Junior Hockey League media relations department begins a series of round-up articles for every team of the 12^th season. Kuznetskie Medvedi did not show progress comparing to the previous year. The team fall to the rock bottom of Eastern Conference standings.

Kuznetskie Medvedi Novokuznetsk
Place in league standings 2020-21: 32
Place in league standings 2019-20: 32
Highest place in Junior Hockey League history: 2
Head-coach: Konstantin Turukin

15^th place in the Eastern Conference, 21 points in 56 games. 80 goals scored, 215 goals allowed.

2016-17 bronze medalists missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Novokuznetsk did not boast great offense and traditionally allowed a lot of goals. Kuznetskie Medvedi conceded 215 goals in 56 games, which is the second worst result in the East. Only Reaktor Nizhnekamsk allowed more goals over the stretch. Novokuznetsk enjoyed just five wins in regulation and lost a heap of games to their direct competition as well as to underdogs. Coaching change didn’t help the team either. Kuznetskie Medvedi went into the regular season with Alexei Koledayev behind the bench but late in October the ‘Bears’ had just one win. Novokuznetsk junior hockey alumnus Konstantin Turukin was named the interim head-coach. Under his command Kuznetskie Medvedi won two games in a row for the first time in the season and yet kept posting long losing streaks with specks of victories. Beating future silver medalists Irbis Kazan and Tolpar Ufa were the biggest success for Kuznetskie Medvedi this season.

Top players

Sergei Yudin, who was the difference maker for Kuznetskie Medvedi last season, finished second in points on his team this year. Kirill Shumilov, who was in his second Junior Hockey League season, finished ahead of the group. The forward scored 11 goals and notched 13 assists for 24 points in 55 games. He also led Kuznetskie Medvedi in assists. Grigory Rudakov, who was also in his sophomore Junior Hockey League season, had the most points among defensemen. The ‘Bears’ played three goaltenders this year. Semyon Sharabarin played 33 games. He had spent the previous two years with Krasnaya Armiya Moscow. Less experienced Alexander Dyubin and Kirill Kuznetsov saw fewer games.

Top-scorer: Kirill Shumilov – 24 (11 goals, 13 assists) point
Top goal-scorer: Kirill Shumilov – 11 goals
Most assists: Kirill Shumilov – 13 assists
Most points among defensemen: Grigory Rudakov – 15 (5 goals, 10 assists) points, minus-22
Starting goaltender: Semyon Sharabarin – 33 games, 3 wins, Goals Against Average – 3.46, Save Percentage – 0.914 on average per game
Most ice-time: Artyom Goncharov – 21:47 on average per game

36 players competed for Kuznetskie Medvedi Novokuznetsk in the 2020-21 Parimatch Junior Hockey League regular season – 3 goaltenders, 11 defensemen and 22 forwards.

No player was dressed for every regular season game. Kirill Shumilov and Artyom Goncharov led the team with 55 games.

Most game-winning goals – Yuri Anufriyev and Kirill Shumilov. Both players scored two game-winning goals.