The 2015–16 KHL season was the eighth season of the Kontinental Hockey League. The season started on 24 August 2015 with the Opening Cup between defending champions SKA Saint Petersburg and last year's Continental Cup winners CSKA Moscow, replacing Ak Bars Kazan, the previous season's Gagarin Cup finalists.[1][2]

2015–16 KHL season
LeagueKontinental Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Duration24 August 2015 – 19 April 2016
Number of games60
Number of teams28
Regular season
Continental Cup winnerRussia CSKA Moscow
Top scorerRussia Sergei Mozyakin
Playoffs
Western championsRussia CSKA Moscow
  Western runners-upRussia SKA Saint Petersburg
Eastern championsRussia Metallurg Magnitogorsk
  Eastern runners-upRussia Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Gagarin Cup
ChampionsRussia Metallurg Magnitogorsk
  Runners-upRussia CSKA Moscow
KHL seasons

Team changes

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Spartak Moscow returned to the league prior to this season.[3][4] It was also announced by KHL President Dmitry Chernyshenko that Atlant Moscow Oblast would not participate in the league this season due to financial problems.[5]

Divisions and regular season format

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In this season, each team played every other team once at home and once on the road, giving a total of 54 games (27 at home, 27 on the road), plus 6 additional games (3 at home, 3 on the road) played by each team against rival clubs from its own conference. Thus, each team played a total of 60 games in the regular season.[6]

How the teams are divided into divisions and conferences is shown in the table below.[2][7]

Western Conference Eastern Conference
Bobrov Division Tarasov Division Kharlamov Division Chernyshev Division
  Dinamo Minsk   CSKA Moscow   Ak Bars Kazan   Admiral Vladivostok
  Dinamo Riga   Dynamo Moscow   Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg   Amur Khabarovsk
  Jokerit   HC Sochi   Lada Togliatti   Avangard Omsk
  Medveščak Zagreb   Lokomotiv Yaroslavl   Metallurg Magnitogorsk   Barys Astana
  SKA Saint Petersburg   Severstal Cherepovets   Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk   Metallurg Novokuznetsk
  Slovan Bratislava   Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod   Traktor Chelyabinsk   Salavat Yulaev Ufa
  Spartak Moscow   Vityaz Podolsk   Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk   Sibir Novosibirsk

League standings

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Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 CSKA Moscow 60 38 5 3 14 163 87 +76 127 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs[a]
2 Jokerit 60 31 5 5 19 167 140 +27 108
3 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 60 37 6 2 15 155 94 +61 125 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs
4 HC Sochi 60 30 4 10 16 175 149 +26 108
5 Dynamo Moscow 60 27 8 8 17 167 126 +41 105
6 SKA Saint Petersburg 60 27 6 7 20 176 149 +27 100
7 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 60 23 10 11 16 163 137 +26 100
8 Slovan Bratislava 60 21 11 4 24 154 148 +6 89
9 Dinamo Minsk 60 20 7 9 24 147 168 −21 83
10 Medveščak Zagreb 60 19 6 9 26 144 172 −28 78
11 Spartak Moscow 60 20 5 7 28 139 172 −33 77
12 Dinamo Riga 60 17 8 8 27 129 151 −22 75
13 Vityaz Podolsk 60 17 8 3 32 129 166 −37 70
14 Severstal Cherepovets 60 12 8 6 34 124 167 −43 58
Updated to match(es) played on 18 February 2016. Source: KHL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) a higher number of wins in the regular time; 3) a higher number of wins in overtime and shootouts; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) drawing of lots.
Notes:
  1. ^ Two winners of divisions hold the first two places in the conference
Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Avangard Omsk 60 27 6 13 14 156 120 +36 106 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs[a]
2 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 60 25 13 2 20 180 138 +42 103
3 Sibir Novosibirsk 60 24 12 9 15 155 133 +22 105 Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs
4 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 60 29 5 4 22 179 156 +23 101
5 Ak Bars Kazan 60 25 6 9 20 143 127 +16 96
6 Admiral Vladivostok 60 25 8 4 23 157 163 −6 95
7 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 60 21 9 11 19 145 158 −13 92
8 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 60 20 7 12 21 130 135 −5 86
9 Barys Astana 60 21 8 6 25 167 184 −17 85
10 Traktor Chelyabinsk 60 17 12 8 23 132 151 −19 83
11 Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk 60 19 6 3 32 120 178 −58 72
12 Amur Khabarovsk 60 17 6 6 31 112 143 −31 69
13 Lada Togliatti 60 17 5 8 30 120 153 −33 69
14 Metallurg Novokuznetsk 60 13 1 14 32 128 191 −63 55
Updated to match(es) played on 18 February 2016. Source: KHL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) a higher number of wins in the regular time; 3) a higher number of wins in overtime and shootouts; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) drawing of lots.
Notes:
  1. ^ Two winners of divisions hold the first two places in the conference

Gagarin Cup Playoffs

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Gagarin Cup

The playoffs started on 21 February 2016 with the top eight teams from each of the conferences, and ended with the last game of the Gagarin Cup final on 19 April 2016.[8]

Bracket

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Conference Quarterfinals Conference Semifinals Conference Finals Gagarin Cup Finals
            
1   Avangard 4
8   Neftekhimik 0
1   Avangard 3
4   Salavat Yulaev 4
2   Metallurg Mg 4
7   Avtomobilist 2
4   Salavat Yulaev 1
Eastern Conference
2   Metallurg Mg 4
3   Sibir 4
6   Admiral 1
2   Metallurg Mg 4
3   Sibir 1
4   Salavat Yulaev 4
5   Ak Bars 3
2   Metallurg Mg 4
1   CSKA 3
1   CSKA 4
8   Slovan 0
1   CSKA 4
7   Torpedo 1
2   Jokerit 2
7   Torpedo 4
1   CSKA 4
Western Conference
6   SKA 0
3   Lokomotiv 1
6   SKA 4
5   Dynamo Msk 2
6   SKA 4
4   HC Sochi 0
5   Dynamo Msk 4

