The Kontinental Hockey League has handed out its postseason hardware for 2020-21, including the coveted Golden Whistle to the league’s top officials.
The Andrei Starovoitov Golden Whistle (Referee of the Year)
Viktor Gashilov
Gashilov, 40, has been a referee in the KHL since its inception in 2008 The veteran official, who wears #30, has worked 598 regular season games, along with 95 postseason appearances. Internationally, Gashilov refereed the IIHF’s Under-18 World Championships in 2008 and 2009.
In 2019, Gashilov made headlines as the target of a threat from Amur Khabarovsk head coach Alexander Gulyavtsev who, during a game, shouted: “I’m going to set fire to your car in [your hometown].” Gulavtsev was fined 300,000 rubles; he later said his comments were meant as a joke. “I just said car, it’s not as if I said [I would set fire to his] apartment.”
The Mikhail Galinovsky Golden Whistle (Linesman of the Year)
Nikita Shalagin
Linesman Nikita Shalagin, 30, wrapped up his sixth season in the KHL. The Russian linesman, #84, has manned the lines for 333 KHL games – 283 in the regular season and 50 in the playoffs.
Shalagin most recently officiated the IIHF’s 2021 World Championship, handling the Gold Medal Game between Canada and Finland alongside linesman Gleb Lazarev and referees Martin Frano and Yevgeni Romasko. He’s also worked the IIHF’s Under-18 Tournament in 2018 and 2019, as well as the 2020 World Championship.
Tune in and check it out — in Russian, of course.
