In response to a flood of questions from various media, the Kontinental Hockey League has published the rulings of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Disciplinary Committee regarding the positive results obtained by doping tests on three players who were under contract to member clubs in the Kontinental Hockey League. The anti-doping program in the KHL Championship 2016-17 season was conducted jointly with the IIHF and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in accordance with the SportAccord Convention – DFSU (Doping Free Sport Unit), and other international agencies accredited by WADA and concerned with the collection of tests and laboratory analysis of results. A total of 377 tests were conducted during the 2016-17 Championship.

The IIHF has informed the KHL that three players – forward Danis Zaripov (then with Metallurg Magnitogorsk), defenseman Andrei Konev (Admiral Vladivostok) and defenseman Derek Smith (Medvescak Zagreb) – have tested positive for banned substances.

• Derek Smith tested positive for a category S6.а stimulant.
• Andrei Konev tested positive for a category S6.b stimulant.
• Danis Zaripov tested positive for a category S6.b stimulant plus category S5 diuretics and masking agents.

On the 21st of July, 2017, having investigated all the available evidence related to the case outlined above,  the IIHF Disciplinary Committee ruled that Danis Zaripov should be banned from competitive hockey until  the 22nd of May,  2019; that Andrei Konev should be banned until the 19th of November, 2017; and that Derek Smith should be banned until the 2nd of September, 2018. The Kontinental Hockey League has formally excluded all three players from paricipation in the Championship for the terms set down by the IIHF Disciplinary Committee.

• This media release was originally published by the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on 25 July 2017. To access the original, please click here.