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Despite falling two goals behind at home to Spartak in game five, Lokomotiv recovered to win 3-2 on the night and take it’s KHL playoff first round series 4-1. That means seven of the eight quarter-final spots are now filled, and Salavat Yulaev could complete the set with victory over Avtomobilist in Ufa tomorrow. Should the home team win, it would face Lokomotiv in the second round, starting on April 8. The other three pairings are confirmed: Avangard vs CSKA (April 8), Metallurg vs Torpedo and Dinamo Minsk vs Ak Bars (both April 9).

Daniil Vovchenko and Nikolai Prokhorkin scored the vital goals as two more KHL playff first-round series came to an end on Wednesday. Vovchenko got the only goal of the game as Metallurg edged a 1-0 verdict over Sibir. Then Prokhorkin tied Avangard’s game against Nefetkhimik with just eight seconds to play before potting the winner in overtime. Both winning teams completed their series in five games.

After the first verdicts, more series could reach their conclusion, with Avangard, Metallurg, and reigning champion Lokomotiv all holding 3–1 leads over Neftekhimik, Sibir, and Spartak respectively, each one win away from advancing, while their opponents look to stay alive and force a return game.

An overtime winner from Dmitrij Jaskin sent Ak Bars into the second round of the 2026 KHL playoffs. His 61st-minute strike earned a 2-1 win over Traktor, settling the series in five games. The series between Avtomobilist and Salavat Yulaev returns to Ufa after Stepan Khripunov lead the Motormen to a 5-2 win. Salavat will hope to finish the job on Thursday, but saw its advantage reduced to 3-2.

CSKA and Torpedo joined Dinamo Minsk in the second round of this year’s playoffs after completing their series in five games. Denis Guryanov again starred for the Muscovites with a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over SKA. Sixth seed Torpedo upset the rankings with a 4-3 win at third seed Severstal, making playoff progress for the first time since 2023.

Elimination pressure builds across the slate, with Salavat Yulaev, Ak Bars and CSKA all holding 3–1 leads over Avtomobilist, Traktor and SKA respectively, each with a chance to close out the series. Meanwhile, Torpedo also sits one win away at 3–1 against Severstal, who must respond on home ice to keep their playoff hopes alive.

We have our first qualifier for the second round of the 2026 KHL playoffs. Dinamo Minsk wrapped up a first-round sweep of Dynamo Moscow after Stanislav Galiyev scored twice in an overtime win. Also in Moscow, defending champion Lokomotiv won 2-0 at Spartak to take a 3-1 lead back to Yaroslavl on Wednesday.

Sibir needed almost five full period to find the opening goal of its game against Metallurg – but Anton Kosolapov’s snipe on 99:59 earned a 1-0 victory to keep that series alive. Magnitka, up 3-1, will look to finish it in Magnitogorsk on Wednesday. Eastern Conference second seed Avangard is also one home win away from round two after a 5-2 success at Neftekhimik put it up 3-1 in the series.

One week into post season, and all 16 teams are still in the Gagarin Cup race. We’ve seen competitive, exciting hockey in every series – and we might see our first qualifiers advance later today.

Elimination looms in two series, with Metallurg and Dinamo Minsk holding commanding 3–0 leads over Sibir and Dynamo Moscow respectively. Elsewhere, Avangard and Lokomotiv are ahead 2–1 against Neftekhimik and Spartak, with Game Four offering a chance to either push to the brink or bring the series back to level terms.

Sunday’s Western Conference action brought drama in Nizhny Novgorod. Torpedo scored twice in the last two minutes to force overtime before Sergei Goncharuk sunk Severstal and gave his team a 3-1 lead in the series. The other game saw Denis Guryanov fire CSKA to victory at SKA, putting the Muscovites up 3-1 before the series returns to the capital.

Salavat Yulaev and Ak Bars are both one game away from advancing to the second round of the 2026 Gagarin Cup playoffs after victories on Sunday. Salavat enjoyed a 5-2 win at home to Avtomobilist, while Ak Bars needed a second period of overtime to see off Traktor in Chelyabinsk. Anvar Gatiyatulin’s team can finish the series on home ice on Tuesday, while Avtomobilist returns home to try to save its series on the same day.

