“Gagarin Cup: Believe in a Dream” now available with English subtitles
An award-winning sporting drama that tells a global story is available to English-speaking audiences from Oct. 7. “Gagarin Cup: Believe in a Dream” is now available with English subtitles on YouTube. It tells the story of Lokomotiv’s 2025 Gagarin Cup triumph and Traktor’s remarkable journey to the final. But, much more than that, it’s a human story about both sets of players and their determination to succeed. The key notes of perseverance, team spirit and faith in a dream transcend national boundaries and are relevant to all.
The 2024/2025 campaign will live forever in Russian hockey history. Millions of fans in the arenas, a playoff season extending into May, new records for attendances and goals. It all added up to high drama, culminating in a final battle between two conflicting hockey philosophies.
“Gagarin Cup: Believe in a Dream” offers a glimpse into the thoughts of the key players in this sage. The story of the season’s decisive moments is told with unflinching honesty by those who made them happen: playoff MVP Alexander Radulov, Traktor’s leaders Maxim Shabanov and Zach Fucale, head coaches Igor Nikitin and Benoit Groulx, golden goal scorer Maxim Shalunov, plus Daniil Isayev, Maxim Beryozkin, Yegor Surin, Vasily Glotov and Vladimir Tkachyov. This is their truth. Their struggle. Their history.
And we get to meet the unsung heroes of Lokomotiv’s triumph, their closest relatives. Maxim Beryozkin’s father recalls his son’s tears after losing the 2024 final. Viewers hear the heartfelt words of Larisa Isayeva, who shared every second of her son’s anxiety like nobody else. They will share a moment of supreme happiness with Anna Bokiy, Alexander Radulov’s wife, when she heard those long-awaited words: “We did it!”
Long-time hockey fans will see more than just a recap: exclusive footage places you at the heart of the action.
There’s a close-up look at Lokomotiv. A team that rose from the ashes of last year’s final. Igor Nikitin’s ironclad gameplan was executed to perfection. Or was it? How did the players feel after winning three games in the final?
Then there’s Traktor. A team that blew up the league with a new philosophy. Head coach Benoit Groulx, in his first season in the KHL, was a breath of fresh air. Maxim Shabanov was a sensation. On the ice, a flamboyant forward; off the ice, cautious with his words. At last we hear his account of the key moments in the final.
This was more than just a sporting triumph. It’s a story of remembrance and continuity. Lokomotiv’s 2025 triumph is forever linked with the 2011 tragedy, when the entire Lokomotiv team was killed in a plane crash. As players share their personal recollections of those terrible days, the current success takes on a new symbolism. The day after winning the cup, the champions brought the trophy to the memorial at Tunoshna to honor the memory of the players we lost and share this historic moment with them.
Sergei Dobrokhvalov, KHL Vice-president:
“This is our second documentary project, and the main idea was to show how the Gagarin Cup is not just won and lost on the ice. We made this film unique by telling the personal stories of the key figures: players, coaches and their families. This is about people, and not just about sports. Viewers can watch and understand what lay behind every goal scored in that epic final – the pain, the doubts, the hope and, ultimately, the triumph. Films like these will preserve the legacy and emotions of the most exciting season in KHL history for future generations of fans.”
The KHL would like to thank Lokomotiv and Traktor, the clubs’ management, coaching and staff for their help in creating this documentary.
Special thanks go to the referees of the final series and the whole KHL officiating team, staff at the KHL and Kinopoisk, and the KHL’s official broadcaster, the National Sports Channel.
We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this project – from the biggest stars to the technical experts whose behind-the-scenes contributions were essential.
