Reviewing the 2024/2025 Kontinental Hockey League season for each team. In their second year since returning to the KHL, Lada Togliatti did not manage to qualify for the playoffs. The season saw significant changes, including the departure of the head coach and the main goaltender.
Lada`s second season back in the KHL proved less successful than their first. In the 2023/2024 championship, the team secured 32 victories and reached the playoffs from seventh place in the Eastern Conference. However, in the 2024/2025 season, Lada won only 22 games, losing their chance at a playoff spot a couple of weeks before the regular season concluded. It`s important to note the mid-season parting with two crucial figures: head coach Oleg Bratash and starting goaltender Vladislav Podyapolsky. These changes undoubtedly had a noticeable impact on the team`s performance.
Top Players
Nikita Mikhailov
Nikita Mikhailov made his KHL debut in the 2018/2019 season, but had not experienced a season as strong as this one since then. The forward equaled his personal record for goals in a single championship (13) and surpassed his previous best points total by eleven points, accumulating 36 points. In one of the final games of the season, Mikhailov also recorded his first KHL hat-trick.
Dmitry Kugryshev
Experienced forward Dmitry Kugryshev appears to be well-suited to Lada, registering over 30 points in the regular season for the second consecutive year. Kugryshev finished the 2024/2025 season with 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists), the second-highest tally on the team. Additionally, Kugryshev`s attempts were decisive for Lada in shootout victories on two occasions.
Magomed Sharakanov
Dynamo Moscow player Sharakanov played for Lada on loan, making this his first full KHL season. The 20-year-old defenseman had an outstanding performance. While his traditional plus-minus rating was negative (-6), he was highly effective in Lada`s offense, contributing 6 goals and 16 assists. His lacrosse-style goal against his parent club Dynamo was one of the standout moments of the 2024/2025 season.
Coach
Lada began the season under head coach Oleg Bratash. The Togliatti team secured ten wins in 24 games with him at the helm. Following the separation from Bratash, Pavel Zubov took charge. Initially serving as acting head coach, he was officially named head coach in February. Zubov`s record was 12 wins in 44 games.
Best Match
Even after losing their playoff chances, Lada continued to pose a challenge to opponents. On March 16, Neftekhimik visited, still holding mathematical hopes for a top-eight finish. Although Neftekhimik seemed poised to fight hard, the game concluded with a decisive 7:1 victory for Lada. Despite being outshot 25-32, Togliatti demonstrated exceptional finishing ability that evening. Dmitry Kugryshev earned 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists), Anthony Camara scored twice, and Alexander Trushkov stopped 31 shots.
Young Players
The most notable U23 star for Lada this season was the aforementioned Sharakanov. However, besides the defenseman on loan from Dynamo, several other promising young players featured for Lada. Worth mentioning is 22-year-old defenseman Egor Morozov, who played 27 games with an average ice time of 12:03, recording 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) and a positive plus-minus rating of +1. Another young defenseman, Karim Vafin, is making strides towards the main roster. He played only eight KHL games this season but was actively involved with CSK VVS in the VHL (41 games, 0 goals, 8 assists, -6).
In the forward group, Alexander Volkov (34 games, 7 goals, 6 assists), Egor Chernikov (38 games, 8 goals, 4 assists), and Alexander Gosudarev (28 games, 2 goals, 3 assists) showed potential. However, Volkov and Chernikov are set to play for other teams next season, while Gosudarev, a leader for Lada`s junior team “Ladya,” remains within the Togliatti club`s system.
Offseason Work
Lada has seen changes in leadership, with a new head coach, Boris Mironov, appointed. Regarding players, Lada extended contracts with Mikhailov and Kugryshev, as well as Artyom Manukyan, Danil Yurtaykin, and Evgeny Kalabushkin. As for new player acquisitions, there are currently only four additions listed. These include defenseman Igor Safonov from Yuzhny Ural (VHL), and forwards Daniil Anop (AKM, VHL), along with Daniil Bashkirov and Ilya Reinhardt, who joined Lada as part of a trade with Avangard.
Neville Woodall 
Gareth Tenby