The head coach of the Siberia club in the Continental Hockey League, Andrey Martemyanov, has announced his departure from the role. The news was reported by Championship.com and followed by a wave of discussion about what comes next for the franchise based in Novosibirsk.
In the interim, the club is expected to be led by Sergey Krivokrasov, who has been Martemyanov’s trusted assistant. This transition comes after a season that tested Siberia’s abilities and strategy, ultimately shaping plans for the coaching staff as the team moves into a new chapter. Krivokrasov is poised to bring continuity to the roster while infusing fresh ideas learned from his time alongside the previous head coach.
Siberia did not advance beyond the first round of the KHL playoffs, bowing out in a best-of-four series with a 1-4 loss to Avangard Omsk. Following the defeat, Martemyanov reflected that roughly two-thirds of the squad, which had secured sixth place in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, were not prepared for the pursuit of the Gagarin Cup. His assessment underscores the gap between regular-season performance and playoff execution, a gap the club will aim to close under the next coaching regime.
Martemyanov took charge of Siberia in April 2021, bringing with him a wealth of experience from years guiding teams in the KHL. Before joining the Siberian club, he led Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and Amur Khabarovsk, building a reputation as a tactician who emphasizes discipline, structure, and resilience on the ice. His tenure leaves a legacy of steady development and a roster that learned to compete at a high level in a demanding league.
Sergey Krivokrasov, the new head coach, has also spent time coaching beyond Russia, including a period in Finland that broadened his strategic perspective and exposed him to different hockey cultures. From 2021 to 2022 he served as an assistant coach with Yukrit in Finland, gaining international experience that could shape his approach with Siberia. Krivokrasov’s background suggests a blend of domestic expertise and international exposure that may help the team adapt to evolving styles of play in the KHL.