KHL.ru is summarizing the 2024/2025 season for each team. Last summer, it was expected that this championship would be Amur`s best ever in the KHL. But it turned out exactly the opposite.
Amur has competed in the KHL since its inaugural season, making the playoffs only three times during that entire period. The Khabarovsk team has frequently finished second to last, and sometimes even last in the overall standings, so their current performance isn`t entirely unprecedented. However, relative to the expectations set, the past season was unequivocally their most disappointing in history, without any reservations.
Two years prior, Amur`s funding significantly increased, which coincided with (or perhaps drove) raised ambitions. Consequently, the Far East club reached the playoffs and offered a strong challenge to the eventual champions. Last summer, most key players were retained, and the squad was selectively reinforced. Pre-season forecasts largely placed Amur confidently within the top eight teams, rather than merely on the cusp. Yet, from the outset, things deviated from the plan. Khabarovsk began the championship with two shutout losses, collecting only six points throughout September and adding just six more in October. A dismal road trip in late October to Moscow (CSKA), Yaroslavl, and Cherepovets, losing with a combined score of 0:15, resulted in the dismissal of Andrei Martemyanov. This coaching change brought little improvement – a 0:1 loss to Dynamo Moscow and a 0:5 defeat at home against Admiral pushed Amur to the bottom of the overall standings, where they remained entrenched, securing just three points across November.
They finally ascended from last to second to last place in mid-January and didn`t climb any higher by the season`s end. In the final stretch, the Far East team won three out of four games, but these results were inconsequential, as their opponents – Barys and Lada (twice) – also had nothing left to contend for. Nevertheless, the match against Barys was noteworthy: Yakov Rylov`s final game at the Khabarovsk arena, and his farewell to the spectators was deeply emotional. Shortly before, Yakov was formally congratulated on his 1000th game in national championships, arguably the most significant highlight for Amur throughout the season.
Top Performers
10 goals, 13 assists in 68 games
Gizdatullin is a defensive forward, so offensive output isn`t his primary asset. Nevertheless, it`s worth noting that he achieved a career-high in KHL points, surpassing his previous best of 8+6 set the prior year. In terms of defensive performance, Artur was fully effective. He was the only Amur player to appear in all 68 matches, managing a plus/minus rating of -7 over that span. While negative, this figure is remarkably strong for a team that conceded 235 goals (tied with Kunlun Red Star for the most allowed).
20 goals, 18 assists in 59 games
In comparison, Galchenyuk`s plus/minus was -23 in fewer games. Alexander didn`t immediately find his footing with the new team, but he ultimately led the squad in both goals and overall points. While certainly more was anticipated from him, this reality doesn`t negate the significance of his scoring, playmaking, and ability to draw penalties – the team`s situation would have been even more dire without his contributions.
5 goals, 17 assists in 64 games
Mishchenko, similar to Gizdatullin, had a career-best season from a scoring perspective. And, just like Gizdatullin, his primary value lies not in points but in his relentless work ethic and commitment. Among Amur defensemen, he was not only the top scorer but also led in hits (84), and across the entire team, he led in blocked shots (109) and average ice time (21 minutes and 57 seconds per game). Closer to the end of the regular season, Ivan even wore the captain`s patch before it was later given to Galchenyuk.
11 goals, 13 assists in 62 games
It`s somewhat peculiar that Oleg Li wasn`t considered for the captaincy role. After a frankly unsuccessful season split between Avtomobilist and Torpedo, it seemed he was recruited by Amur more for his leadership qualities than strictly his hockey prowess. However, he demonstrated both. During challenging moments – of which the Khabarovsk team had more than enough – he frequently set an example for his teammates; he undertook a significant amount of work (exceeding Mishchenko in hits, trailing only Vyacheslav Gretsky), and he contributed points with reasonable regularity.
Coaching
Amur likely acted too quickly in dismissing Andrei Martemyanov, who stands as the club`s most successful head coach in its KHL history. Furthermore, he had successfully navigated a similarly prolonged crisis period just the season before. More fundamentally, early coaching changes very seldom yield positive results (as clearly demonstrated by Barys, who parted ways with David Nemirovsky even earlier than Martemyanov, and subsequently with his replacement, Vyacheslav Butsayev). This change brought no improvement for Amur either, and for Andrei Alekseevich, it tragically culminated in a stroke in March, leading to his deeply regrettable passing.
The team was subsequently led by Viktor Kostyuchenok, who had no previous experience as a head coach or even an interim one. Simultaneously, negotiations were underway with Alexei Zavarukhin, and a contract was reportedly signed, though for reasons unknown, it never became effective. Under Kostyuchenok`s guidance, the team`s situation didn`t improve but didn`t deteriorate either – Amur won 13 out of 48 games and secured six additional points in overtime losses, resulting in a slightly higher points percentage (27.08%) compared to the initial two months of the regular season (26.67%).
Highlight Game
Following the New Year break, Ak Bars secured three consecutive victories, including a 4:1 win in Khabarovsk. Two days later, in the return fixture, the hosts found themselves trailing 0:2 by the fourth minute after two goals from Dmitry Yashkin. By the start of the second period, they were down 1:3, and at the beginning of the third, 2:4. However, Alex Broadhurst and Devin Brosso leveled the score within just over a minute, and shortly before the end of regulation time, Galchenyuk netted the winning goal, securing a remarkable comeback victory for Amur.
Young Talent
Reverting to Gizdatullin`s plus/minus statistic, Ignat Korotkikh warrants particular attention, as he registered a -3 rating – the best among all Amur players who participated in at least 20 games (Korotkikh played 52). He did not feature in the lineup at the season`s outset, receiving his first opportunity only in late September. By the conclusion of the regular season, he had established himself as the second-line center, logging 20 minutes or more per game. The aforementioned offensive contribution from Oleg Li is, in part, a result of Ignat`s play.
Overall, neither Martemyanov nor Kostyuchenok extensively utilized young players. Beyond Korotkikh, Damir Shaimardanov is worth noting, although he turned 23 in February. He was called up to the main squad starting in December, appearing in 16 games (four of which were partial). As a KHL debutant, Damir displayed considerable confidence, even securing one shutout.
Offseason Outlook
A year ago, the Khabarovsk team made a surprising roster addition with Alexander Galchenyuk, who will now need the designation “Jr.” because Amur is set to be led by Alexander Galchenyuk Sr. This appointment was met with perhaps even greater astonishment, as Alexander Nikolaevich currently lacks head coaching experience. However, he is not entirely new to the Amur organization, having previously served as a development coach. Concurrently, the general manager role also changed, with Oleg Filimonov taking over – a former Amur goaltender who had continuously worked with Khabarovsk`s netminders since 2004.
As of early June, Amur has active contracts with two goaltenders, three defensemen, and nine forwards. On one hand, this appears lean, particularly on defense; on the other hand, it includes all the aforementioned key players (as well as Korotkikh and Shaimardanov). Furthermore, Kirill Urakov was recently signed from Neftekhimik, and Artyom Shvaryov was acquired via trade from Yugra. Among players whose contracts expired, there are currently only two definitive departures: Yakov Rylov concluded his distinguished career, and Dmitry Shevchenko transferred to Torpedo.
Gareth Tenby