Karaganda on top in VHL after end of regular season

26 Feb 2013 | Dennis Mende

The current season of the second strongest Russian-based hockey league gave many surprises. The five newcomers had very mixed results.

There were a lot of changes before the 2012-13 VHL season. The two conferences (East and West) were dissolved. Instead the league introduced a system similar to other European leagues where all teams played all other teams twice for a total of 52 games and the first 16 teams of the 27 teams strong league made it to the playoffs. While Ukrainian side Donbass Donetsk joint KHL prior to the season, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl II, who last year played as guest team after the plane tragedy in Septemter 2011 of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL team, were added as permanent participants. Sary-Arka Karaganda from Kazakhstan, Yunost Minsk from Belarus and Russian teams Kuban Krasnodar, Buran Voronezh and THK Tver were added as expansion teams. Mechel Chelyabinsk changed their name to Chelmet Chelyabinsk due to the loss of their main sponsor, Mechel, which is one of the leading mining and metallurgical companies in Russia.

Kazakh newcomers Sary Arka Karaganda were the big surprise team of the season. They were able to end the regular season in VHL on the first place with spectacular 115 points. Only traditional top teams Rubin Tyumen and Toros Neftekamsk gained 100+ points aswell.

The only other newcomers who made it into the playoffs were Buran Voronezh who had a decent finnish on the 7th spot with a postiive 30-22 record and 88 points. Kuban Krasnodar (76 points) were unlucky when they lost yesterday 3-5 on the road against Yuzhny Ural Orsk to lose the last playoff spot to Dizel Penza whose overtime loss to Buran Voronezh on Saturday was enough as they had more wins in regulation.

Other newcomers THK Tver (69 points) and Belarussian side Yunost Minsk (55 points) missed the playoffs with a big deficit.

HK Ryazan who last year were second last ended the season as last with only 12 wins and 41 points. Last year's bottom side Kristall Saratov made a jump to the 21st place with 60 points.

Regular season top scorer was Dynamo Balashikha's Alexander Shibayev with 61 points (14+47).

The playoff matchups are the following for the first round:

(1) Sary-Arka Karaganda - (16) Disel Penza

(2) Rubin Tyumen - (15) HC Sarov

(3) Toros Neftekamsk - (14) Kazzinc Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk

(4) Neftyanik Almetyevsk - (13) Molot-Prikamie Perm

(5) Yuzhny Ural Orsk - (12) Ariada Akpars Volzhsk

(6) Sputnik Nizhny Tagil - (11) Dynamo Balashikha

(7) Buran Voronezh - (10) Lokomotiv Yaroslavl VHL

(8) Yermak Angarsk - (9) Lada Togliatti

Playoff actions starts on Sunday, 2 March 2013.