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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.

Playoff chasing Neftekhimik grabbed a shoot-out win at Lokomotiv thanks to some fine goaltending from Filipp Dolganov. He made 39 saves to force a 1-1 tie, then went unbeaten in the shoot-out as Loko failed to secure the Continental Cup. Eastern Conference leader Traktor remains in that race thanks to a 5-4 win at Avangard. The Hawks saw their 12-game winning streak come to an end in their final home game of the regular season. Friday’s other action brought a routine win for SKA over Sochi.

Three exciting matchups are set for today as the KHL regular season nears its climax. Avangard looks to extend its incredible twelve-game winning streak as they take on Eastern Conference leaders Traktor. Meanwhile, Lokomotiv is just one step away from securing the Continental Cup and will seal the trophy with a win over Neftekhimik—or even under certain other scenarios. At the same time, Neftekhimik is facing a last call to keep its Eastern Conference playoff hopes alive. In the final game of the day, SKA hosts HC Sochi, with the St. Petersburg side aiming to continue its strong form ahead of the playoffs.

Avangard forward Vladimir Tkachyov played his first game of the season after recovering from a serious summer injury. More than that, he grabbed the winner as the Hawks came back from 1-3 to beat Torpedo and climb to third in the East. Neftekhimik defeated Dynamo Moscow by the same 4-3 scoreline, and in doing so handed Lokomotiv first place in the Western Conference. Dinamo Minsk’s winning streak came to an end with defeat at SKA, Admiral eased past Amur to win its sixth Far East derby of the season and Kunlun won on the road at Sochi thanks to four points from Danny O’Regan.

The matchday starts in the Far East with the last local derby of the season, then Avangard hosts Torpedo and Neftekhimik faces Dynamo Moscow in the East. In the Western Conference, Dinamo Minsk seeks its tenth straight win in St. Petersburg, while HC Sochi clashes with Kunlun Red Star.

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

Torpedo became the eighth and final team to secure its place in the Western Conference playoffs. Victory at home to Spartak punched that post-season ticket and finally eliminated Kunlun Red Star. SKA had a 4-2 win over Metallurg in Saturday’s clash of the titans, while Avangard kept up its winning streak with a 2-0 verdict at Ak Bars. The biggest winners of the day were Vityaz (5-0 at Sochi) and Traktor (5-1 over Severstal) and there were shut-out wins for CSKA at Barys and Lada at home to Sibir.

After yesterday’s exciting showdown between Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv, seven games are on tap today, four in the East and three in the West. Traktor welcomes Severstal, Barys hosts CSKA, Lada battles with Sibir possibly for a last chance to qualify for postseason, and Ak Bars clashes with Avangard. In the West, Torpedo faces Spartak with a chance to book a ticket for the elimination stage, HC Sochi hosts Vityaz, and SKA faces off with Metallurg.

Tuesday’s big game was in Moscow, where SKA edged a shoot-out win over CSKA after a 2-2 tie in regulation. Alexander Nikishin’s goal ended a four-game losing run for the visitor. Earlier, Josh Leivo scored his 44th goal of the season as Salavat Yulaev won 3-1 at Amur. Leivo is just four behind Sergei Mozyakin’s record 48-goal haul from 2017. Also in the Far East, Admiral’s 1-0 win over Neftekhimik puts it close to clinching a playoff spot. Lokomotiv breezed to a 5-0 win at Severstal and Avangard kept up it’s winning streak with an overtime verdict at Sochi.