The 2022–23 KHL season was the 15th season of the Kontinental Hockey League. There were 22 teams that competed in the record-breaking 68 regular season games, beginning on 1 September 2022 and ending on 26 February 2023.[1]
| 2022–23 KHL season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | Kontinental Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration |
|
| Number of games | 68 |
| Number of teams | 22 |
| TV partner(s) |
|
| Regular season | |
| Continental Cup winner | SKA Saint Petersburg |
| Top scorer |
|
| Playoffs | |
| Finals champions | CSKA Moscow |
| Runners-up | Ak Bars Kazan |
Season changes
For the 2022–23 season, the competition was reduced to 22 teams after Latvian club, Dinamo Riga, and Finnish club, Jokerit, withdrew from the competition during the previous 2021–22 playoffs due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[2]
The regular season was expanded to feature 748 games scheduled for 164 gamedays, with each club to play a record-breaking 68 regular season engagements. The regular season was have just one international break, from 12-18 December 2022. That pause was preceded by the 2022 All-Star Week in Chelyabinsk on 10 and 11 of December.[3]
Teams
The 22 teams are split into four divisions: the Bobrov Division and the Tarasov Division as part of the Western Conference, with the Kharlamov Division and the Chernyshev Division as part of the Eastern Conference.
Kunlun Red Star were the only team to be realigned, moving from the Kharalamov Division in the Eastern Conference to the Tarasov Division in the Western Conference.[1]
League standings
Each team played 68 games: played every other team home-and-away (42 games), plus an additional 20 intra-conference games (10 home and 10 away games). The remaining 6 games were slated against opposition selected with a view to increasing the number of high-profile match-ups (3 home, 3 on the road).[3] Points were awarded for each game, where two points were awarded for all victories, regardless of whether it was in regulation time, in overtime or after game-winning shots. One point was awarded for losing in overtime or game-winning shots, and zero points for losing in regulation time.[4]
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SKA Saint Petersburg (L) | 68 | 40 | 10 | 5 | 13 | 243 | 150 | +93 | 105 | Conference winner and home ice advantage in conference finals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | CSKA Moscow | 68 | 33 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 214 | 162 | +52 | 94 | Home ice advantage in conference semi-finals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 3 | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | 68 | 35 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 164 | 122 | +42 | 92 | Home ice advantage in conference quarter-finals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 4 | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | 68 | 31 | 11 | 6 | 20 | 204 | 172 | +32 | 90 | |
| 5 | Dynamo Moscow | 68 | 29 | 9 | 11 | 19 | 174 | 147 | +27 | 87 | Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 6 | Vityaz Podolsk | 68 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 26 | 169 | 170 | −1 | 76 | |
| 7 | Severstal Cherepovets | 68 | 20 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 182 | 187 | −5 | 75 | |
| 8 | Dinamo Minsk | 68 | 21 | 6 | 14 | 27 | 175 | 201 | −26 | 68 | |
| 9 | Spartak Moscow | 68 | 21 | 7 | 8 | 32 | 154 | 192 | −38 | 64 | |
| 10 | Kunlun Red Star | 68 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 40 | 152 | 226 | −74 | 49 | |
| 11 | HC Sochi | 68 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 47 | 142 | 254 | −112 | 32 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) games won in regulation time; 3) games won in overtime; 4) games won in shootouts; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) drawing of lots.
(L) Won Continental Cup
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ak Bars Kazan (Z) | 68 | 27 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 187 | 158 | +29 | 91 | Conference winner and home ice advantage in conference finals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Salavat Yulaev Ufa | 68 | 28 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 174 | 141 | +33 | 86 | Home ice advantage in conference semi-finals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 3 | Avangard Omsk | 68 | 27 | 12 | 8 | 21 | 188 | 164 | +24 | 86 | Home ice advantage in conference quarter-finals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 4 | Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg | 68 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 188 | 172 | +16 | 83 | |
| 5 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | 68 | 30 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 189 | 175 | +14 | 83 | Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 6 | Sibir Novosibirsk | 68 | 21 | 17 | 7 | 23 | 172 | 161 | +11 | 83 | |
| 7 | Admiral Vladivostok | 68 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 26 | 131 | 139 | −8 | 75 | |
| 8 | Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | 68 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 29 | 173 | 193 | −20 | 72 | |
| 9 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | 68 | 23 | 8 | 10 | 27 | 169 | 190 | −21 | 72 | |
| 10 | Amur Khabarovsk | 68 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 29 | 141 | 168 | −27 | 69 | |
| 11 | Barys Astana | 68 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 34 | 153 | 194 | −41 | 61 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) games won in regulation time; 3) games won in overtime; 4) games won in shootouts; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) drawing of lots.
