Dmitri Buchelnikov didn’t get on the scoresheet in his official CSKA Moscow debut, but that couldn’t keep the Detroit Red Wings draftee from smiling.
Celebrating his 22nd birthday on Saturday, Buchelnikov and CSKA Moscow opened the KHL season with a resounding 6-2 triumph over cross-city rival Moscow Dynamo.
“It’s my first time playing on my birthday,” Buchelnikov told Russian website Sport-Express. “It’s a slightly different experience.
“Of course, it’s very joyful to win on your birthday. The team gave me such a gift. I’m grateful to them for that.”
Buchelnikov saw 14:52 of ice time, taking three shots. He was minus-one.
Also making his CSKA Moscow debut, former Red Wings forward Daniel Sprong scored a goal. He’s the highest-paid player in the KHL this season. Sprong will earn a base salary of $940,000, with the chance to climb $1.6 million if he hits all of his performance clause bonuses.
Top 5 paid KHL players
1. Daniel Sprong 940k USD
2. Vladimir Tkachyov 816k USD
3. Rocco Grimaldi 1.19 million USD
4. Dmitri Jaskin 1 million USD
5. Trevor Murphy 940k USD
***** plus various bonus amounts
***** players are ranked 1 to 5 based on base salary and potential bonus $…
— Darryl Wolski (@2112hockey) August 30, 2025
Sprong is wearing No. 91 to honor former Red Wings star and CSKA Moscow icon Sergei Fedorov.
Red Wings Pick With Fourth KHL Team
CSKA Moscow is the fourth KHL team in the past four seasons for Buchelnikov. The player Detroit chose 52nd overall in the 2022 NHL entry draft began his KHL experience with SKA St. Petersburg. He also played for Admiral Vladivostok.
Last season, Buchelnikov was the leading scorer for Vityaz with 15-39-54 totals. His next goal will be the 30th of his KHL career. Buchelnikov has played 131 KHL games.
Dimitri Buchelnikov(2nd round’22)
-1 14:52 TOI 1/3 SOG
•Quiet game from Buch and the first line who struggled to find chemistry.
•2 scoring chances probably should have done better with the one timer.
•TOI down a bit due to 10 mins on the PK #LGRW
(Clips) pic.twitter.com/TMC7ArarYd
— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) September 6, 2025
He is being offered a significant chance to make an impact with CSKA Moscow, a top contender for the KHL’s Gagarin Cup.
“Everything is great,” Buchelnikov said. “The main thing is that we won. Yes, there were mistakes, but we will correct them.
“We are getting used to each other, finding some combinations, the right game in all zones. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”