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In the first week of signings, several international players found themselves a new home, with CSKA claiming two newcomers.

Round 1 of the playoffs is done. From eight series, we saw one sweep and one pair go to six games. But every contest produced drama and special moments, with a sprinkling of KHL records along the way.

Daniil Vovchenko and Nikolai Prokhorkin scored the vital goals as two more KHL playff first-round series came to an end on Wednesday. Vovchenko got the only goal of the game as Metallurg edged a 1-0 verdict over Sibir. Then Prokhorkin tied Avangard’s game against Nefetkhimik with just eight seconds to play before potting the winner in overtime. Both winning teams completed their series in five games.

After the first verdicts, more series could reach their conclusion, with Avangard, Metallurg, and reigning champion Lokomotiv all holding 3–1 leads over Neftekhimik, Sibir, and Spartak respectively, each one win away from advancing, while their opponents look to stay alive and force a return game.

Sibir needed almost five full period to find the opening goal of its game against Metallurg – but Anton Kosolapov’s snipe on 99:59 earned a 1-0 victory to keep that series alive. Magnitka, up 3-1, will look to finish it in Magnitogorsk on Wednesday. Eastern Conference second seed Avangard is also one home win away from round two after a 5-2 success at Neftekhimik put it up 3-1 in the series.

One week into post season, and all 16 teams are still in the Gagarin Cup race. We’ve seen competitive, exciting hockey in every series – and we might see our first qualifiers advance later today.

Elimination looms in two series, with Metallurg and Dinamo Minsk holding commanding 3–0 leads over Sibir and Dynamo Moscow respectively. Elsewhere, Avangard and Lokomotiv are ahead 2–1 against Neftekhimik and Spartak, with Game Four offering a chance to either push to the brink or bring the series back to level terms.

Two late goals from Dmitry Rashevsky could have a huge impact on the outcome of Avangard’s series against Neftekhimik. He turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory in Nizhnekamsk, putting the Hawks up 2-1 after three games. In Novosibirsk, Metallurg recorded a third straight win over Sibir and is just one game away from progressing to round two.

The higher seeds are already asserting control in parts of the bracket, with Metallurg and Dinamo Minsk holding commanding 2–0 leads over Sibir and Dynamo Moscow respectively. Elsewhere, the series remain wide open, as Avangard and Neftekhimik, along with Lokomotiv and Spartak, are tied 1–1 heading into a pivotal Game Three as the action shifts venues.

There was drama in Omsk as second seed Avangard allowed a late equalizer before falling in OT to seventh-ranked Neftekhimik. That ties their Gagarin Cup playoff series at 1-1 before the teams head to Nizhnekamsk. Top seed Metallurg had no such problems, though. Robin Press scored twice in a 5-1 win over Sibir as Andrei Razin’s team opened a 2-0 lead in the series.

All today’s pairs made their home ice count in Game One, with Avangard defeating Neftekhimik, Metallurg downing Sibir, Lokomotiv overcoming Spartak, and Dinamo Minsk beating Dynamo Moscow to take a 1–0 lead in their respective series, putting early pressure on the lower seeds to respond in Game Two.

Day two of the playoffs brought the Eastern Conference heavyweights into the fray. Both made winning starts, but while Metallurg eased past Sibir, second seed Avangard needed goals in the last five to see off seventh-ranked Neftekhimik.

Four more pairs hit the ice today, as eight teams continue their quest for the Gagarin Cup. In the East, Avangard takes on Neftekhimik, while Metallurg faces Sibir. In the West, reigning champions Lokomotiv meets Spartak Moscow after a dominant regular-season sweep, while Dinamo Minsk go up against Dynamo Moscow in a matchup that flips 2024 playoff script, rounding out another packed slate of postseason action.

The final week of the regular season brought a major scoring achievement, a quirky record that stood since 2009 and, of course, confirmation of the full playoff schedule. Read on to look back and look forward.

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the 2025-2026 Regular Season’s twenty-seventh week in four categories.

The last day of the regular season saw Sam Anas tie Nikita Gusev’s record 89-point haul in a regular season campaign. He scored twice in Dinamo Minsk’s 8-2 win over Avtomobilist, but could not find a third point to set a new mark. Sibir did set a new record, beating a mark established in the KHL’s inaugural season. Today’s shoot-out win over Sochi was its 12th of the season, beating Metallurg’s 11 from 2008/2009.
Elsewhere, the big issue was resolving the Western playoff pairings. With the season complete, Lokomotiv faces Spartak in round one, Dinamo Minsk will take on Dynamo Moscow, Severstal is up against Torpedo and CSKA faces SKA.

An eight-game KHL matchday closes the regular season with action across both conferences. Salavat Yulaev hosts HC Sochi, Sibir faces Barys, and Traktor takes on Admiral. In the West, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Avtomobilist, while SKA meets the Shanghai Dragons. Two Moscow games see Dynamo play Ak Bars and Spartak face Neftekhimik. The day concludes in Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv clashes with Metallurg in a matchup between the regular season’s conference leaders.