Final standings

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Rank Team
1   Metallurg Magnitogorsk
2   CSKA Moscow
3   Salavat Yulaev Ufa
4   SKA Saint Petersburg
5   Avangard Omsk
6   Dynamo Moscow
7   Sibir Novosibirsk
8   Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
9   Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
10   Jokerit
11   HC Sochi
12   Ak Bars Kazan
13   Admiral Vladivostok
14   Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
15   Slovan Bratislava
16   Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
17   Barys Astana
18   Dinamo Minsk
19   Traktor Chelyabinsk
20   Medveščak Zagreb
21   Spartak Moscow
22   Dinamo Riga
23   Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk
24   Vityaz Podolsk
25   Amur Khabarovsk
26   Lada Togliatti
27   Severstal Cherepovets
28   Metallurg Novokuznetsk

Player statistics

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Scoring leaders

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As of 18 February 2016

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
  Sergei Mozyakin Metallurg Magnitogorsk 57 32 35 67 +11 0
  Alexander Radulov CSKA Moscow 53 23 42 65 +28 73
  Brandon Bochenski Barys Astana 60 20 41 61 +16 48
  Vadim Shipachyov SKA Saint Petersburg 54 17 43 60 −8 63
  Linus Omark Salavat Yulaev Ufa 60 18 39 57 +12 40
  Matt Ellison Dinamo Minsk 54 26 29 55 −10 54
  Danis Zaripov Metallurg Magnitogorsk 60 22 32 54 +9 26
  Nigel Dawes Barys Astana 55 31 22 53 +15 16
  Justin Azevedo Ak Bars Kazan 59 17 36 53 +6 26
  Jan Kovář Metallurg Magnitogorsk 58 20 32 52 +7 61

Source: KHL

Leading goaltenders

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As of 18 February 2016

Player Team GP Min W L SOP GA SO SV% GAA
  Ilya Sorokin CSKA Moscow 28 1638:53 17 7 4 29 10 .953 1.06
  Alexei Murygin Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 34 1962:29 22 8 3 37 13 .954 1.13
  Stanislav Galimov CSKA/Ak Bars 28 1669:11 18 6 4 42 7 .938 1.51
  Viktor Fasth CSKA Moscow 20 1122:04 13 4 1 31 3 .921 1.66
  Alexander Yeryomenko Dynamo Moscow 23 1392:08 11 4 7 41 2 .936 1.77

Source: KHL

Awards

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Players of the Month

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Best KHL players of each month.

Month Goaltender Defense Forward Rookie
September[9]   Alexei Murygin (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl)   Mat Robinson (Dynamo Moscow)   Sergei Mozyakin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk)   Roman Manukhov (Metallurg Novokuznetsk)
October[10]   Alexander Salák (Sibir Novosibirsk)   Mikhail Pashnin (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl)   Nigel Dawes (Barys Astana)   Artyom Zub (Amur Khabarovsk)
November[11]   Danny Taylor (Medveščak Zagreb)   Staffan Kronwall (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl)   Anatoly Golyshev (Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg)   Alexander Polunin (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl)
December[12]   Dominik Furch (Avangard Omsk)     Kevin Dallman (Barys Astana)   Danis Zaripov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk)   Vladislav Gavrikov (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl)
January[13]   Ilya Sorokin (CSKA Moscow)   Mat Robinson (Dynamo Moscow)   Vadim Shipachyov (SKA St. Petersburg)   Igor Ustinsky (Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg)
February[14]   Alexander Yeryomenko (Dynamo Moscow)   Anton Belov (SKA St. Petersburg)   Peter Regin (Jokerit)   Artur Lauta (Avangard Omsk)
March[15]   Ilya Sorokin (CSKA Moscow)   Denis Denisov (CSKA Moscow)   Sergei Mozyakin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk)     Yuri Sergiyenko (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod)
April

Milestones

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References

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  1. ^ "VIII KHL Season – Only 152 Days to Go". 25 March 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b "KHL 2015–16 Schedule Announced". 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  3. ^ "Ромбик снова в моде: "Спартак" возвращается!". 3 June 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015. (in Russian)
  4. ^ "Moskovan Spartak palaa KHL:ään". 16 February 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015., www.Iltalehti.fi, (in Finnish)
  5. ^ "ХК "Атлант" пропустит следующий сезон КХЛ". 20 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015., www.championat.com, (in Russian)
  6. ^ "League confirms format for 2015–16 season". 17 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  7. ^ "League confirms format for 2015–16 season". 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  8. ^ "League confirms format for Stage Two" (PDF). 8 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  9. ^ "September's finest: Murygin, Robinson, Mozyakin and Manukhov". khl.ru. 2015-10-01.
  10. ^ "October's finest: Salak, Pashnin, Dawes and Zub". khl.ru. 2015-11-02.
  11. ^ "November's finest: Taylor, Kronwall, Golyshev and Polunin". khl.ru. 2015-12-01.
  12. ^ "December's finest: Furch, Dallman, Zaripov and Gavrikov". khl.ru. 2016-01-03.
  13. ^ "January's finest: Sorokin, Robinson, Shipachyov and Ustinsky". khl.ru. 2016-02-03.
  14. ^ "February's finest: Yeryomenko, Belov, Regin and Lauta". khl.ru. 2016-03-02.
  15. ^ "March's finest: Sorokin, Denisov, Mozyakin and Sergiyenko". khl.ru. 2016-04-03.
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