2021–22 KHL season

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
League	Kontinental Hockey League
Sport	Ice 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 games	56
Number of teams	24
TV partner(s)	Match TV KHL-TV
Regular season
Continental Cup winner	Not determined^[1]
Top scorer	Vadim Shipachyov (Dynamo Moscow) (67 points)
Playoffs
Playoffs MVP	Alexander Popov
Finals champions	CSKA Moscow
Runners-up	Metallurg Magnitogorsk
KHL seasons
← 2020–21 2022–23 →

Season changes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scoring leaders

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

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

1. 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. "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. 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.

External links

• Official website