2020-21 KHL season

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2020–21 KHL season
League Kontinental Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Duration
  • 2 September 2020 – 27 February 2021 (regular season)
  • 2 March – 28 April 2021 (playoffs)
Number of games 60
Number of teams 23
Regular season
Continental Cup winner CSKA Moscow
(91 points)
Top scorer
Playoffs
Western champions CSKA Moscow
  Western runners-up SKA Saint Petersburg
Eastern champions Avangard Omsk
  Eastern runners-up Ak Bars Kazan
Finals champions Avangard Omsk
  Runners-up CSKA Moscow
KHL seasons

The 2020–21 KHL season was the 13th season of the Kontinental Hockey League. There were 23 teams that competed in 60 regular season games, beginning on 2 September 2020 and finishing on 27 February 2021.[1] The playoffs were held from 2 March, culminating in Game 6 of the Gagarin Cup Finals on 28 April. Avangard Omsk won their first Gagarin Cup title, avenging their sweep in the finals of the 2019 Gagarin Cup playoffs, defeating CSKA Moscow by 4 games to 2.[2]

Season changes

For the 2020–21 season, the competition was reduced to 23 teams after Admiral Vladivostok took a hiatus for the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia affecting their financial status.[3]

With pre-season events returning to the schedule in August as a part of preparations to start the season, Jokerit, whose ability to stage games was governed by Finland's restrictions in response to the coronavirus pandemic, announced that it expected to play before a reduced audience at the Hartwall Arena during the first month of the campaign.[4]

Due to the on-going travel restrictions against the COVID-19 pandemic, Kunlun Red Star determined that they would be unable to play in Wukesong Arena situated in Beijing, China for this season. In August, the club signed a contract to play out of Mytishchi Arena, the second venue for the 2007 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships located on the outskirts of Moscow.[5]

Teams

The 23 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 hiatus from the league, and to alleviate any potential issues with teams transiting during the COVID-19 pandemic, several conference and divisional changes were announced.[1]

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

Standings

Each team played 60 games: playing every other team home-and-away (44 games), 8–10 games against division rivals and 6–8 games against teams in the other division in their respective conference.

Points were awarded for each game, where two points were awarded for all victories, regardless of whether it is 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. At the end of the regular season, the team that finished with the most points was crowned the Continental Cup winner.

Western Conference

Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 CSKA Moscow (Z) 60 34 9 5 12 182 121 +61 91 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs
2 SKA Saint Petersburg (X) 60 33 4 8 15 178 126 +52 82
3 Dynamo Moscow 60 34 5 6 15 195 137 +58 84 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs
4 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 60 30 8 7 15 181 126 +55 83
5 Jokerit 60 26 6 9 19 174 153 +21 73
6 Severstal Cherepovets 60 23 9 4 24 149 159 −10 68
7 Dinamo Minsk 60 17 15 3 25 167 174 −7 67
8 Spartak Moscow 60 20 8 7 25 157 173 −16 63
9 Vityaz Podolsk 60 21 6 5 28 155 175 −20 59
10 HC Sochi 60 12 2 9 37 121 202 −81 37
11 Dinamo Riga 60 5 4 10 41 126 211 −85 28

Eastern Conference

Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Ak Bars Kazan (Y) 60 33 8 8 11 185 131 +54 90 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs
2 Avangard Omsk (X) 60 33 3 12 12 180 134 +46 84
3 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 60 31 6 7 16 165 138 +27 81 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs
4 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 60 28 10 5 17 181 151 +30 81
5 Traktor Chelyabinsk 60 27 7 6 20 157 143 +14 74
6 Barys Nur-Sultan 60 20 11 7 22 147 157 −10 69
7 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 60 24 6 8 22 152 154 −2 68
8 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 60 22 7 9 22 170 168 +2 67
9 Sibir Novosibirsk 60 20 7 4 29 146 155 −9 58
10 Amur Khabarovsk 60 17 7 7 29 146 171 −25 55
11 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 60 13 6 2 39 133 214 −81 40
12 Kunlun Red Star 60 11 2 8 39 139 213 −74 34

Gagarin Cup playoffs

Ak Bars Kazan were the Eastern Conference regular season winners with 90 points. It was determined despite a 2–3 overtime loss at home to Spartak Moscow.[6] CSKA Moscow were the Western Conference regular season winners with 91 points. It was determined following a 1–3 defeat suffered by closest challengers SKA Saint Petersburg, at home to Dynamo Moscow, leaving CSKA Moscow with an unassailable points lead.[7] CSKA Moscow won the Continental Cup for the third season in succession and sixth time overall, defeating Ak Bars Kazan 1–0 on the final day of the regular season.[8]

The 2021 Gagarin Cup playoffs started on 2 March 2021, and finished on 28 April 2021.[9] The top eight teams from each of the conferences qualified for the playoffs.

