This review from KHL.ru covers Severstal`s 2024/2025 season. For the fifth year running, Severstal secured a playoff spot, all while maintaining its status as one of the league`s youngest squads.
Since 2019, Severstal has consistently been the league`s youngest team. After missing the playoffs initially, they became regulars for four years, consistently securing a spot without last-minute drama (finishing 7th and 6th once each, and 5th twice). However, their playoff journey consistently ended in the first round. The 2024/2025 season saw a slight increase in the team`s average age with the additions of Alexei Kruchinin and Yaroslav Dyblenko (though Dyblenko missed significant time due to injury, including playoffs). The result mirrored previous years: 6th in the regular season and a first-round exit.
This was the second consecutive year they were eliminated by Spartak, again in a relatively short five-game series with one overtime. While their regular season games were often high-scoring and exciting, Spartak adapted better to the playoff environment. Severstal`s leading line surprisingly struggled offensively in the postseason, failing to score a single goal.
Key Players
Danil Aimurzin
31+27 in 71 games
Aimurzin centered Severstal`s leading line, which was also the most productive in the entire regular season (42 goals with all three forwards on the ice). As the center, Danil was the offensive engine and the team`s top scorer and point-getter. However, his strong season ended disappointingly in the playoffs, where he recorded only one assist in five games.
Kirill Pilipenko
30+26 in 68 games
Pilipenko finished just one goal behind Aimurzin in the regular season. In the playoffs, he played only the first two games before disappearing from the lineup. At the time, no injury was reported, leading to speculation it was a coaching decision reacting to two unproductive games. It was only after the series ended that it became known Kirill had an injury requiring surgery. His absence was a major factor in both the top line`s reduced effectiveness and the brevity of the series.
Mikhail Ilyin
7+24 in 69 games
Ilyin scored significantly less than Aimurzin and Pilipenko but was an integral part of the outstanding top line. This was particularly true at even strength, as Mikhail appeared on the first power-play unit less frequently.
Coach
Andrei Kozyrev`s coaching style is the polar opposite of his playing days (a tough, low-scoring defenseman). As a coach, he preaches an attacking, combination-based game built on puck control, passing, and high pressure, often ignoring dump-ins and physical play. This approach is very attractive, and given Severstal`s modest budget and the youth of the vast majority of the players, the results achieved are outstanding in terms of “price/quality” – though primarily in the regular season. In playoff battles, Kozyrev`s schemes were less effective.
However, this was only his second year as a KHL head coach; experience is accumulating, and adjustments are likely. Notably, Kozyrev publicly took full responsibility for the first-round exit after the fifth game against Spartak – a gesture not common among coaches. This is not only a commendable act but also indicates that mistakes have been acknowledged.
Best Game
In the regular season, Severstal and Spartak split their series 2-2, with each game being exciting. The third encounter was particularly spectacular: Cherepovets built a three-goal lead before the midway point of the first period but allowed Spartak to catch up by the middle of the second. Severstal took the lead four more times, and Spartak equalized three times.
While allowing six goals certainly didn`t make it Severstal`s *best* game defensively, it was undoubtedly the most thrilling – not just for them, but arguably in the entire season.
Young Players
As mentioned earlier, by average age (25 years and 38 days), only Sochi was younger than Severstal. Aimurzin and Ilyin have also been discussed; additionally, Kozyrev utilized another 16 players aged 23 or younger, eight of whom played over half the team`s games.
Defenders Vladimir Grudinin and Timofey Davydov, along with forwards Ivan Podshivalov, Ilya Ivantsov, and Timur Mukhanov, made significant contributions to the team`s results.
Offseason Work
Kozyrev`s contract was extended in April. Contracts were also renewed with most key leaders, including Aimurzin and Pilipenko – a major success considering both were pursued by richer clubs. However, they will need a new linemate as Ilyin has decided to try playing overseas.
Departures like Kruchinin (to Torpedo), Andrei Churkin (to Sibir), and Mark Barberio (currently unsigned) are not seen as devastating losses. The team has already added new players, and almost all are familiar to Kozyrev: Daniil Bokun and Danil Veryayev from Torpedo; Grigory Vaschenko and Nikita Kamalov from SKA-Neva; Kirill Tankov from both SKA-Neva and SKA-1946 systems; Alexander Zhabreev is making a second attempt after failing to establish himself with Severstal last season. The only unfamiliar face is Thomas Gregoire. He will turn 27 in July and arrived from Switzerland. Previously, he was the top assisting defenseman in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the top scoring defenseman in the Finnish league.
Gareth Tenby