  Niko Ojamäki Vityaz Podolsk 48 29 14 43 –3 6
  Lukáš Sedlák Traktor Chelyabinsk 49 18 25 43 +19 36
  Stanislav Galiev Dynamo Moscow 47 25 17 42 +5 12
  Anton Burdasov SKA Saint Petersburg 41 23 19 42 +9 14
  Miro Aaltonen Vityaz Podolsk 44 10 32 42 –3 10

Leading goaltenders

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The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average, at the conclusion of the regular season.[12]

Player Team GP TOI W L GA SO SV% GAA
  Lars Johansson SKA Saint Petersburg 34 1917:52 20 9 52 9 93.23% 1.63
  Juha Metsola Salavat Yulaev Ufa 31 1760:53 18 10 55 5 93.12% 1.87
  Edward Pasquale Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 38 2295:58 19 16 76 1 91.60% 1.99
  Ivan Fedotov CSKA Moscow 26 1587:14 14 10 53 2 91.87% 2.00
  Harri Säteri Sibir Novosibirsk 38 2166:48 14 15 73 6 92.59% 2.02
  Timur Bilyalov Ak Bars Kazan 34 1950:18 18 10 67 2 91.57% 2.06
  Anton Krasotkin Sibir Novosibirsk 17 865:18 8 6 30 2 93.10% 2.08
  Anders Lindbäck Jokerit 28 1621:39 15 10 58 2 91.29% 2.15
  Šimon Hrubec Avangard Omsk 40 2301:25 22 15 84 5 92.16% 2.19
  Igor Bobkov Ak Bars Kazan 16 903:09 7 7 33 2 89.72% 2.19

References

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  1. ^ a b c Seren Rosso, Alessandro (16 February 2022). "Regular season won't be resumed, playoff to start on March 1st". KHL.ru. Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "KHL announces new structure for 2021-22 season". Kontinental Hockey League. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  3. ^ "The list of rescheduled games". KHL.ru. Kontinental Hockey League. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b Potts, Andy (5 February 2022). "Official statement on the continuation of the KHL season". KHL.ru. Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  5. ^ Ellis, Steven (1 April 2020). "Admiral Vladivostok announces withdrawal from KHL's 2020-21 season due to coronavirus". TheHockeyNews. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  6. ^ "The 2021-22 schedule". Kontinental Hockey League. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Kontinental Hockey League Championship – Russian Men's Ice Hockey Championship 2021/2022. Stage 2 Guidelines" (PDF). KHL.ru. Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 4 September 2021. In each Conference teams are seeded first to eighth depending on points scored and regardless of Division placing.
  8. ^ "Update: Jokerit confirm decision to end KHL season early". yle.fi. Yle. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  9. ^ Seren Rosso, Alessandro (25 February 2022). "Jokerit awarded forfeit losses in the series against Spartak". KHL.ru. Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Latvia's Dinamo Riga withdraws from KHL amidst Ukraine invasion". p. 1. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Leaders: Points (G+A)". KHL.ru. Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Leaders: Goaltenders (GAA)". KHL.ru. Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
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