We have a new champion! Lokomotiv won its first Gagarin Cup last week, defeating Benoit Groulx’s Traktor 4-1 in the final. In the Junior Hockey League, SKA-1946 rallied from 0-3, but lost game seven to Spartak.
First triumph for Lokomotiv
The 2025 Gagarin Cup went to Lokomotiv, ending a long wait for glory. Igor Niktin’s team bounced back from last year’s disappointment to land the big prize and become national champions for the first time since 2003. Maxim Shalunov potted the overtime winner in game five as the Railwaymen took a 2-1 verdict on the night and a 4-1 series success. It was Loko’s first win in three finals, while Traktor suffered a second loss after its defeat in 2013.
Radulov named MVP
For veteran forward Alexander Radulov, this was a second Gagarin Cup triumph. He last lifted the trophy with Salavat Yulaev in 2011. This time, he led Lokomotiv in scoring with 16 (7+9) points in this year’s playoffs, and his partnership with youngster Yegor Surin was a key part of the team’s success. He reflected on his two championship seasons: “So much time has passed, I don’t really know. Both teams were strong, there’s not much point in trying to compare them. When you are the champion, that means you’re the strongest. That’s the most important thing.”
The redemption arc
Lokomotiv captain Alexander Yelesin is one of the homegrown players on the team. That Yaroslavl cohort felt last year’s loss even more deeply and, accordingly, enjoyed this year’s triumph enough more. “I can’t even describe how great this is,” he said. “To make this journey with my guys, who were born in Yaroslavl, who grew up here ... We knew how last year’s final would play on our minds. But this is a new story and we wrote it for Yaroslavl, and for the guys we lost in 2011.”
Goalie Daniil Isayev added: “Since last year’s final, we could hardly breathe. Now it’s such a release.”
Paying tribute
After Lokomotiv secured its first Gagarin Cup, players and staff spoke of remembering the 2011 team that was tragically killed in a plane crash at the start of the season. So it was no surprise that the first port of call with the cup was the memorial at Tunoshna. “This victory is dedicated to the champions of our hearts,” the club posted on its socials. “We are a team forever!”
Groulx – just one regret
Defeated Traktor head coach Benoit Groulx came close to winning it all in his first season in the KHL. Despite falling just short, he was happy with his first year in Russian hockey. “When I signed up in the summer, our aim was to build a championship team,” he said. “Although we didn’t get there this season, I’m happy with the hockey we played and what we achieved as a team and as individuals. For me, it’s been an incredible experience. My only regret is that we couldn’t reach our main goal and win the Gagarin Cup. But we’ll do everything we can to get there.”
More award nominees
Ahead of the KHL Closing Ceremony on May 29, the candidates for two more prizes were announced. Coach of the year will be chosen from Gagarin Cup winner Igor Nikitin, runner-up Benoit Groulx and Salavat Yulaev’s Viktor Kozlov, who led his team to the semi-finals. Lokomotiv is also represented in the Goalie of the Year shortlist, with Daniil Isayev on the shortlist. He’s joined by two men who changed clubs during the season: Vladislav Podyapolsky (Lada / Dynamo Moscow) and Nikita Serebryakov (SKA / Avangard).
Spartak takes Junior crown
In the Junior Hockey League final, Spartak held off a huge fightback from SKA-1946 to lift the Kharlamov Cup. The Muscovites settled the issue with Saturday’s victory on home ice – but only after SKA rallied from 0-3 to tie the series and force a game seven decider. The return of goalie Yaroslav Kuzmenko made the difference: he was between the piping as Spartak took control of the series, then missed games as SKA fought back. On Saturday he backstopped a 6-2 victory, with Ivan Ryabov’s two goals leading the home scoring. SKA deployed both its goalies in this game – and both Yegor Zavragin and Pavel Moisevich have extensive KHL experience. However, they allowed three goals apiece as the honors went to Moscow.
Kazakhstan relegated at World Championship
Team Kazakhstan suffered relegation from the top division of the IIHF World Championship. In its final game against Switzerland, the Kazakhs needed a point or better to stay up at Hungary’s expense. However, despite a battling performance through two periods – Arkady Shestakov got the only goal of the opening frame, and the Swiss equalizer came five seconds before the end of the middle stanza – it wasn’t enough. Switzerland scored three unanswered goals in the third to secure top spot in the group and send Kazakhstan down. The Swiss went all the way to the final for the second year in a row, but lost out once again as the USA won gold for the first time since 1933 (or 1960, if we count years when the Olympics also counted as the World Championship).
In the relegation battle, there was better news for Slovenia. With Kunlun’s Jan Drozg on the roster, the Slovenes secured their place at the summit with a win over France in the key game. That, coupled with Hungary’s survival ahead of Kazakhstan, means that both promoted nations remain in the elite for the first time since 2019.