Home teams made their move in Game Three, with Salavat Yulaev and Torpedo taking a 2–1 lead over Avtomobilist and Severstal respectively, while Traktor and SKA cut the gap to 2–1 against Ak Bars and CSKA, setting up a crucial Game Four across all four series.

Both of Saturday’s Western Conference playoffs went to overtime, and both ended with the away team victorious. Sam Anas struck after three minutes of the extras to put Dinamo Minsk up 3-0 on Dynamo Moscow after a 1-1 tie in the Russian capital. Across town, Spartak’s Ivan Morozov grabbed a late tying goal against Lokomotiv, but the Railwaymen rebounded to win it on Artur Kayumov’s redirect. The defending champ is up 2-1 in that series.

Two late goals from Dmitry Rashevsky could have a huge impact on the outcome of Avangard’s series against Neftekhimik. He turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory in Nizhnekamsk, putting the Hawks up 2-1 after three games. In Novosibirsk, Metallurg recorded a third straight win over Sibir and is just one game away from progressing to round two.

The higher seeds are already asserting control in parts of the bracket, with Metallurg and Dinamo Minsk holding commanding 2–0 leads over Sibir and Dynamo Moscow respectively. Elsewhere, the series remain wide open, as Avangard and Neftekhimik, along with Lokomotiv and Spartak, are tied 1–1 heading into a pivotal Game Three as the action shifts venues.

Sergei Ivanov marked his playoff debut with a shut-out to secure a 1-0 victory for SKA. The Petersburg club still trails its series against CSKA, but is now down 1-2. Torpedo edged ahead of Severstal thanks to a 3-1 victory in Nizhny Novgorod, with Amir Garayev claiming the winning goal.

Maxim Kuznetsov scored a late winner for Salavat Yulaev as the forwards found their range at last in the series against Avtomobilist. A 4-3 verdict in Ufa put the host up 2-1. And the Ak Bars vs Traktor series is also 2-1 after Traktor won 3-2 in Chelyabinsk to claim its first victory of post season.

The Eastern matchups are already diverging, with Salavat Yulaev and Avtomobilist tied 1–1 after two tight, low-scoring games, while Ak Bars seized a 2–0 lead over Traktor. In the West, Severstal responded emphatically to level the series 1–1 against Torpedo, whereas CSKA took full control with a 2–0 edge over SKA as the action shifts venue.

Spartak Moscow delivered the first big shock of this year’s playoffs, grabbing an overtime win at defending champion Lokomotiv. The Red-and-Whites were second best for long spells of Thursday’s game, but opportunistic goals from Ivan Morozov and Daniil Pivchulin secured a 2-1 verdict. In Minsk, Dinamo had little trouble opening a 2-0 lead in its series against Dynamo Moscow. The visiting offense was again off-color and the home team cruised to a 4-1 win.

There was drama in Omsk as second seed Avangard allowed a late equalizer before falling in OT to seventh-ranked Neftekhimik. That ties their Gagarin Cup playoff series at 1-1 before the teams head to Nizhnekamsk. Top seed Metallurg had no such problems, though. Robin Press scored twice in a 5-1 win over Sibir as Andrei Razin’s team opened a 2-0 lead in the series.

All today’s pairs made their home ice count in Game One, with Avangard defeating Neftekhimik, Metallurg downing Sibir, Lokomotiv overcoming Spartak, and Dinamo Minsk beating Dynamo Moscow to take a 1–0 lead in their respective series, putting early pressure on the lower seeds to respond in Game Two.

Despite allowing a second-minute goal to SKA, CSKA recovered to win 4-2 in Moscow and open a 2-0 lead in its first-round KHL playoff series. In Cherepovets, Severstal bounced back from Monday’s loss to Torpedo, winning 4-0 to tie the series before the action moves to Nizhny Novgorod.

Day three of the Eastern playoffs saw a 1-0 win for Salavat Yulaev square its series against Avtomobilist. The teams head to Ufa locked at 1-1. Then Ak Bars won 4-2 at home to Traktor, claiming a 2-0 advantage in the series.

