All-Star action in Yekaterinburg

All eyes were on Yekaterinburg as the Ural city hosted the 2026 All-Star Weekend. Before that, Week 23 of the KHL season saw a second team clinch its playoff spot while SKA halted a club record skid. Looking ahead, two more teams are poised to secure post-season, while KHL president Alexei Morozov updated on the possibility of the 3x3 Championship returning this summer.

RUS Stars take All-Star crown

The 2026 Fonbet KHL All-Star Weekend was a big success. Yekaterinburg hosted three days of high-class hockey, with the Junior Challenge Cup followed by two days of competition involving the best of the KHL. It ended in a win for KHL RUS Stars, who defeated KHL U23s in Sunday’s final, with Severstal’s Danil Aimurzin scoring five goals in a 9-2 victory. Local heroes KHL Ural Stars defeated KHL World Stars in the third-place game after racing into a 6-0 lead during the first period.

As always, there was plenty of fun and imagination on offer. A new-look skill show presented coaches and goalies with new challenges, while the ever-popular penalty shot contest was won by Alexei Vasilevsky’s tribute to Bashkir folklore. During the All-Star Game itself, Traktor defenseman Grigory Dronov tried a couple of new roles – acting as referee, then a goalie during the bronze medal game.

The updated All-Star format also proved a hit with spectators, as more than 33,242 people came to the UGMK Arena over the three days of action. That included a record attendance for the Junior Challenge Cup on Friday, when 10,473 fans saw Team West win 7-4 against Team East, beating last year’s crowd in Novosibirsk by 95.

A family affair

One of the most striking features of this year’s All-Star Weekend was the number of kids involved. Many players brought their families to Yekaterinburg for the big event, and several invited their children to join in with the challenges in the Skill Show. It’s a trend that KHL president Alexei Morozov wants to see more of. “We’re delighted to let the kids take part,” he said. “It’s a real joy for them to go on the ice in an arena like this, in front of these fans. And it’s special for their parents as well. We’re only too happy to see how this is getting bigger each year.

Avangard secures playoff spot

The second confirmed participant in the 2026 playoffs is Avangard. The Hawks sealed their post-season spot on Feb. 5 – despite the end of an eight-game winning streak. A point from an overtime loss to Avtomobilist was enough to ensure that Guy Boucher’s men cannot by caught by ninth-placed Amur. Ak Bars is likely to be the next team to stamp its ticket. After Amur lost on Wednesday, Anvar Gatiyatulin’s team needed just one more win in regulation to confirm a top-eight finish. However, the Kazan club had to wait, falling to a 0-4 loss at Traktor later that day.

SKA halts record skid

Seven straight defeats represented an unwanted club record for SKA in the KHL era. But Igor Larionov’s men recovered last week, recording back-to-back wins. First came a hard-fought shoot-out verdict at Dinamo Minsk (4-3). Nikolai Goldobin had a goal and an assist, while goalie Sergei Ivanov starred with 45 saves. Then came a 3-1 win at Severstal, bringing back-to-back victories against two team chasing Lokomotiv at the top of the Western Conference.

Morozov talks 3x3

In 2025, the KHL staged the world’s first professional 3x3 tournament, generating great interest in a new, fast-flowing hockey format. So far, though, there has been no word of a repeat. At a press conference during the All-Star Weekend, KHL president Alexei Morozov gave an update. “When we first staged the championship it was entirely financed by our partners, two bookmakers,” he said. “This year they have made a decision yet. We’re in talks and there are a few options. We might run the tournament in the summer, it might start in May when there are only a couple of teams left in the playoffs and we can fill the summer break with 3x3 hockey. It’s a decision for our partners.” 

Coming up

Ak Bars can secure its playoff spot with victory over Torpedo on Thursday, although defeat for Amur at home to Traktor on the previous day would also guarantee a top-eight finish. Lokomotiv could be the first time to seal its playoff spot from the Western Conference if it beats Shanghai Dragons when the season resumes on Tuesday. Spartak faces two Moscow derbies in three days, hosting Dynamo Moscow on Tuesday, then CSKA on Thursday.