KHL Welcomes Shanghai Dragons for 2025–26 Season

The 2025–26 KHL season will see the debut of a new Western Conference team — the Shanghai Dragons, official successors to Kunlun Red Star. This isn’t just a rebrand but a bold transformation: a new city, name, crest, and identity, while continuing the mission to elevate Chinese hockey.

Rooted in Chinese tradition and designed for global impact, the team draws on the power of the dragon — a symbol of strength, wisdom, and good fortune. The club’s colors — turquoise, imperial yellow, and red — reflect renewal, sovereignty, and national pride.

While the franchise prepares its future home in Shanghai, the Dragons will initially play their home games in St. Petersburg, reinforcing the long-standing sister-city relationship between the two metropolises. The team positions itself as a cultural bridge between China, Russia, and the global hockey community — and as a fierce competitor on and off the ice.