About the Gagarin Cup
The Gagarin Cup is an annual sporting event held as part of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). It was established in 2008, when the KHL was created as a result of the merger of the Russian Superleague and the All-Russian Hockey League. It became the symbol of the highest honour for the team that reached the final and won. The Cup final is played in a series of games to three wins. The team that reaches three wins first becomes the cup winner. These finals attract great fan interest and are broadcast throughout Russia and other countries.
2026/27 Gagarin Cup
The 2027 Gagarin Cup will be the main trophy of the KHL playoffs for the 2026/27 season. The regular season will begin on September 5, 2026, and end on March 20, 2027. The playoffs will start on March 23, with Game 7 of the Gagarin Cup Final scheduled for May 23, 2027, if required. Each team will play 68 games during the regular season.
Format
Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs — eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. The first round will be played within the conferences. From the second round onward, the remaining teams will be placed in a single ranking based on their regular-season results. The matchups will then be determined according to the ranking: first versus eighth, second versus seventh, and so on.
The new system makes the regular season more important, as a higher position provides a more favorable matchup in the second round.
Favorites
The main contenders for the 2027 Gagarin Cup include Lokomotiv, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Ak Bars, Avangard, Dynamo Moscow, and SKA. However, it is still too early to make a definitive assessment of the favorites, as the 2026/27 regular season has not yet started.
Main contenders include current champion Lokomotiv, along with strong teams such as Avangard, Ak Bars, SKA, Dynamo Moscow, Metallurg, and others. Competition remains intense, and the season looks highly unpredictable — no obvious favorite so far, and suspense is likely to last until final whistle.
History of the sporting event
The Gagarin Cup was established in 2008 and was named in honour of the famous Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. This tournament was created in order to develop professional hockey and strengthen cooperation between different countries' clubs.
From the very beginning, the Cup has attracted huge interest among fans. It quickly became one of the most valuable tournaments in the hockey world. All participating teams show a high level of play. The intrigue on the hockey field is always intense. The tension often reaches its peak.
Results and winners of previous competitions
| Year | Venue | Results |
| 2026 | Russia | Champion - Lokomotiv |
| 2025 | Russia | Champion - Lokomotiv |
| 2024 | Russia | Champion - Metallurg (Magnitogorsk) |
2027/28 Gagarin Cup
The 2028 Gagarin Cup will be the main trophy of the KHL playoffs for the 2027/28 season. As of now, the KHL has not published the exact dates for the 2027/28 regular season or playoffs.
The tournament is expected to follow the current playoff system with 16 teams, but the final details for the 2027/28 season have not yet been officially announced.
Keep an eye on the dates of the Gagarin Cup and other sporting events in our Sporting Events Calendar.
