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KHL.ru continues its club-by-club review of the 2024/2025 season at Torpedo. This year’s performance in the regular season was slightly weaker than last, and after falling to Lokomotiv in the first round of the playoffs the club ended Igor Larionov’s time as head coach.

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

The 2024/2025 is a wrap. Thursday saw the KHL’s Closing Ceremony in Moscow – and the league’s latest board meeting is already looking towards 2025/2026.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dynamo Moscoe tightened its grip on second place in the Western Conference after beating city rival CSKA 2-1 in Saturday’s big game. Sibir had an important victory in the Eastern Conference playoff race, opening a five-point lead over Neftekhimik after edging past Torpedo. Salavat Yulaev kept up the pressure on conference leader Traktor after defeating Dinamo Minsk in a shoot-out. Ak Bars missed the chance to move into the top four with a loss at home to Vityaz. The day’s biggest win went to Metallurg, 7-1 victors over Kunlun. And Saturday’s top scorer was Oleg Li, whose hat-trick sparked Amur’s 5-2 success at home to Barys.

A thrilling six-game slate takes center stage, headlined by a high-stakes Moscow derby between CSKA and Dynamo. The matchday kicks off in the Far East, where Amur hosts Barys, followed by a pivotal playoff race clash between Sibir and Torpedo. Metallurg continues its homestand against Kunlun Red Star, while Salavat Yulaev battles Dinamo Minsk. Ak Bars looks to close out its home stretch on a high note against Vityaz. The day culminates in the Russian capital, where CSKA aims to maintain its dominance over Dynamo in their final regular-season showdown.

A 2-1 victory over Torpedo saw Avtomobilist celebrate its first success at the new UGMK Arena in Yekaterinburg. The result snapped a four-game skid for the Motormen, and also means that Torpedo can finish no higher than eighth in the West – setting up a playoff meeting with Lokomotiv. That was confirmed as Severstal beat Dinamo Minsk in a high-scoring game in Severstal. There were goals in Vladivostok as well, with Barys coming from 1-4 to beat Admiral in a shoot-out. Sibir boosted its playoff prospects with a 4-2 win at home to Amur, and Nikita Gusev scored twice as Dynamo Moscow won 3-1 in Ufa.

It will be an exciting matchup between the second-placed teams in the Conferences – Salavat Yulaev and Dynamo Moscow. Earlier, in the Far East, Admiral faces Barys, then Sibir continues its playoff push hosting Amur. Avtomobilist will seek its first win at the new UGMK Arena against Torpedo, while Severstal faces off with Dinamo Minsk in the lone Western game of the day.

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.

With two weeks of the regular season to play, there are just three teams left unsure of their playoff fate – all of them in the Eastern Conference. Will the full line-up be decided this week, or will it go to the wire? Elsewhere, we’re looking forward to inaugurating a new KHL arena and following the pursuit of a goal record.

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 2025 second month.

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.

Avangard reeled off a 10th successive victory, coming from 0-2 to beat Torpedo in Nizhny Novgorod. As a result, the home team missed the chance to confirm its playoff spot. Salavat Yulaev and Metallurg both secured their fifth consecutive successes: Ufa won in overtime at Amur, while Magnitka eased to a 3-0 verdict over Sochi. Severstal defeated Vityaz by the same 3-0 scoreline. In the Eastern playoff race, Neftekhimik got a big boost. A 3-2 win at Admiral, coupled with Sibir’s 1-4 loss at basement club Barys, means just four points separate those two in the race for eighth place.

The Hawks travel to Nizhny Novgorod seeking their tenth consecutive victory on a tense KHL matchday with five games on tap. In the Far East, Amur faces Salavat Yulaev and Admiral clashes with Neftekhimik. Then, Barys welcomes Sibir. In the West, Torpedo takes on Avangard, and Severstal faces off with Vityaz.

