2010–11 VHL season


The 2010–11 VHL season was the inaugural season of the Higher Hockey League. It started on September 11, 2010, and finished on February 28, 2011. 20 teams each played 56 games.

Preseason

Compared to the last 2009–10 Higher Hockey League where a total of 27 teams competed in 3 divisions, there will be a total of 20 teams and two conferences in the 2010–11 season: Western and Eastern. 18 of the 27 teams of the 2009–10 season compete in the 2010–11 season. Gazovik Tyumen were renamed to Rubin Tyumen, while Rubin's junior team, playing in the MHL, has the name Gazovik. Two new teams in the league are Lada Togliatti, excluded from the KHL after the 2009–10 season, and Dynamo Tver, the farm team of UHC Dynamo. The fates of the 9 of the 27 teams that participated in the league in 2009–10 but no longer do in 2010–11 are various: HC Yugra joined the KHL for 2010–11, Khimik were suggested by VHL's management to take a one year break and joined the MHL under the name MHC Khimik, the team from Orenburg, formerly known under the name Gazprom-OGU, also joined the MHL under the name Belye Tigry, Rys dissolved, the remaining 5 joined the Pervaya Liga. HC Lipetsk was admitted into the league for 2010–11, but the team had to withdraw before the start of the season due to financial difficulties. Lipetsk's place was taken by Krylya Sovetov Moscow on 12 August 2010.

Regular season

During regular season teams are to play 4 games against teams from their conference and 2 games against teams from the opposite conference. The first match of the regular season took place on September 11, 2010 in Perm. Molot-Prikamye's opponent was Toros Neftekamsk and the match ended 2 goals to 1 Toros' way after a shootout. Last games of the regular season will be held on 28 February 2011.

League standings

Source: vhl.khl.ru
Points are awarded as follows:
Western ConferenceGPWOTWSOWSOLOTLLGFGAPts
Neftyanik Almetyevsk 562643611616114099
HC Sarov 562536202016814995
Dizel Penza 562323811913212388
HC VMF St. Petersburg 562222522314214881
PHC Krylya Sovetov 561937102616317278
HC Ryazan 561914632315316976
Kristall Saratov561703252914918364
Ariada-Akpars Volzhsk 561800443013819362
HC Dynamo Tver 561335323015019060
Lada Togliatti561512203613018453

Eastern ConferenceGPWOTWSOWSOLOTLLGFGAPts
Rubin Tyumen5638222012172104124
Toros Neftekamsk 5634153310183114120
Molot-Prikamye Perm562534611716215696
Yuzhny Ural Orsk 562533521813513294
Ermak Angarsk 562710312416813987
Kazzinc-Torpedo562314612115115386
Zauralie Kurgan 562028332015314786
Sputnik Nizhny Tagil562045032414914481
Mechel Chelyabinsk 562014742016817481
Izhstal Izhevsk561716222811913269

League leaders

Source: vhlru.ru
Goals Alexander Zhurun 29
Assists Maxim Zhapov 31
Points Evgeni Tunik 51
Shots Ruslan Bernik 170
Plus/minus Sergey Zhurikov +24
Penalty minutes Igor Golovkov 154
Wins Nikita Davydov 34
Goals against average Stanislav Galimov 1.46
Save percentage Alexander Sudnitsin 94.7
Shutouts Alexander Sudnitsin 8

Goaltenders: minimum 15 games played

Playoffs

The play-offs will feature 8 best teams of the Western Conference of the regular season and 8 best teams of the Eastern Conference of the regular season. The play-offs start 5 March 2011 and are to end on April 27, 2011 if match 7 of the final series is to be played. Conference quarter-finals and semi-finals are a best-of-five series, while the Conference finals and VHL finals are a best-of-seven series.

Playoffs leaders

Source: vhlru.ru
Goals Rustam Shangaraev 8
Assists Vladimir Karpor 9
Points Daniel Nasybullin 14
Shots Andrei Kuzmin 58
Plus/minus Sergei Serebryakov +10
Penalty minutes Andrew Ankudinov 56
Wins Alexander Sudnitsin 14
Goals against average Alexander Sudnitsin 1.44
Save percentage Alexander Sudnitsin 95.2
Shutouts Alexander Sudnitsin 4

Goaltenders: minimum 5 games played