Avangard vs Neftekhimik 10/22/2026

Neftekhimik will play game #18 of the season!

10/22/2026                  vs Avangard                  ⏰ 4:30 pm              KHL WEB 

Neftekhimik will play its third of three road game. Neftekhimik won its last game.

Avangard will play its first of third home games. Avangard is on a two–game winning streak.

Career Milestone:

Neftekhimik forward Andrei Belozyorov may score his 100th career assist (currently at 99).

Injuries:

Avangard: Pavel Leuka, Nikolai Prokhorkin, Alexander Volkov. 

Avangard and Neftekhimik are arch–rivals, and their games are never routine. Every meeting between them features fierce competition, intense focus, and a readiness to battle until the final second. Omsk is preparing for another heated showdown: Avangard will host the tenacious Neftekhimik on home ice, and this game is unlikely to be an exception.

The offseason proved turbulent for Avangard. The club has carried out a major squad overhaul to fit the vision of new head coach Guy Boucher.

Joined the team: forwards Josh Leivo (one of the most high-profile signings; he played for Traktor last season and even set a KHL record for goals in a single regular season), Artyom Ilyenko (Dynamo Moscow), and Egor Afanasyev (arriving from the AHL, where he played for the San Jose Sharks’ farm team); defenseman Kirill Adamchuk (Dynamo Moscow); and goaltender Ivan Prosvetov (a key addition, filling the backup role behind Nikita Serebryakov).

Left the team: defensemen Vyacheslav Voynov and Artyom Blazhiyevsky, and forwards Kirill Pilipenko and Mikhail Kotlyarevsky.

The main goal behind such extensive changes is to tailor the team’s style of play to Boucher’s system. The coach sought players who align with his tactical vision – individuals with the necessary skill level, physical conditioning, and understanding of a hard-hitting, high–tempo brand of hockey.

Avangard’s roster also includes two players who developed in the Neftekhimik system: Damir Sharipzyanov and Nail Yakupov – both key contributors for Avangard. Damir Sharipzyanov’s return is a major boost for Avangard; having recovered from an injury, the captain is back in the lineup, providing not just a tactical upgrade but also a significant emotional lift for the entire team.

Neftekhimik has its own motivation. The team remembers its recent game in Nizhnekamsk, which ended in a 1–0 victory for Avangard. In that game, Neftekhimik spent nearly the entire third period in the opposition’s zone, unleashing a barrage of attacks on the Avangard net and creating a host of dangerous scoring chances. Back then, a combination of bad luck and a brilliant performance by the opposing goaltender prevented Neftekhimik from forcing overtime – and now our team has a perfect opportunity to get revenge.