Igor Nikitin, the former head coach of Lokomotiv, with whom he recently secured a championship title, has officially signed a contract with CSKA Moscow. This news was previously reported and is now confirmed by the club.
It`s now official: Igor Nikitin is the new head coach of CSKA. Speculation about this move began immediately after Lokomotiv`s championship victory. While CSKA maintained a degree of secrecy regarding the future of their previous coaching staff, they predictably parted ways with Ilya Vorobyov and his assistants. Only Alexander Popov, familiar to Nikitin from his previous tenure at the club, and Vladislav Bryzgalov, responsible for functional training, were retained.
The champion coach returns to CSKA four years after his dismissal in 2021, which followed a lost final to Avangard. His departure was followed by two championship seasons under Sergei Fedorov. However, after two consecutive first-round playoff exits (one with Fedorov, one with Vorobyov), the Moscow club has once again called upon Nikitin to restore their former glory. In hindsight, CSKA admits they made a mistake by letting him go in 2021.
CSKA consistently sets ambitious goals, but recent seasons under Vorobyov and Sergei Fedorov have yielded disappointing results. Who better than a championship-winning coach to rectify the situation? Nikitin has accepted this new, significant challenge. His move to CSKA comes with immense responsibility and the traditionally high pressure associated with this organization. Should his team falter in the first round of the playoffs, significant questions will be raised, despite his long-term contract. CSKA is not prepared to wait, especially after the early exits in previous seasons.
Nikitin`s mission is to once again make CSKA a great club. CSKA understands that Nikitin is more than just a successful coach; he is someone capable of reinstating a winning philosophy and laying a foundation for the future. The management clearly believes in long-term collaboration, as Nikitin`s entire staff has been given five-year contracts, extending until the end of the 2029/30 season.
Joining Igor in Moscow are the assistants with whom he achieved cup success at Lokomotiv. Dmitry Yushkevich, the architect of Yaroslavl`s championship defense, and Rashit Davydov, the coach credited with elevating Daniil Isaev, one of the KHL`s best goaltenders in recent seasons. Dmitry Pirozhkov will be responsible for CSKA players` general physical training; he is also familiar with the army club, having assisted Nikitin during his first championship. While Anton Kuryanov`s announcement is pending, there is no doubt he will also join CSKA`s staff.
It took Nikitin four seasons to build the championship-winning Lokomotiv. During this period, the team was eliminated in the first and second rounds of the playoffs, and lost in a final, finally claiming the Gagarin Cup only in his fourth year. CSKA bosses should keep this progression in mind. Nikitin`s previous championship with CSKA occurred before the KHL`s salary cap, when the Moscow club boasted a superstar roster and could afford to play Kirill Kaprizov on the third or fourth line.
The rules of the game and the approach to forming a championship roster have changed. Therefore, merely inviting Nikitin and his assistants will not be enough to guide CSKA back to the Cup. Extensive and gradual work on the roster will be required, which, by the way, has already begun with the signings of Dmitry Buchelnikov and Jeremy Roy.
