KHL presents the first seasonal tournament

KHL.ru presents the first seasonal tournament in the history of the League: it will be dedicated to the 80th anniversary of domestic hockey, featuring six of the oldest Russian clubs.

The 2026-2027 season marks a milestone date for Russian hockey, its 80^th anniversary. On Dec 22, 2026, six clubs celebrating their 80^th anniversary will take the ice: Spartak, Dynamo Moscow, Torpedo, SKA, CSKA, and Avtomobilist.

The first USSR Ice Hockey Championship began on Dec 22, 1946, with twelve teams competing, including Spartak, Dynamo, CDKA (now CSKA), Officers’ House Leningrad, and Sverdlovsk (now SKA and Avtomobilist, respectively). Nizhny Novgorod’s Torpedo was founded on Dec 26, 1946, and only began competing in the domestic championships the following season.

These six teams will battle it out for the Cup of the Firsts. Only the teams’ first head-to-head matchups, both home and away, during the 2026-2027 regular season will count toward the tournament standings. Two Cup of the Firsts matches will take place on the regular season’s opening day, Sept 5: Avtomobilist will face Dynamo Moscow, and Spartak will take on Torpedo. CSKA and SKA will play their first tournament matches on Sept 7—the Muscovites will host Spartak, while the St. Petersburg club will host Dynamo.

In total, 30 games will count toward the overall tournament standings. On Dec 22, 2026, the exact 80^th anniversary of the founding of Russian hockey, the teams will play the final round of the Cup of the Firsts to determine the tournament winner.

During the designated Cup of the Firsts games, players will wear special retro jerseys featuring the tournament’s official patches.

Tournament Format:

• Six teams (Avtomobilist, Dynamo Moscow, SKA, Spartak, Torpedo, and CSKA);
• 30 matches — the first home and away head-to-head meetings in the regular season will count toward the tournament;
• The point system mirrors the official KHL rules — two points for a win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, and zero points for a regulation loss;
• The team with the most points at the end of the tournament is crowned the winner.

Alexei Morozov, KHL President: “This season, domestic hockey celebrates a milestone anniversary: 80 years since the first USSR championship. To mark this significant date, we decided to launch a special tournament within the regular season, featuring the six founding clubs of hockey in our country. Historically, these clubs have always been in the spotlight, shaping the face of our sport in both the USSR and Russia for decades. The Cup of the Firsts will symbolize the continuity of generations and serve as the League’s gift to the fans for this landmark anniversary. We hope this initiative brings extra excitement to the regular season.”

CSKA is the all-time record holder in domestic hockey with an unmatched collection of titles: 37 championship victories, 12 USSR Cups, three Gagarin Cups, and 20 European Champions Cups.

Dynamo Moscow was the very first USSR hockey champion, boasting 11 national titles, two Gagarin Cups, three USSR Cups, and one European Champions Cup.

Spartak won the USSR Championship four times and the USSR Cup twice, with their best KHL achievement being a Gagarin Cup quarterfinal appearance.

Torpedo made history as the first non-Moscow team to finish in the top three (winning silver in the 1960-1961 season), while their best result in the KHL era is reaching the second round.

Avtomobilist achieved their highest milestone in 2024 by securing the KHL championship bronze medals.

SKA twice finished as a bronze medalist in the USSR championship and has lifted the Gagarin Cup twice in the KHL.