Leivo's Russian Renaissance: KHL MVP & Top Scorer

0:00On March 29th, remember Josh Levo from those early Toronto May Belief stays? Drafted in the 3rd round, 86 overall back in 2011, he grinded through 6 seasons with the Marley's in the American hockey, lead but never stuck in the NHL lineup. Traded to Vancouver by Kyle Dubas, he bounced to Calgary, Carolina and St. Louis for brief taste, then vanished from North American headlines after, the 2022-2023 season. Now picture this, Levo heads to Russia and the Continental Hockey League, first with Salabat Yulayev Uva. In the 2024-2025 season, he erupts for 49 goals and 31 assists over 62 games, totaling 80. Points, that shatters the KHL single-season goal record held by Sergei Mosyakin at 48 and he snags the golden stick as regular season MVP, even, signing a fresh deal mid-year. These spans who watched him ride the fringes back home, feel that vindication.

1:01It's a classic tale of a skilled 6-foot-two-winger, with reach finally getting his flowers, half a world away. His journey across 12 teams from juniors to pros shows how opportunity flips the script on talent that was always there. This season in 2025-2026, Levo switches to tractor-challia-benzk and keeps the fire lit. 26 goals 39. In 62 games, still near a point per game and topping all active Canadians in KHL scoring. Bigger ice suits his skating style perfectly, plus that top-line trust he rarely saw on the NHL, built his confidence. At 32, he's locked in with a contract worth about 90 million Russian rubles, roughly $1,100,000 US dollars, proving he found his groove where it counts. NHL News today, powered by AI, bringing you what matters on the field and beyond.