2008–09 KHL season

The 2008–09 KHL season was the inaugural season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It started on September 2, 2008, and finished on April 12, 2009.http://www.fhr.ru/news_english/eng_Calendar_of_KHL_for_a_season 24 teams each played 56 games.
==League business==
====Dispute====
A dispute between the two leagues over some of these signings was supposed to have been resolved by an agreement signed on July 10, whereby each league would honor the contracts of the other, but the signing of Alexander Radulov was made public one day after the agreement (though it was actually signed two days prior to the agreement taking effect),Radulov on His Return to Russia – NHL FanHouse leading to an investigation by the International Ice Hockey Federation.Predator inks debatable deal – iihf.com
===Finances===
====Ownership====
On a deal dated October 30, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works bought 11.76% of the KHL.Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works bought 11.76% of the authorized capital of KHL – sovsport.ru
====Economic trouble====
Metallurg Novokuznetsk has so far experienced difficulty financing its operations, largely due to the global financial crisis of 2008. Team sponsor Evraz Group is rumored to be cutting funding. There is a possibility the team will cease operations by New Years.http://www.metallurg.ru/news/42243/
HC MVD has experienced delays in paying players, while Khimik Voskresensk has run itself into debt. Metallurg Magnitogorsk has been forced to cut staff expenditures by 30%. Avangard Omsk owner Roman Abramovich has promised to continue financial support so long as the team maintains good results. Other teams experiencing financial limitations are Vityaz Chekhov, Atlant Moscow Oblast, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, HC CSKA Moscow.
As far as the league is concerned it has devised a "crisis package" for dealing with the economic turmoil. Cuts will be made to non-salary expenditures, such as pre-game activity, training camps, and elimination of pre-season tournaments. Mid-level player salaries may also be rolled back. Divisional re-alignment will also take place for the 2009–10 season to cut down on travel costs.
===Inaugural All-Star Game===
The inaugural KHL All-Star Game took place on January 10, 2009. Each team consisted of ten forwards, five defensemen, and two goaltenders. The starting rosters were voted upon on the KHL.ru website and decided by December 22. The secondary lines and goaltenders were to be voted upon by the media, and announced December 26, with the following players and reserves announced by January 8. The game took place in Moscow's Red Square, with Team Jágr (International All-Stars) defeating Team Yashin (Russian All-Stars) 7–6.
==Regular season==
===Death of Alexei Cherepanov===
On October 13, 2008 during a match between Avangard Omsk and Vityaz Chekhov, forward Alexei Cherepanov died due to a heart condition.
On December 29, 2008, Russian investigators revealed that he suffered from myocarditis, a condition where not enough blood gets to the heart, and that he should not have been playing professional hockey. The federal Investigative Committee also announced that a chemical analysis of Cherepanov's blood and urine samples allowed experts to conclude "that for several months Alexei Cherepanov engaged in doping". Official sources have stated the banned substance taken was nikethamide, a stimulant, and that it had been taken 3 hours prior to the game in which he died.
Omsk club director Mikhail Denisov has since been fired, whereas the league Disciplinary Committee has since removed Omsk's doctors from that role with the club, and has suspended Avangard general manager Anatoly Bardin and team president Konstantin Potapov. The KHL Disciplinary Committee met on this matter on January 5, and also suspended Chekhov's team president.
