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The latest summer trophy was awarded Wednesday with Avtomobilist edging a 1-0 victory over SKA to claim the Puchkov Cup in St. Petersburg. The day’s other action was at the Romazan Memorial in Magnitogorsk, while VHL team Magnitka is the unlikely leader. Metallurg’s farm club defeated the senior team in a shoot-out – albeit in a game with two experimental rosters. Earlier, Barys edged Salavat Yulaev in OT.

Monday saw two tournaments start, and two host teams defeated on opening day. The Chelyabinsk Governor’s Cup saw Amur beat Traktor 3-0, while Ak Bars won 3-2 in overtime against SKA at the Puchkov Tournament. Elsewhere, Sibir ended the Blinov Cup with a win, and CSKA defeated Dynamo in a Moscow derby.

Pre-season action is well underway, with big crowds turning out for the latest warm-up games. Severstal lifted the Blinov Cup in Omsk in front of more five-figure crowds. We’ve seen most teams in action, but Shanghai Dragons are yet to play – when they do, they’ll bring a radically reshaped roster after a week of busy transfer action.

KHL.ru continues its club-by-club preview of the 2025-2026 season with SKA. At first glance, it may seem that SKA is in for big changes, but that’s not quite the case.

Bob Hartley won his first game as Lokomotiv head coach, Igor Larionov started life at SKA with victory, and there were wins for Neftekhimik and Avtomobilist in Monday’s warm-up action.

The first pre-season tournament of 2025 went to Metallurg, triumphant at the Minsk Cup. Shanghai Dragons unveiled a World Championship-winning head coach and announced their first players for the coming campaign. SKA also made big signings, while Barys began its rebuild.

Nathan Todd signs with Spartak, Blandisi and Grimaldi boost SKA, while Barys and Dinamo Minsk add key imports. KHL.ru presents the best moves on the international market for the last few weeks.

Markus Phillips joins SKA, Joey Keane returns to Spartak, Chase Priskie signs with Sibir, and Ty Smith heads to Dinamo Minsk. KHL.ru presents the best moves on the international market for the last week.

Salavat Yulaev edged the first ever KHL 3x3 Championship title after a nail-biting gold-medal game against Ak Bars. There was more on-ice action on Sunday, when Russia’s NHL stars came home to play in the Game of the Year in Moscow. Meanwhile, off the ice, SKA had a busy week of trading players.

Bob Hartley takes over at Lokomotiv, CSKA lands Spencer Martin and Rhett Gardner, while SKA strengthens the blue line with Murphy and Menell. KHL.ru presents the top international transfers of the last week.

KHL.ru keeps on giving out the results of the 2024-2025 season. SKA surprised everyone with high-profile signings, had a very inconsistent regular season, and was eliminated in the first round for the first time in 16 years — triggering a wave of changes.

The first full week of trading in the KHL brought plenty of intrigue as clubs begin shaping their personnel for the 2025/2026 campaign. From a big coaching change to the first new imports, here’s a look at the key moves so far.

In the first week of signings, several international players found themselves a new home, while SKA announced Igor Larionov as its new head coach.

Commentator for KHL TV channels and expert at KHL.ru, Anton Vasyatin, presents the finalists for the Alexei Cherepanov award. The finalists for the 2024-2025 edition are goalie Semyon Vyazovoi and forwards Ivan Demidov and Yegor Surin.

KHL.ru presents the finalists for the Alexei Cherepanov award, whose recipient is the top rookie of the 2024-2025 season.

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 first round of the elimination stage.

Last week brought a thrilling conclusion to the first round of the playoffs – in front of record-breaking crowds – and an exciting start to round two.

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the Gagarin Cup playoffs’ first round in four categories.

Mit Metallurg Magnitogorsk scheiterte der amtierende Gagarin Cup Champion bereits in der ersten Runde. Nur Lokomotiv war mit einem Sweep souverän.  

Six of eight first-round playoff series are in the books. We’ve seen the defending champion deposed, a new recruit for the 250-goal club and just one series ending in a sweep. And there are a couple of game seven deciders to look out for ahead of round two.

Dynamo became the fourth and final Western Conference candidate to progress to the second round of the 2025 Gagarin Cup playoffs. A 5-2 victory in St. Petersburg completed a 4-2 win in its series against SKA, with Nikita Gusev netting his 250th KHL goal against his former club.