(Z) Won conference
Continental Cup
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SKA Saint Petersburg (L) | 68 | 40 | 10 | 5 | 13 | 243 | 150 | +93 | 105 | Continental cup winner and first overall seed in Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | CSKA Moscow | 68 | 33 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 214 | 162 | +52 | 94 | |
| 3 | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | 68 | 35 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 164 | 122 | +42 | 92 | |
| 4 | Ak Bars Kazan | 68 | 27 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 187 | 158 | +29 | 91 | |
| 5 | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | 68 | 31 | 11 | 6 | 20 | 204 | 172 | +32 | 90 | |
| 6 | Dynamo Moscow | 68 | 29 | 9 | 11 | 19 | 174 | 147 | +27 | 87 | |
| 7 | Salavat Yulaev Ufa | 68 | 28 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 174 | 141 | +33 | 86 | |
| 8 | Avangard Omsk | 68 | 27 | 12 | 8 | 21 | 188 | 164 | +24 | 86 | |
| 9 | Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg | 68 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 188 | 172 | +16 | 83 | |
| 10 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | 68 | 30 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 189 | 175 | +14 | 83 | |
| 11 | Sibir Novosibirsk | 68 | 21 | 17 | 7 | 23 | 172 | 161 | +11 | 83 | |
| 12 | Vityaz Podolsk | 68 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 26 | 169 | 170 | −1 | 76 | |
| 13 | Admiral Vladivostok | 68 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 26 | 131 | 139 | −8 | 75 | |
| 14 | Severstal Cherepovets | 68 | 20 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 182 | 187 | −5 | 75 | |
| 15 | Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | 68 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 29 | 173 | 193 | −20 | 72 | |
| 16 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | 68 | 23 | 8 | 10 | 27 | 169 | 190 | −21 | 72 | |
| 17 | Amur Khabarovsk | 68 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 29 | 141 | 168 | −27 | 69 | |
| 18 | Dinamo Minsk | 68 | 21 | 6 | 14 | 27 | 175 | 201 | −26 | 68 | |
| 19 | Spartak Moscow | 68 | 21 | 7 | 8 | 32 | 154 | 192 | −38 | 64 | |
| 20 | Barys Astana | 68 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 34 | 153 | 194 | −41 | 61 | |
| 21 | Kunlun Red Star | 68 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 40 | 152 | 226 | −74 | 49 | |
| 22 | HC Sochi | 68 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 47 | 142 | 254 | −112 | 32 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) games won in regulation time; 3) games won in overtime; 4) games won in shootouts; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) drawing of lots.
(L) Won Continental Cup
Gagarin Cup playoffs
The Gagarin Cup playoffs started on 1 March 2023. CSKA won the Gagarin Cup on April 29 in game 7 of the Gagarin Cup Finals with a score of 2-3
Bracket
| Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Gagarin Cup Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 |  Ak Bars | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | Neftekhimik | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Ak Bars | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Admiral | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Salavat Yulaev | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Admiral | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Ak Bars | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Avangard | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Avangard | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Sibir | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Avangard | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Metallurg | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Avtomobilist | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Metallurg | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Ak Bars | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | CSKA | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | SKA | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 |  Dinamo Mn | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | SKA | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Torpedo | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | CSKA | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Severstal | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | SKA | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W2 | CSKA | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Lokomotiv | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Vityaz | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | CSKA | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Lokomotiv | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Torpedo | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Dynamo Msk | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
- Pairings within the conferences are re-seeded after the conference quarterfinals
- During the Gagarin Cup Finals the team that finished with higher seed in their conference has home ice (if both teams finished with the same seed the team that earned most points during the regular season has home ice)
- source: KHL
Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of the regular season.[5] If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/– | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Dmitrij Jaškin | SKA Saint Petersburg | 67 | 40 | 22 | 62 | +21 | 48 |
| Vladimir Tkachev | Avangard Omsk | 64 | 23 | 36 | 59 | +17 | 31 |
| Alexander Radulov | Ak Bars Kazan | 62 | 25 | 32 | 57 | +10 | 66 |
 Stéphane Da Costa | Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg | 54 | 20 | 36 | 56 | +14 | 42 |
| Sergey Tolchinsky | Avangard Omsk | 68 | 16 | 40 | 56 | +6 | 20 |
 Reid Boucher | Avangard Omsk | 64 | 31 | 24 | 55 | +1 | 65 |
| Alexander Khokhlachev | Spartak Moscow | 65 | 19 | 36 | 55 | –9 | 73 |
 Taylor Beck | Sibir Novosibirsk | 67 | 18 | 37 | 55 | –2 | 50 |
| Alexander Nikishin | SKA Saint Petersburg | 65 | 11 | 44 | 55 | +19 | 50 |
| Marat Khairullin | SKA Saint Petersburg | 65 | 28 | 26 | 54 | +9 | 36 |