2020–21 KHL season

The 2020–21 KHL season is the thirteenth season of the Kontinental Hockey League. There are 23 teams that will compete in 60 regular season games with a preliminary start date earmarked for 2 September 2020.[1]

2020–21 KHL season
LeagueKontinental Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Duration
  • 2 September 2020 – 27 February 2021 (regular season)
  • 2 March – 30 April 2021 (playoffs)
Number of games60
Number of teams23
Regular season

With the previous 2019–20 season, ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe,[2] the return to play remains conditional on the easing of current restrictions in Russia and the other countries represented in the KHL.[3]

Season changes

For the 2020–21 season, the competition was reduced to 23 teams after Admiral Vladivostok announced their withdrawal, aiming for a season hiatus due to coronavirus affecting their financial status.[4]

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 will be 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.[5]

Due to the on-going travel restrictions against COVID-19 pandemic, Kunlun Red Star determined that they would be unable to play in Cadillac Arena situated in Beijing, China for this season. In August, the club signed a contract to play out of Arena Mytishchi, the second venue for the 2007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships located on the outskirts of Moscow.[6] It is widely believed that the promotion of ice hockey to potential followers in China before 2022 Winter Olympics would be hampered as a result.

Teams

The 23 teams are 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
Jokerit CSKA Moscow Ak Bars Kazan Amur Khabarovsk
Severstal Cherepovets Dinamo Minsk Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg Avangard Omsk
SKA Saint Petersburg Dinamo Riga Metallurg Magnitogorsk Barys Nur-Sultan
HC Sochi Dynamo Moscow Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk Kunlun Red Star
Spartak Moscow Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Vityaz Podolsk Traktor Chelyabinsk Sibir Novosibirsk

League standings

Each team is scheduled to play 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.[1]

Points are 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 will be 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 is crowned the Continental Cup winner.

Western Conference
Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 CSKA Moscow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs[lower-alpha 1]
2 Dinamo Minsk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Dinamo Riga 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs
4 Dynamo Moscow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Jokerit 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 HC Sochi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Severstal Cherepovets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 SKA Saint Petersburg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Spartak Moscow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Vityaz Podolsk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 2 September 2020. Source: KHL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 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.
Notes:
  1. Teams leading a division hold one of the first two places of their conference.

Eastern Conference
Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Ak Bars Kazan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs[lower-alpha 1]
2 Amur Khabarovsk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Avangard Omsk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs
4 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Barys Nur-Sultan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Kunlun Red Star 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Sibir Novosibirsk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Traktor Chelyabinsk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 2 September 2020. Source: KHL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 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.
Notes:
  1. Teams leading a division hold one of the first two places of their conference.

References
  1. Potts, Andy (7 August 2020). "The KHL schedule for 2020-2021 – we start on Sep. 2!". KHL.ru. Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  2. "KHL has cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 season". KHL.ru. Kontinental Hockey League. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  3. "September 2 start date planned". Kontinental Hockey League. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  4. Ellis, Steven (1 April 2020). "Admiral Vladivostok announces withdrawal from KHL's 2020-21 season due to coronavirus". TheHockeyNews. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  5. "Pre-season plans". Kontinental Hockey League. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  6. Potts, Andy (22 July 2020). "Kovalev to coach Kunlun Red Star". IIHF. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
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