===League standings===
Final standings.KHL Official Statistics for season 2008/2009
Points have been awarded as follows:
*3 Points for a win in regulation ("W")
*2 Points for a win in overtime ("OTW") or penalty shootout ("SOW")
*1 Point for a loss in a penalty shootout ("SOL") or overtime ("OTL")
*0 Points for a loss in regulation ("L")
    	Division winner
    	Qualified for playoffs
League standings 	GP	W 	OTW	SOW	SOL	OTL	L 	GF 	GA 	Pts
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 	56	38	4 	1 	3 	2 	8 	203	116	129
Ak Bars Kazan 	56	36	1 	3 	3 	3 	10	189	123	122
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 	56	32	2 	2 	4 	3 	13	175	111	111
CSKA Moscow 	56	27	4 	3 	7 	4 	11	176	141	106
Atlant Moscow Oblast 	56	35	3 	4 	2 	1 	11	189	111	122
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 	56	25	2 	11 	2 	1 	15	174	148	104
Dynamo Moscow 	56	27	4 	3 	3 	2 	17	184	143	100
SKA Saint Petersburg 	56	26	2 	7 	4 	0 	17	143	105	100
Spartak Moscow 	56	26	1 	5 	2 	1 	21	173	158	93
Dinamo Riga 	56	24	3 	2 	3 	1 	23	132	156	86
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod	56	24	2 	2 	3 	1 	24	162	162	84
Traktor Chelyabinsk 	56	24	0 	2 	5 	3 	22	142	166	84
Lada Togliatti 	56	21	3 	5 	2 	3 	22	120	116	84
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk	56	22	2 	1 	5 	2 	24	146	140	79
Barys Astana 	56	20	3 	4 	2 	2 	25	174	191	78
Avangard Omsk 	56	19	2 	6 	1 	4 	24	161	164	78
Severstal Cherepovets 	56	19	1 	7 	2 	2 	25	142	171	77
HC MVD 	56	20	2 	4 	1 	0 	29	142	159	73
Sibir Novosibirsk 	56	15	1 	5 	2 	5 	28	146	172	64
Amur Khabarovsk 	56	15	2 	2 	6 	1 	30	111	158	60
Metallurg Novokuznetsk 	56	12	3 	2 	5 	2 	31	127	157	54
Dinamo Minsk 	56	12	1 	2 	5 	2 	34	124	197	49
Vityaz Chekhov 	56	6 	2 	3 	7 	5 	33	134	225	40
Khimik Voskresensk 	56	8 	3 	0 	7 	2 	36	108	187	39
===Divisional standing===
Bobrov Division 	GP	W 	OTW	SOW	SOL	OTL	L 	GF 	GA 	Pts
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 	56	38	4 	1 	3 	2 	8 	203	116	129
Atlant Moscow Oblast 	56	35	3 	4 	2 	1 	11	189	111	122
Spartak Moscow 	56	26	1 	5 	2 	1 	21	173	158	93
Severstal Cherepovets 	56	19	1 	7 	2 	2 	25	142	171	77
Metallurg Novokuznetsk	56	12	3 	2 	5 	2 	31	127	157	54
Dinamo Minsk 	56	12	1 	2 	5 	2 	34	124	197	49
Tarasov Division 	GP	W 	OTW	SOW	SOL	OTL	L 	GF 	GA 	Pts
CSKA Moscow 	56	27	4 	3 	7 	4 	11	176	141	106
Metallurg Magnitogorsk	56	25	2 	11 	2 	1 	15	174	148	104
SKA Saint Petersburg 	56	26	2 	7 	4 	0 	17	143	105	100
Traktor Chelyabinsk 	56	24	0 	2 	5 	3 	22	142	166	84
HC MVD 	56	20	2 	4 	1 	0 	29	142	159	73
Khimik Voskresensk 	56	8 	3 	0 	7 	2 	36	108	187	39
Kharlamov Division 	GP	W 	OTW	SOW	SOL	OTL	L 	GF 	GA 	Pts
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	56	32	2 	2 	4 	3 	13	175	111	111
Dinamo Riga 	56	24	3 	2 	3 	1 	23	132	156	86
Lada Togliatti 	56	21	3 	5 	2 	3 	22	120	116	84
Avangard Omsk 	56	19	2 	6 	1 	4 	24	161	164	78
Sibir Novosibirsk 	56	15	1 	5 	2 	5 	28	146	172	64
Amur Khabarovsk 	56	15	2 	2 	6 	1 	30	11 	158	60
Chernyshev Division 	GP	W 	OTW	SOW	SOL	OTL	L 	GF 	GA 	Pts
Ak Bars Kazan 	56	36	1 	3 	3 	3 	10	189	123	122
Dynamo Moscow 	56	27	4 	3 	3 	2 	17	184	143	100
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod	56	24	2 	2 	3 	1 	24	162	162	84
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk	56	22	2 	1 	5 	2 	24	146	140	79
Barys Astana 	56	20	3 	4 	2 	2 	25	174	191	78
Vityaz Chekhov 	56	6 	2 	3 	7 	5 	33	134	225	40
==Playoffs==
== References ==
Category:2008 in ice hockey
Category:2009 in ice hockey