Game 6 drama takes center stage across the league, with three teams aiming to force a decisive showdown. Admiral, SKA, and Sibir all return home with their seasons on the line, hoping to channel the energy of the friendly walls and flip the script in their series. Traktor, Dynamo Moscow, and Salavat Yulaev, meanwhile, are just one win away from sealing their spot in the next round. With emotions running high and momentum swinging wildly, expect intensity, highlight-reel plays, and playoff tension at its finest. Will the chasers turn the tide?

For the third time in five games, SKA and Dynamo went to overtime. This time, though, it was the Petersburg team that won it in the extras. As a result, the series continues in the Northern Capital on Sunday with Dynamo leading 3-2.

Traktor and Admiral return to the Urals with the series finely poised after a dramatic game four. In Ufa, Salavat Yulaev looks to rediscover its scoring form against a resurgent Sibir. Dynamo Moscow stands on the brink of the second round but must overcome a determined SKA side desperate to stay alive. With every series tied or nearing a conclusion, the stakes couldn’t be higher as teams battle for control. Expect high-intensity action and key performances to shape the road ahead in the Gagarin Cup Playoffs.

Lokomotiv secured its place in the next round of the 2025 KHL playoffs, completing a sweep of Torpedo with a 2-1 verdict in Nizhny Novgorod. Two power play goals made the difference for Igor Nikitin’s team, which is the only one to proceed through the first round without dropping a game. If that was straightforward, SKA’s game with Dynamo was anything but. The home team trailed 2-4 with five to play, tied it up then hit the post in the regulation. At the start of overtime, Marat Khairulin missed a penalty shot and SKA had a goal disallowed in the 74th minute before Max Comtois won it for the visitor.

The KHL Gagarin Cup playoffs continue with pivotal matchups across both conferences. Admiral looks to extend its lead over top-seeded Traktor after a thrilling OT win, powered by Nikita Soshnikov’s hat-trick. Sibir aims to even the series against Salavat Yulaev after shutting them out at home. Torpedo faces elimination against Lokomotiv, needing a win to stay alive. Meanwhile, SKA seeks to build on its first series victory as Dynamo Moscow tries to regain control. Key milestones are also in sight, making today’s action a must-watch.

In St. Petersburg, SKA defeated Dynamo Moscow 5-3 to get its first win of the series. Now, Roman Rotenberg’s team can tie it up on Wednesday before returning to Moscow in a series that looks set to go the distance. Torpedo, meanwhile, had no such joy on home ice. Down 0-2 as the series arrived in Nizhny Novgorod, the home team lost again as Lokomotiv goes up 3-0 and has its eye on a sweep.

The battle for the next round intensifies as all series shift venues for Game three. In the East, top-seeded Traktor looks to build on its OT win as the action moves to Vladivostok, while Salavat Yulaev aims to continue its dominance against Sibir. Over in the West, Lokomotiv’s defensive wall travels to Nizhny Novgorod to face a determined Torpedo, and SKA returns home looking to turn the tide against Dynamo Moscow. With all teams adjusting to new surroundings, the stakes are higher than ever as the Gagarin Cup playoffs heat up.

Saturday’s Western Conference action followed the formbook – but the two games were rather different. Lokomotiv blanked Torpedo to record a second fairly straightforward victory in its series. Dynamo, meanwhile, edged a tight overtime verdict after a 1-1 tie at home to SKA. Both of Saturday’s victors head out on the road with 2-0 leads ahead of Monday’s games.

The Eastern Conference’s leader was surprised by Admiral in the first game and will be looking to tie things up in the second clash. Salavat Yulaev will be seeking a second triumph after thumping Sibir two days ago. In the West, the leading teams started strong, but while Lokomotiv looked like too much to handle for Torpedo, the series between Dynamo Moscow and SKA seems to be more open to different outcomes after the first contest.

After plenty of drama and more than a few upsets, the top seeds from the Western Conference brought some normality back to the opening days of the 2025 Gagarin Cup playoffs. Lokomotiv and Dynamo Moscow both claimed 3-1 wins, defeating Torpedo and SKA respectively. 

