KHL.ru reports on the outcome of the inaugural KHL 3×3 Championship, which saw Salavat Yulaev crowned as the first champion.
Regular Season
The 3×3 season commenced in December, with the regular championship consisting of 24 rounds, each spanning four days. The top two teams from every round qualified for the Super Game, where they competed for a ₽1 million prize certificate. Ak Bars proved most successful in the Super Game, winning it eight times. A testament to the high level of competition, every participating club managed to reach the Super Game on at least two occasions.
Ak Bars ultimately secured the regular season title, finishing with 116 points from 72 games, a commanding 21 points ahead of their nearest rival, Metallurg. Six of the eight participating teams advanced to the Super Final, while Sibir and Salavat Yulaev did not qualify from the regular season stage.
Super Final
The decisive stage of the KHL 3×3 Championship season took place from July 6 to 12 at CSKA Arena. The six qualified teams played a round-robin tournament, with the top four teams moving on to the semifinals. The round-robin phase included some surprises, notably Metallurg, who had been a consistent contender with Ak Bars throughout the season, finishing fifth and being eliminated alongside Avangard.
Salavat Yulaev topped the round-robin standings, suffering only one loss in five games. In the semifinals, Ufa defeated Dynamo Minsk with a comfortable 4:2 victory. In the parallel semifinal, Ak Bars faced Traktor and also secured a relatively untroubled win at 5:2. Traktor claimed third place by overcoming Minsk 7:3.
The final, an eagerly anticipated “Green Derby,” turned out to be a fiercely contested battle. Both teams scored one goal in regulation time, leading to a shootout. Salavat Yulaev emerged victorious in the shootout, claiming the historic first KHL 3×3 championship title.
Additionally, the KHL 3×3 Fest was held during the Super Final, featuring Russian star players who competed in a mini 3×3 tournament. Donat Stalnov`s team won the Fest, highlighted by an incredible comeback in the final after trailing significantly.
Best Players
The KHL 3×3 Championship is renowned for its exciting, high-scoring games, which is evident in the fact that the top five scorers each accumulated over 100 points during the season.
Metallurg`s Pavel Varfolomeev led the league in scoring with an impressive 143 points (92 goals, 51 assists). His teammate, Sergei Shmelev, finished second with 136 points (69 goals, 67 assists). Completing the top three was Ak Bars` Yuri Muravyov with 123 points (74 goals, 49 assists).
Varfolomeev also claimed the title of the league`s top goal scorer, while Shmelev was the leading assist provider. Muravyov excelled in the plus/minus rating (+85) and game-winning goals (17). Traktor players Artyom Borodkin and Grigory Nesvetaev led the league in blocked shots and faceoffs won, respectively.
Among goaltenders, Metallurg`s Kirill Kuzmenko had the highest save percentage (84.6%), while Ak Bars` Alexander Lazushin posted the best goals-against average (2.37).
Gareth Tenby