The playoff pairs for the Eastern Conference are set after Wednesday’s play. The top four places were confirmed ahead of today’s action, and wins for Salavat Yulaev over Neftekhimik (3-0) and Traktor over Metallurg (6-2) sealed places five through eight. Those first-round pairings will be: Metallurg vs Sibir; Avangard vs Neftekhimik; Ak Bars vs Traktor; Avtomobilist vs Salavat Yulaev. In the Western Conference, CSKA secured fourth place thanks to a shoot-out win over Spartak. Fifth-placed Dynamo fell 1-2 at home to Admiral.

A seven-game KHL matchday opens in Novosibirsk with Sibir hosting SKA as the regular season nears its conclusion. Salavat Yulaev faces in-form Neftekhimik, while Traktor and Metallurg renew the Southern Urals derby. Action then shifts west with HC Sochi welcoming Ak Bars and a Moscow doubleheader featuring Spartak against CSKA and Dynamo taking on Admiral. The evening closes in China, where the struggling Shanghai Dragons host Avtomobilist. Several teams still have positioning to play for before the playoffs.

Sibir clinched the 16th and final playoff spot with a 3-2 victory over CSKA in Monday’s early game. The Siberians cannot finish higher than eighth in the East, meaning the first playoff pairing is also confirmed: regular season champ Metallurg, a 4-3 winner over Avtomobilist today, will start against Sibir. Neither SKA nor Torpedo were able to close on fourth-placed CSKA in the West. Traktor won 2-1 at home to SKA, Torpedo fell 3-6 to Neftekhimik. An entertaining Moscow derby ended in a shoot-out win for Dynamo at Spartak. Severstal beat Ak Bars 4-2 in Monday’s other action.

Going into the final week of the KHL regular season, we have a two-way battle for the last remaining playoff spot. The two conference winners, and the regular season champion, are confirmed – and there’s a possible regular season scoring record up for grabs.

A seven-game KHL matchday features key clashes across both conferences. Sibir hosts CSKA in a game with playoff implications, while league leaders Metallurg welcome Avtomobilist. Traktor faces SKA as the Chelyabinsk side marks its 1,200th KHL game, and Barys meets Admiral in Kazakhstan. In Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo takes on Neftekhimik. The Moscow derby sees Spartak battle Dynamo, while the day concludes with Severstal hosting Ak Bars in a cross-conference showdown.

With nine games on Friday’s card, this was the most action-packed day of the KHL season. The focus was on the Eastern Conference, where Sibir and Amur are fighting for the last remaining playoff spot. And the outcome was inconclusive as both teams suffered overtime losses. Sibir fell at home to Metallurg, while Amur stumbled at Spartak. There were big victories for Avangard (6-1 vs Dragons), SKA (5-0 vs Severstal) and Admiral (6-2 vs Barys). Traktor came from behind to beat Torpedo in overtime, Dynamo recovered twice before winning a shoot-out in Ufa. Maxim Shalunov potted a hat-trick as Lokomotiv won 4-2 at Lada and Dmitrij Jaskin’s 200th KHL goal helped Ak Bars to a 2-0 win over Sochi.

A nine-game KHL matchday features crucial battles across both conferences. Barys seeks a fourth straight win in Vladivostok, while Sibir eyes a potential playoff-clinching result against regular-season champion Metallurg. Avangard hosts the struggling Shanghai Dragons, and Traktor looks to halt a skid versus Torpedo. Salavat Yulaev meets Dynamo Moscow in a tight cross-conference clash, as Lokomotiv visits Lada. Later, Ak Bars targets a perfect homestand against Sochi, Spartak faces desperate Amur, and SKA hosts Severstal.

An overtime success at home to Severstal secured first place in the Western Conference for Lokomotiv. Georgy Ivanov snapped a 3-3 tie after late drama in Yaroslavl. Second-placed Dinamo Minsk can no longer catch the defending champion after its 4-6 loss at Dynamo Moscow. In the East, Sibir held its nerve to beat Avangard in a shoot-out and open a five-point gap over ninth-placed Amur. The Tigers will hope to reduce the deficit in tomorrow’s home game against Barys.

China hosted top class hockey for the first time since Feb. 2020 when the KHL World Games visited Shanghai. Back in Russia, Sergei Plotnikov reached 1,000 games in the KHL and the playoff race narrowed down still further.

A new week kicks off with a three-game matchday. In the Eastern Conference, Avangard faces Sibir in another Siberian derby. In the West, Dynamo Moscow takes on Dinamo Minsk, while Lokomotiv seeks its seventh straight win as Severstal pays a visit to Yaroslavl.

