Published: 19 May, 2009, 12:35
Edited: 19 May, 2009, 12:35
After a successful first year, the KHL is looking to go from strength to strength. The league has handed out awards to the best players from the inaugural season.
On April 12, Ak Bars won the Gagarin Cup to become the champion of the first-ever KHL season.
A month later, members of the triumphant Kazan side, as well as the league's other stars, were able to recall their feats over the season, at the KHL awards ceremony.
So meet the KHL heroes 2009!
The KHL play-offs Most Valuable Player award went to Ak Bars captain Aleksey Morozov. The 32-year old grabbed 19 points in the play-offs, and scored the winner in the deciding game seven of the final series against Lokomotiv.
Meanwhile, Morozov’s teammate Denis Zaripov was given the Golden Stick award, after being named the KHL regular season MVP.
Ak Bars triumph didn't stop the KHL jury from giving the Best Goaltender of the Season award to the one who just failed to thwart them in that final – Lokomotiv's Georgy Gelashvili.
The Kazakhstan side Barys was represented by Canadian Kevin Dallman who was the top marksman among the blue-liners.
And he confessed it was a great honour for him to be handed the award from hockey legend, and fellow defenseman, Vyacheslav Fetisov.
“It was a great year for the KHL, but also it was a great year for our team being up in the top league for the first year. And it was a great honor winning the award, and to be up there with Slava Fetisov was fantastic,” he said.
Regular season champion Salavat Yulaev forward Aleksey Tereschenko was included in the League's all star line-up.
 KHL president Aleksandr Medvedev (R) and Vyacheslav Fetisov (Photo from site khl.ru) |
Despite his club's defeat in the first round of the play-offs, the Russian international said he still had every reason to be happy with the season, and in particular his country's success at the World Championships.
“I think the KHL played a significant role in Russia's ice hockey revival. And it's only the beginning. We're now ranked number 1 in the world, and we're determined to tighten our grip on this spot."
Aleksey Tereschenko was far from being the only one to make the connection between the KHL and the Russian national team's success.
This was also underlined at a press-conference given by KHL president Aleksandr Medvedev and Vyacheslav Fetisov.
“We made one of the main sport principles work for us – strong clubs always lead to a strong national team. Along with our NHL stars like Bryzgalov, Frolov, Kovalchyuk – the KHL players were an important part in our World Championships triumph,” Medvedev said before adding:
“This perfect combination of NHL and KHL players in the national team is what we've been dreaming of.”
As for the KHL plans for the future, it's all about trying to get stronger and stronger.
“In five years’ time the KHL will catch up with the NHL in all possible aspects including players' skills, club management, and how the league functions. It's a very ambitious task, but we will fulfill it,” said Fetisov.
With the first KHL season over, next year they'll be looking to get even stronger, and hopefully this success will rub off on the all-conquering national team – that will be going for gold in Vancouver next year.