Volga Arena ready for its KHL debut; three-game scheduled for today

Three games are on tap as Lada and Dinamo Minsk meet in Togliatti, with both teams still searching for their first win of the season. In the Western Conference, Severstal hosts Dynamo Moscow in Cherepovets, while Torpedo welcomes Ak Bars for the inaugural KHL game at the brand-new Volga Arena in Nizhny Novgorod. A capacity crowd is expected as Torpedo looks to build on Friday’s 7:2 win over Lada.

The matchday starts in Togliatti, where both Lada and Dinamo Minsk will seek their first win in the season. The Belarusians lost three straight games in extra time. First, in the opener against Torpedo (3:4 SO), then, to the Shanghai Dragons (3:4 OT), and finally to Dynamo Moscow in St. Petersburg (2:3 SO). It was certainly a disappointing start to the season for Dinamo Minsk, who will be looking to celebrate first in today’s game in Togliatti. However, Lada will not just simply surrender. The Togliatti side lost four straight games to start the 2026-2027 campaign, to SKA (twice, 3:4 OT, 1:2 OT), Severstal (0:1), and Torpedo (2:7), respectively. Expect a hard-fought match as both teams will want to gain their first victory in the current season.

Then, the action moves to the Western Conference for two matches. In Cherepovets, Severstal will be looking to return back on track as Dynamo Moscow comes to town. The Steelers only won once so far, a shutout win over Lada (1:0), with three losses by the hand of Salavat Yulaev (2:3), Lokomotiv (1:2 OT), and to Spartak (0:8). Andrei Kozyrev’s men must forget about this heavy loss as soon as possible and start gaining points at their usual pace. Dynamo Moscow is in a better shape. The Muscovites won their last couple of matches – both on postgame shootouts – showing good hockey against Admiral (2:1 SO) and Dinamo Minsk (3:2 SO) following losses to Avtomobilist (1:2) and SKA (3:5). Home fans will want to see their team win today, and it will be an exciting match in Cherepovets.

Finally, the stage is set for the first KHL game to be played at the brand-new Volga Arena in Nizhny Novgorod. The league gets another modern, 12,000-seater for a team that regularly sold out its games at the old palace. Torpedo enters the game after a huge win over Lada in Togliatti on Friday (7:2). Other than Lada, the Nizhny Novgorod side also defeated Spartak (1:0) and Dinamo Minsk (4:3 SO), and lost to CSKA (0:3). However, today’s game won’t be a walk in the park, with Ak Bars coming in to test Torpedo’s preparation for its new home. The Kazan side won three straight matches (4:3 SO against Sibir, 2:0 against Admiral, and 2:1 against Traktor) before losing to Metallurg also on Friday (2:3 SO). A capacity crowd is to be expected in Nizhny Novgorod, with the fans being pleased to a high-level game.

18:00: Lada (0-2-2) vs Dinamo Minsk (0-0-3).

About the game

Lada is in the middle of a three-game home series and lost its previous four matches.

Dinamo Minsk ends a two-game road trip following three straight defeats.

Dinamo Minsk’s forward Sam Anas is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (1+4) points over that stretch.

Dinamo Minsk’s defenseman Ty Smith had at least an assist in each of his previous three matches, totaling five helpers.

Dinamo Minsk’s forward Corey Tirney is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.

Injury list

Dinamo Minsk: Rhett Gardner, Alex Limoges, Nicholas Meloche.

Milestone alert

Dinamo Minsk’s goalie Vasily Demchenko may record his 30^th career shutout.

19:00: Severstal (1-2-1) vs Dynamo Moscow (2-2-0).

About the game

Severstal plays the lone home game of the series following two straight losses.

Dynamo Moscow starts a three-game road trip on a two-match winning streak.

Dynamo Moscow’s forward Yegor Rimashevsky is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points over that stretch.

Dynamo Moscow’s forward Dylan Sykura had at least an assist in each of his previous three games, totaling four helpers.

Injury list

Severstal: Ruslan Abrosimov, Adam Liska.

Milestone alert

Dynamo Moscow’s goalie Alexei Motorygin may reach 10 KHL shutouts.

19:35: Torpedo (3-1-0) vs Ak Bars (3-0-1).

About the game

Torpedo starts a five-game home series fresh off a win over Lada on Friday (7:2).

Ak Bars starts a three-match road trip after a loss to Metallurg also on Friday (2:3 SO).

Ak Bars’ forward Kirill Semyonov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 7 (1+6) points over that stretch.

Injury list

Torpedo: Matvei Polyakov, Nikita Shavin.

Milestone alert

Torpedo’s forward Sergei Goncharuk lines up for his 400^th league appearance.

Torpedo’s forward Amir Garayev may score his 100^th point in the KHL (currently at 99).