The second of this season’s KHL World Games encounters produced a 12-goal thriller. Barys came out on top in Shanghai thanks to a hat-trick from Michael Vecchione and a busy evening for Reilly Walsh. In the race for the last remaining playoff spots, Amur closed to within three points of Sibir thanks to a 6-3 win over Salavat Yulaev. Sibir lost to Ak Bars by the same scoreline. Sergei Plotnikov made his 1,000th KHL appearance, and proved to be the architect of a victory at Dynamo Moscow. Elsewhere, Neftekhimik ended a four-game skid with victory at Admiral and Spartak thrashed Lada 7-1.

Six games are on the KHL schedule today. Admiral and Neftekhimik meet again in Vladivostok, while Amur hosts Salavat Yulaev in a crucial clash for the Eastern playoff race. The action then moves to Shanghai, where the Dragons face Barys in the second match of the 2026 KHL World Games. Later, Lada welcomes Spartak, Ak Bars takes on Sibir in Kazan, and Dynamo Moscow closes the day against SKA.

Amid the celebrations for the Chinese Year of the Horse, the Dragons returned home for the first time since 2020. Shanghai hosted the first of two KHL World Games encounters and a near-capacity crowd saw the Dragons fall to a narrow 1-2 loss against playoff-chasing Sibir. Elsewhere, Salavat Yulaev confirmed its post season spot with victory at Amur, while Admiral’s hopes were ended despite victory over Neftekhimik. In the Western Conference the only game of the day went to overtime before SKA took a 2-1 verdict at Dinamo Minsk.

The KHL matchday moves across the East and West with playoff hopes and positioning on the line. In Vladivostok, Admiral hosts Neftekhimik, while Amur welcomes Salavat Yulaev. In Shanghai, Sibir faces the Dragons in a KHL World Games rematch, while in the West, Dinamo Minsk and SKA clash in a key battle for conference positioning.

A total of 12 out of 16 playoff spots are now confirmed, with all eight participants from Western Conference known. Meanwhile, an American is setting scoring records in Belarus and a long-serving SKA man is closing on his 1,000th appearance. Read on for all you need to know about week 26 in the KHL.

Five games headline a packed KHL matchday, starting in the Urals with three intriguing clashes. League-leading Metallurg aims to extend its winning streak, Salavat Yulaev and Sibir look to halt recent slides, and Avtomobilist hosts Avangard in a key Eastern Conference battle. The action then shifts West, where Lokomotiv welcomes Dynamo Moscow in a high-stakes rivalry, before SKA hosts struggling Admiral in St. Petersburg.

Sunday was all about the Eastern Conference playoffs. Avtomobilist booked its place thanks to a 4-1 win over Shanghai Dragons – a result that leaves the Chinese franchise close to elimination. Amur’s win at Avangard, coupled with a 0-1 loss for Sibir at Neftekhimik, closes the gap to six points between eighth and ninth. Elsewhere, Spartak won an entertaining game at Salavat Yulaev, Severstal and Metallurg earned overtime wins over Barys and Admiral respectively.

Six games are on the KHL schedule today, starting with Avangard hosting Amur, followed by Salavat Yulaev facing Spartak and Metallurg taking on Admiral. Avtomobilist meets the Shanghai Dragons in Yekaterinburg, while Barys hosts Severstal in Astana. The matchday concludes with Neftekhimik welcoming Sibir, as conference positioning, playoff races, and key streaks remain at the center of attention.

Josh Leivo scored his first goal in 11 games to help Traktor to a 5-2 win over Severstal. Fellow Canadian Nick Merkley also had a big day, picking up two assists as Shanghai Dragons won in OT at Barys. That sees Merkley overtake Brandon Yip’s club record 42 points in a KHL season. Avtomobilist failed to secure its playoff spot on Friday, crashing at home to Admiral. Sibir could not close out a win at Avangard, but a shoot-out loss still saw Yaroslav Lyuznekov move a point further away from Amur, beaten 1-3 at Metallurg. Neftekhimik wrapped up the day’s play with a 2-0 win at home to Spartak.

KHL matchday features six games all hosted in the Eastern Conference. Avangard hosts Sibir in the third game of their season series and Sibir’s six-game road trip. Then, Traktor faces Severstal, Avtomobilist hosts Admiral, and Metallurg plays Amur. Barys meets Shanghai Dragons, and finally Neftekhimik welcomes Spartak.

With some of the top imports busy at the Olympic Games, other players stepped up and had great performances, including scoring leader Sam Anas, and record-setter Taylor Beck. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.

Evgeny Kuznetsov had never mustered a point on Traktor, his hometown team, until today. Now he has 4 (1+3) after leading Salavat Yulaev to a 6-0 win in Chelyabinsk. There was late drama in the West as Shanghai Dragons struck with six seconds to play at Torpedo, forcing a 3-3 tie. However, Vladimir Tkachyov won it for the host in overtime, securing a playoff spot. SKA tied Severstal at 2-2 with 15 seconds to play, but fell to the second-placed team in the West in a shoot-out. The big game in the East also went to overtime before Amur defeated Sibir to keep its hopes of a top-eight finish alive. And there was another six-goal show as Dinamo Minsk thumped Spartak 6-1, helped by four power play goals.