Dinamo Minsk and Dynamo Moscow continued their good recent form. The Belarusians won 6-2 at home to Kunlun, recording a seventh straight victory and climbing to fifth in the West. In Moscow, a 4-1 win over Avtomobilist gave Alexei Kudashov’s men some breathing space in the race for second place. Torpedo’s 4-3 win at Vityaz ended the home team’s playoff prospects. In the East, Lada is still alive, but the Motormen are running out of chances after a shoot-out loss at Metallurg.

Four games are on tap on a light KHL Monday, with an Eastern showdown between Metallurg and Lada, and three games in the West: Vityaz hosts Torpedo and Dinamo Minsk welcomes Kunlun Red Star as the competition for the last postseason spot in the conference intensifies, then Dynamo Moscow clashes with Avtomobilist as the Motormen try to defeat the Blue-and-Whites on the road for the first time in almost nine years.

Dynamo and CSKA are fighting it out for second place in the Western Conference. Both won on Saturday – Dynamo 6-3 over Kunlun, CSKA 4-2 over Torpedo – to move clear of fourth-placed Spartak. As a result of those games, SKA is also now guaranteed a playoff spot. In the Eastern Conference, Metallurg’s 3-1 win over Avtomobilist moves it to fourth in the standings.

The last regular-season month starts today. Metallurg hosts Avtomobilist in a high-stakes game, Dynamo Moscow faces Kunlun Red Star, and CSKA clashes with Torpedo on a light KHL Saturday.

Thursday’s KHL action saw Severstal, CSKA and Dinamo Minsk clinch their playoff places. The key result was CSKA’s 6-0 victory over ninth-placed Kunlun. As well as guaranteeing a top-eight finish for the Muscovites, it also opened the way for Severstal (beaten 2-3 at home by Torpedo) and Dinamo (2-1 winners over Spartak) to punch their tickets. The day’s other game saw Dynamo Moscow return to second in the West with a 1-0 win over SKA in St. Petersburg.

It’s another possible decision day in the West, with the postseason fate of several teams being set after today’s game. Severstal faces Torpedo, Dinamo Minsk hosts Spartak for a revenge match, CSKA welcomes Kunlun Red Star, and SKA clashes with Dynamo Moscow in a tight matchday with plenty of emotions and high stakes.

Dynamo and Spartak are the latest teams to confirm their playoff participation. Dynamo got there with a 3-1 win over Lokomotiv in Yaroslavl, while Spartak thrashed SKA to seal their top-eight finish. CSKA’s win at Torpedo wasn’t quite enough for Ilya Vorobyov’s team to complete its mission, but it did spare Sochi from elimination from the race in the West. Earlier in the day, Sheldon Rempal scored twice in a comeback win for Salavat Yulaev over Lada.

One game in the Eastern Conference and three in the West: Salavat Yulaev seeks a return to victory while facing Lada, Torpedo hosts CSKA, Lokomotiv welcomes Dynamo Moscow and SKA takes on Spartak in the central game of the day.

Ak Bars became the fourth team to reserve its playoff place in the east. However, Anvar Gatiyatulin’s men did it the hard way, winning in OT after Neftekhimik recovered from 0-2. Torpedo youngster Nikita Artamonov celebrated his first KHL hat-trick in a 6-3 win over Sochi. Dinamo Minsk had a high-scoring success as well, winning 5-0 at Dynamo Moscow and denying the Blue-and-Whites the chance to confirm their playoff place. Elsewhere, Traktor eased to a 4-1 win over Lada and Vityaz surprised Salavat Yulaev with late goals in a 3-1 verdict.

Five matches are on tap, two in the East and three in the West, starting with Traktor welcoming Lada and Ak Bars seeking revenge against Neftekhimik. In the Western Conference, Torpedo hosts HC Sochi and Vityaz faces Salavat Yulaev. The center stage will see Dynamo Moscow clashing with Dinamo Minsk as the teams face for the fourth time this season.