Dinamo Minsk’s Glen Hanlon became the third KHL coach to lose his job – despite his team being better off than they were this time last year! The Belarusian side has taken 20 points, and six regulation-time wins, from its first 15 games this season. Last year they had just 11 points and two wins at the same stage.

But a 4-1 home defeat to perennial strugglers Amur Khabarovsk on October 20, which ended a three-match winning streak, proved Hanlon’s last game in charge. The chairman of the Belarusian Hockey Federation, Vladimir Naumov, wielded the axe, saying: «I am convinced that, with the quality of players now available to Dinamo, the team should be playing better.» Alexander Andrievsky has taken charge of the side, who return to action on Thursday at home to Metallurg Novokuznetsk.