  Conference Quarterfinals Conference Semifinals Conference Finals Gagarin Cup Finals
                                     
1  Flag of Russia Ak Bars 4  
8  Flag of Russia Torpedo 0  
  1  Flag of Russia Ak Bars 4  
  4  Flag of Russia Salavat Yulaev 0  
2  Flag of Russia Avangard 4
7  Flag of Russia Avtomobilist 1  
  1  Flag of Russia Ak Bars 3  
Eastern Conference
  2  Flag of Russia Avangard 4  
3  Flag of Russia Metallurg 4  
6  Flag of Kazakhstan Barys 2  
  2  Flag of Russia Avangard 4
  3  Flag of Russia Metallurg 2  
4  Flag of Russia Salavat Yulaev 4
5  Flag of Russia Traktor 1  
  E2  Flag of Russia Avangard 4
  W1  Flag of Russia CSKA 2
1  Flag of Russia CSKA 4  
8  Flag of Russia Spartak 0  
  1  Flag of Russia CSKA 4
  4  Flag of Russia Lokomotiv 3  
2  Flag of Russia SKA 4
7  Flag of Belarus Dinamo 1  
  1  Flag of Russia CSKA 4
Western Conference
  2  Flag of Russia SKA 2  
3  Flag of Russia Dynamo 4  
6  Flag of Russia Severstal 1  
  2  Flag of Russia SKA 4
  3  Flag of Russia Dynamo 1  
4  Flag of Russia Lokomotiv 4
5  Flag of Finland Jokerit 0  

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Potts, Andy. "The KHL schedule for 2020-2021 – we start on Sep. 2!", KHL.ru, Kontinental Hockey League, 7 August 2020. 
  2. ↑ Potts, Andy. "Avangard wins Gagarin Cup, Tolchinsky sinks former colleagues. April 28", KHL.ru, Kontinental Hockey League, 28 April 2021. Retrieved on 28 April 2021. 
  3. ↑ Ellis, Steven (2020-04-01). "Admiral Vladivostok announces withdrawal from KHL's 2020-21 season due to coronavirus" (in en-CA). https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/admiral-vladivostok-announces-withdrawal-from-khls-2020-21-season-due-to-coronavirus. 
  4. ↑ "Pre-season plans". Kontinental Hockey League. 29 June 2020. https://en.khl.ru/news/2020/06/29/470593.html. 
  5. ↑ Potts, Andy (22 July 2020). "Kovalev to coach Kunlun Red Star". IIHF. https://www.iihf.com/en/news/20010/kovalev-to-coach-kunlun-red-star/. 
  6. ↑ "«Ак Барс – «Спартак» – 2:3 ОТ", Ak Bars Kazan, OOO SKP Tatneft - Ak Bars, 20 February 2021. Retrieved on 23 February 2021. (Russian) “«Ак Барс» по итогам 57 игр регулярки имеет 87 очков и досрочно обеспечил себе первое место в Восточной конференции. [Ak Bars has 87 points in 57 regular season games and secured first place in the Eastern Conference ahead of schedule.]” 
  7. ↑ Potts, Andy. "Jokerit books playoff spot, Spartak back in top 8. February 18 round-up", KHL.ru, Kontinental Hockey League, 18 February 2021. Retrieved on 23 February 2021. “CSKA clinched top place in the Conference due to SKA's loss at home to Dynamo Moscow [...]” 
  8. ↑ Potts, Andy. "CSKA tops the table. February 27 round-up", KHL.ru, Kontinental Hockey League, 27 February 2021. Retrieved on 27 February 2021. 
  9. ↑ Potts, Andy. "The KHL schedule for 2020-2021 – we start on Sep. 2! : News : Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)", KHL.ru, Kontinental Hockey League, 7 August 2020. “The playoffs are due to start on March 2, 2021, with a potential Gagarin Cup Final game seven pencilled in for April 30, if required.” 
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