Anas’ elite production, Sprong’s domination, Da Costa’s experience and Leivo’s consistency. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.

In the East, Avtomobilist and Ak Bars hold a 1–0 edge after taking the opening games, while in the West CSKA also leads its series 1–0 following a marathon win. Torpedo produced the only road upset so far, stealing Game 1 against Severstal to take the early advantage, as Salavat Yulaev, Traktor, Spartak and SKA all look to respond and level their respective series.

Defending champion Lokomotiv took its 2026 playoff bow – and found itself down by two in barely 10 minutes. A fightback secured Bob Hartley’s men a 5-3 but Spartak will take consolation from a competitive performance in Yaroslavl. In Minsk, Dinamo justified pre-playoff expectation with an impressively solid 3-1 win over Dynamo Moscow.

Day two of the playoffs brought the Eastern Conference heavyweights into the fray. Both made winning starts, but while Metallurg eased past Sibir, second seed Avangard needed goals in the last five to see off seventh-ranked Neftekhimik.

KHL.ru’s weekly column returns with Damir Sharipzyanov. The Avangard defenseman just set a KHL record for the most single-season points from the blue line, surpassing Chris Lee’s 2016-2017 campaign.

Four more pairs hit the ice today, as eight teams continue their quest for the Gagarin Cup. In the East, Avangard takes on Neftekhimik, while Metallurg faces Sibir. In the West, reigning champions Lokomotiv meets Spartak Moscow after a dominant regular-season sweep, while Dinamo Minsk go up against Dynamo Moscow in a matchup that flips 2024 playoff script, rounding out another packed slate of postseason action.

There was a surprise on day one in the West as sixth-seed Torpedo won 4-1 at Severstal in its playoff opener. CSKA and SKA needed two periods of overtime to separate them, but Nikita Nesterov’s strike gave the Muscovites the early edge in that first round series.

Day one of the 2026 KHL Playoffs began with Daniel Sprong firing Avtomobilist to victory over Salavat Yulaev. And the other Eastern Conference action saw Ak Bars edge past Traktor in overtime.

Commentator for KHL TV channels and expert at KHL.ru, Anton Vasyatin, presents the top ten most prominent young players (U23) in the league based on their performance in the third month of the regular season.

The final week of the regular season brought a major scoring achievement, a quirky record that stood since 2009 and, of course, confirmation of the full playoff schedule. Read on to look back and look forward.

Four pairs open today, with eight teams beginning their chase for the Gagarin Cup. In the East, Avtomobilist faces Salavat Yulaev, while Ak Bars meets Traktor. In the West, Severstal and Torpedo clash for the first time in playoff history. The classic series between CSKA and SKA reaches its 10th edition, with CSKA leading the all-time playoff record 6–3, in a heavyweight opening slate across the KHL playoffs tonight.

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the Regular Season’s seventh month in four categories.

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the 2025-2026 Regular Season’s twenty-seventh week in four categories.

KHL.ru reviews the attendance figures for the Fonbet KHL regular season.

The last day of the regular season saw Sam Anas tie Nikita Gusev’s record 89-point haul in a regular season campaign. He scored twice in Dinamo Minsk’s 8-2 win over Avtomobilist, but could not find a third point to set a new mark. Sibir did set a new record, beating a mark established in the KHL’s inaugural season. Today’s shoot-out win over Sochi was its 12th of the season, beating Metallurg’s 11 from 2008/2009.
Elsewhere, the big issue was resolving the Western playoff pairings. With the season complete, Lokomotiv faces Spartak in round one, Dinamo Minsk will take on Dynamo Moscow, Severstal is up against Torpedo and CSKA faces SKA.

An eight-game KHL matchday closes the regular season with action across both conferences. Salavat Yulaev hosts HC Sochi, Sibir faces Barys, and Traktor takes on Admiral. In the West, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Avtomobilist, while SKA meets the Shanghai Dragons. Two Moscow games see Dynamo play Ak Bars and Spartak face Neftekhimik. The day concludes in Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv clashes with Metallurg in a matchup between the regular season’s conference leaders.