Former Maple Leafs Breaks Record for Most Goals in Single Season in the KHL

The KHL has seen some pretty significant players over their long history, with several homegrown talents as well as future NHL legends have passed through the ranks, and the league is often considered the second-biggest professional hockey league in the world.

The game is much different than in North America, and several former NHL players end up heading there at the end of their careers, or if they find themselves unable to secure a contract in the NHL.

But for Josh Leivo, a former NHLer with only 265 career games; he's made some pretty big history.

The former Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues forward set the single season record for goals in a season with 49, getting mobbed by his teammates immediately after.

Leivo had a season for the ages, finishing the year with 80 points in 62 games and ending up only nine points shy of the KHL record set by Nikita Gusev, who set the record last year.

It brings him to a total of 116 points over his last two seasons and is a 33-goal improvement from 2023-24.

Drafted 86th overall by the Maple Leafs in 2011, he ended up skating in 84 games with the team, scoring 28 points (14G, 14A) before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks.

He spent two seasons there before bouncing around between Calgary, Carolina, and St. Louis before settling in Europe last year.

The 31-year old could end up getting himself an NHL deal with his historic performance, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Brad Treliving take a shot at signing him back to the team.

Ufa Salavat Yulayev currently sits first in the Chernyshev Divsion with a 44-23 record and features former NHL players Sheldon Rempal, Scott Wilson, as well as Tampa Bay Lightning third round pick Dennis Yan; the team is coached by former NHL player Viktor Kozlov.