KHL Schedule Day (If Anyone Cares)

The league with very little credibility patted itself on the back today as a number of players who played in the NHL for a period of time signed with teams in the KHL. Usually, that gets all the attention, but today was a day the league celebrated the release of the 2022-23 schedule, and it appears that the smaller, more Russian KHL will push forward with a full 68-game schedule for each of the 22 teams. Mark your schedule if you're following the KHL because the new season begins on September 1, 2022 with one game as 2022 Gagarin Cup winner CSKA will host runner-up Metallurg in the season's opening game.

There's nothing overly remarkable about the 748-game schedule that runs over 164 days with only two dates - February 6 and 8, 2023 - not having any games played between September 1, 2022 and February 26, 2023 when the season closes. The 2022 All-Star Week will see the KHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition take place in Chelyabinsk on December 10 and 11 while December 12 to 18 is a week off for all teams and players.

Of note, the schedule makers in the KHL assigned each team two games against each team (21 home games and 21 road games). They added an additional home and road game against each team from the respective team's conference (ten home games and ten road games), and finished off the schedule by adding in six high-profile or rivalry games for each team (three at home and three on the road). That's your 68-game schedule's design which means some teams will play those six high-profile games against tougher competition. No one said life in Russia was fair, right?

Here's a quick graphic the KHL made to show each team's home opener date and opponent. Note that Avangard Omsk plays their home opener in October. That's because Arena Omsk, their original home, had to be demolished following structural problems, and the new arena being built isn't going to be ready until October.

Of note, there are a few dates that do stand out on the calendar simply due to their significance in hockey history.

• September 3, 2022 - Alex Radulov, the fourth-highest scorer in KHL history, takes the ice for Ak Bars Kazan with the second- and third-highest scorers as teammates as Kazan will boast Radulov, Danis Zaripov, and Vadim Shipachyov this season. They host Dynamo Moscow that day.
• September 7, 2022 - The KHL is making Lokomotiv Yaroslavl play on the anniversary of the tragic plane crash that happened in 2011. This is the second time the KHL has forced Lokomotiv to play on that date.
• September 12, 2022 - Assuming he's not injured in the first two weeks of the season, Salavat Yulaev defenseman Evgeny Biryukov could become the first man to play 900 KHL games when they meet Spartak that day.
• February 26, 2023 - The final game of the season, chronologically, will be played in China as HC Sochi meets Kunlun Red Star. It is the seventh game scheduled for the final day of the season.

That's the important stuff I could find on the schedule, so let me know if there's anything else that you notice from the announcement if you're paying attention to the Russian professional hockey circuit. Jersey changes, logo changes, and everything that happens in Russia on what seems like an annual basis have been pushed to the wayside with the invasion of Russia, so I don't expect many messages about the league.

Enjoy the season, Comrades.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!