KHL.ru is reviewing the 2024/2025 season for every team. Sibir, under the guidance of Vadim Yepanchintsev, successfully returned to the playoffs and delivered a compelling series against Salavat Yulaev.
Sibir`s 2024/2025 campaign began with a challenging sequence of losses – a 1:2 defeat to Avangard in the “Siberian Derby,” followed by being shut out 0:4 by Avtomobilist, and then a heavy 2:8 loss to CSKA. However, after this rough start, the team rebounded impressively with a six-game winning streak. Overall, Sibir`s season was inconsistent. They demonstrated strong periods, boasted an excellent power play conversion rate (26.9% in the regular season), and benefited from standout goaltending by Denis Kostin. However, winning stretches were often followed by prolonged slumps, and the team struggled to generate offense at even strength, generally lacking high scoring output.
Sibir was the final team to clinch a playoff berth for 2025, ultimately finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference, setting up a first-round matchup against Salavat Yulaev. Their Gagarin Cup journey started dreadfully with heavy road losses (0:7, 2:8). Yet, back home in Novosibirsk, Sibir underwent a transformation, adopting a pragmatic and successful style. Consecutive 2:0 and 2:1 victories tied the series, a remarkable turnaround after the initial games in Ufa. The teams then traded 5:2 home wins, leading to a decisive Game 7. The finale included a controversial early moment when a potential Sibir goal was waved off as the puck didn`t fully cross the line. Salavat scored twice in the second period, and although Sibir pulled one back in the third thanks to a shot from Taylor Beck, they couldn`t find the equalizer to force overtime.
Key Players
Denis Kostin
Denis Kostin served as Sibir`s primary goaltender for the season. He appeared in 47 regular season games, securing 22 wins with impressive stats: a .930 save percentage (third-best in the league), a 2.28 goals-against average, and six shutouts. In the Gagarin Cup playoffs, he posted a .911 SV% and 3.09 GAA, notably increasing his save count in Games 6 and 7 (33 and 34 saves, respectively).
Sergei Shirokov
Gagarin Cup champion Sergei Shirokov joined Sibir before the 2024/2025 season and immediately became a vital team member, contributing significantly both on and off the ice. He played 68 games, tallying 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) to finish as the team`s third-highest scorer.
Trevor Murphy
The 2024/2025 season marked a career-best for defenseman Trevor Murphy. He recorded 58 points (13 goals, 45 assists) in the regular season and added 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in the seven-game playoff series, making him Sibir`s leading scorer. While his defensive game had flaws (reflected by a -23 plus/minus rating), Murphy was highly effective in driving Sibir`s offensive transitions.
Coach
Vadim Yepanchintsev`s first season at the helm of Sibir saw the team achieve 29 regular season victories and return to the playoffs. Reflecting on the season, the coach stated, “We clearly understood why we alternated between wins and losses – it was due to the team`s internal dynamics. We need to draw the right conclusions to avoid repeating this in the future. We tried to emphasize offense, but playing a counter-attacking style (`second number`) proved more effective. Positional attacks didn`t always succeed. We lacked goals at 5-on-5 to secure victories. However, transition attacks and the power play were successful.”
Best Game
On November 1st, Sibir faced Metallurg on the road. The home team started strong, netting two goals in the first period. In the second, captain Sergei Shirokov responded by scoring one back, but a goal by Nikita Mikhailis early in the third period restored the two-goal lead for Metallurg. Sibir refused to quit; Shirokov completed his double in the 49th minute, and Vladislav Kara added two late goals. Kara`s second goal, scored at 57:14, proved to be the game-winner for Sibir.
Young Players
On the defensive side, Artyom Zhukov stands out. The 22-year-old defenseman played 36 games in 2024/2025, averaging around 15 minutes per game, and contributed 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) with a +3 rating. Also debuting for Sibir last season was 18-year-old Yaroslav Belyakov, who appeared in 15 games with an average ice time of 6:07.
A rising prospect for Sibir is forward Alexander Pershakov, who turned 18 during the 2024/2025 season. Alexander made his top-level debut in September and registered an assist in his very first game.
20-year-old Vladimir Mikhalev saw less KHL action this season (just 5 games) compared to the previous year. However, he wasn`t short on playing time, featuring in the MHL (18 games, 7+7), VHL (29 games, 3+3), and even the KHL 3×3 Championship (18 games, 14+6).
The Klimovich brothers also made appearances. Egor, a participant in the MHL Challenge Cup and 2025 KHL All-Star Game, played four games without scoring. Ivan featured more frequently, playing 15 regular season games (0+2) and five playoff games (2+0).
Offseason Moves
Sibir has been quite active during the current offseason. The team has seen some departures: Denis Kostin moved to Torpedo, Nikita Korotkov to Metallurg, and Taylor Beck signed with Geneva-Servette in Switzerland. While they haven`t yet added a new goaltender, the forward group looks interesting. Former captains Nikita Soshnikov (from Admiral) and Vladimir Tkachev (from Traktor) have joined the team. Gagarin Cup winner Arkhip Nekolenko, who had an excellent season with Lada, also signed.
Club management mentioned ongoing negotiations with Trevor Murphy. The Canadian remains a free agent, though the role of offensive defenseman appears to have been filled by David Farrance. The American played for KooKoo in Finland during the 2024/2025 season, recording 37 points (2 goals, 35 assists) and a +26 rating in 57 games.
Gareth Tenby 
Neville Woodall