It’s the second day of the Gagarin Cup playoffs, with four series kicking off today. Traktor hosts Admiral and Salavat Yulaev faces Sibir in the East, while Lokomotiv clashes with Torpedo and Dynamo Moscow battles out with SKA in the Western Conference’s first round.

The KHL regular season is done – complete with a new name at the top of the standings and a long-standing record broken. Plus, we’re all set for the 2025 Gagarin Cup playoffs, with some intriguing pairings to come this week.

Josh Leivo scored his 49th goal of the 2024/2025 campaign, breaking Sergei Mozyakin’s record for markers in a regular season. He struck midway through the third period to set the record and help Salavat Yulaev to a 4-1 win at Barys. That result confirms Ufa in second place in the East. Metallurg finished third, going down in Yekaterinburg as Avtomobilist secured fourth place. Magnitka will start the playoffs at home to Avangard, 5-1 winners over Kunlun; Avto entertains Ak Bars, OT winners at Sibir. SKA won a shoot-out at Torpedo to climb to sixth in the West, while Traktor eased to a 2-0 victory at home to Amur.

In the final regular-season game for these teams, six matchups will shape the playoff picture. Kunlun Red Star hosts Avangard, where Nail Yakupov could play his 70th game of the season. Sibir faces Ak Bars in a key battle for Eastern Conference positioning, while Traktor takes on Amur in Yakov Rylov’s farewell game. Avtomobilist and Metallurg meet in a decisive Ural Derby, Barys hosts Salavat Yulaev as Joshua Leivo chases history, and Torpedo faces SKA in the West’s closing matchup of the day.

Free-scoring Josh Leivo made it 48 goals for the season, matching Sergei Mozyakin’s 2017 record for goals in a KHL regular season. His game winner at Sibir also lifted his team back into second place in the Eastern Conference, a point clear of Metallurg. Ak Bars thrashed Barys 8-0 to stay in the race for a top-four finish in the East, but Avangard will not have home ice advantage at the start of the playoffs: needing a regulation win at Vityaz to stay in contention, the Hawks went to overtime before edging a 3-2 verdict. Avtomobilist remains fourth thanks to a shoot-out win over SKA. That result, coupled with Severstal’s win at Torpedo, leaves SKA in danger of finishing seventh in the West – its worst regular season result in the KHL. Spartak defeated Sochi and Amur won a shoot-out at Lada in Thursday’s other games.

Seven games fill today's KHL schedule, with crucial playoff implications in both conferences. In the East, Sibir and Salavat Yulaev put their winning streaks on the line, while Avtomobilist faces SKA in a high-stakes battle at the new UGMK Arena. Ak Bars looks to continue its dominance over Barys, and Lada clashes with Amur to close the action. In the West, Avangard fights for a top-four spot, Torpedo seeks to snap its losing streak, and Spartak looks to secure third place against Sochi.

Tuesday’s big news came from the Eastern Conference. Josh Leivo scored twice in Salavat Yulaev’s 4-1 win at Avtomobilist and is now just one goal shy of Sergei Mozyakin’s record for a regular season. Traktor beat SKA 4-2 to clinch top spot in the Eastern Conference. In the West, we saw entertaining games in Moscow: Dynamo’s overtime win over Avangard secured second place in the conference; closest challenger Spartak lost at home to Neftekhimik. And Severstal edged a thriller at Kunlun, despite blowing a 3-0 lead. Elsewhere, there were road wins for Sochi and Amur, both by 3-2 scorelines at Dinamo Minsk and Lada respectively.

As the last week of the regular season just kicked off, seven games on the schedule today, most of them being with playoff implications. In the East, Traktor takes on SKA in a high-stakes battle, with the hosts chasing first place and the visitors fighting for home-ice advantage. Avtomobilist and Salavat Yulaev clash for top-four positioning, while Lada and Amur aim to close their seasons on a high note. In the West, Dinamo Minsk and HC Sochi both seek to snap losing streaks, Dynamo Moscow hosts Avangard in a classic showdown, and Spartak faces Neftekhimik in a critical matchup. The day ends with Kunlun Red Star battling Severstal in their final season meeting.

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the 2024-2025 Regular Season’s twenty-seventh week in four categories.