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Historic Hockey – Kontinental Hockey League

Kontinental Hockey League

The Premier Professional Ice Hockey League in Eurasia

Since 2008 — Uniting Nations Through the Game of Hockey

23

Teams

2008

Founded

68

Regular Season Games

#2

World Ranking

The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008, comprising members from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and China. As the successor to the Russian Superleague, the KHL is widely regarded as the second-strongest professional hockey league in the world after the NHL. The league awards the Gagarin Cup to its playoff champion each season, honoring the first human in space, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

🏆 The Gagarin Cup

Named after legendary cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the Gagarin Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion. CSKA Moscow leads all teams with 6 championships, followed by SKA Saint Petersburg with 3 titles. The trophy represents the pinnacle of achievement in European professional hockey.

Most Successful Teams

Since the KHL’s inception in 2008, these teams have dominated the league:

Team Gagarin Cups City
CSKA Moscow 6 Moscow, Russia
SKA Saint Petersburg 3 Saint Petersburg, Russia
Ak Bars Kazan 3 Kazan, Russia
Dynamo Moscow 2 Moscow, Russia
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2 Magnitogorsk, Russia

Gagarin Cup Champions

2024
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
2023
CSKA Moscow
2022
CSKA Moscow
2021
Avangard Omsk
2020
CSKA Moscow
2019
CSKA Moscow
2018
Ak Bars Kazan
2017
SKA Saint Petersburg
2016
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
2015
SKA Saint Petersburg
2014
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
2013
Dynamo Moscow
2012
Dynamo Moscow
2011
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
2010
Ak Bars Kazan
2009
Ak Bars Kazan

2024-25 Season Teams

Western Conference

Team City Country Arena
CSKA Moscow Moscow Russia CSKA Arena
Dynamo Moscow Moscow Russia VTB Arena
Spartak Moscow Moscow Russia Ice Palace Krylatskoye
SKA Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg Russia Ice Palace
Severstal Cherepovets Cherepovets Russia Ice Palace
Vityaz Podolsk Podolsk Russia Arena Podolsk
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod Russia KRK Nagorny
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Yaroslavl Russia Arena 2000
Sochi Sochi Russia Bolshoy Ice Dome
Dinamo Minsk Minsk Belarus Minsk Arena

Eastern Conference

Team City Country Arena
Ak Bars Kazan Kazan Russia Tatneft Arena
Metallurg Magnitogorsk Magnitogorsk Russia Arena Metallurg
Traktor Chelyabinsk Chelyabinsk Russia Traktor Sport Palace
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg Russia KRK Uraletz
Salavat Yulaev Ufa Ufa Russia Ufa Arena
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk Nizhnekamsk Russia Neftekhimik Arena
Avangard Omsk Omsk Russia Arena Omsk
Sibir Novosibirsk Novosibirsk Russia Sibir Ice Sports Palace
Barys Nur-Sultan Nur-Sultan Kazakhstan Barys Arena
Kunlun Red Star Beijing/Shanghai China Multiple Venues
Amur Khabarovsk Khabarovsk Russia Platinum Arena
Admiral Vladivostok Vladivostok Russia Fetisov Arena

Did You Know?

• The KHL is the second strongest professional hockey league in the world, after only the NHL.

• The league spans 11 time zones, making it the most geographically expansive hockey league in the world.

• Former NHL stars like Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk, and Alexander Radulov have played in the KHL after their NHL careers.

• The league features teams from 4 countries: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and China.

• CSKA Moscow’s 6 Gagarin Cup championships make them the most successful team in KHL history.

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