Gagarin Cup

See also: List of Soviet and Russian ice hockey champions
Gagarin Cup
SportIce hockey
CompetitionKHL playoffs
Awarded forPlayoff champion of the Kontinental Hockey League
History
First award2008
First winnerAk Bars Kazan
Most winsAk Bars Kazan, CSKA Moscow, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (3)
Most recentMetallurg Magnitogorsk (3)
Gagarin Cup on a Russian postage stamp.

The Gagarin Cup (Russian: Кубок Гагарина, Kubok Gagarina) is the trophy presented to the winner of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) playoffs, and is named after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. The Cup was supposedly named after Gagarin because the last possible game of the inaugural KHL season took place on April 12, the anniversary date of Gagarin's flight.[1]

After the end of the KHL's regular season, sixteen teams participate in the playoffs. The round of 16 and quarter-finals were a best-of-five series during the first season, and the semi-finals and finals were a best-of-seven series during the first season. Conferences were established for the second season. Conference quarter-finals are a best-of-five series while the conference semi-finals, conference finals and Gagarin Cup finals are a best-of-seven series. The winner of the final best-of-seven series receives the Gagarin Cup.[2] It has been reported that the Cup weighs 18 kg (40 lbs), making it heavier than the NHL's Stanley Cup.[3]

Naming history

According to league president Alexander Medvedev, the Cup was named after Yuri Gagarin because Russian citizens associate his name with the achievement of great accomplishments, and the man himself has been described as a symbol of the nation.

Series results

Key to colors
     Win for eventual play-off winner
     Loss for eventual play-off winner
W Western Conference champion
E Eastern Conference champion
N/A N/A, KHL conferences established during the second season of competition
Season Teams Game scores Series
score 		Series-winning goal scorer
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2008–09 N/A Ak Bars Kazan 0–3 4–3 OT 2–3 1–0 4 Alexei Morozov (50:04)
N/A Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3–0 2–5 2–3 OT 3
2009–10 E Ak Bars Kazan 2–3 1–2 7–1 4 Nikita Alexeev (21:18)
W HC MVD 2–3 1–4 3–2 0–2 3
2010–11 E Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2–1 OT 3–1 3–2 4 Alexander Svitov (55:48)
W Atlant Moscow Oblast 2–3 4–0 1
2011–12 E Avangard Omsk 2–1 1–2 2–3 0–1 3 Jakub Klepiš (52:03)
W Dynamo Moscow 0–1 1–2 OT 5–2 4
2012–13 E Traktor Chelyabinsk 3–1 0–1 2–3 OT 2 Alexei Tsvetkov (65:57)
W Dynamo Moscow 2–1 3–2 3–4 4
2013–14 E Metallurg Magnitogorsk 0–3 4–1 2–1 OT 7–4 4 Sergei Mozyakin (43:10)
W Lev Prague 3–2 3–5 5–4 OT 3
2014–15 E Ak Bars Kazan 2–4 0–1 1–6 1 Roman Červenka (58:57)
W SKA Saint Petersburg 1–2 3–2 4
2015–16 E Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2–3 OT 1–0 2–3 OT 4 Chris Lee (38:57)
W CSKA Moscow 5–1 1–2 1–2 OT 1–3 3
2016–17 E Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4–5 3–1 3–5 1 Ilya Kovalchuk (40:09)
W SKA Saint Petersburg 2–1 OT 3–2 4
2017–18 E Ak Bars Kazan 2–3 OT 3–1 4 Rob Klinkhammer (41:06)
W CSKA Moscow 1–2 1–2 0–1 1
2018–19 E Avangard Omsk 0–2 2–3 OT 0 Maxim Mamin (77:44)
W CSKA Moscow 5–2 3–0 4
2019–20 E –
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
W –
2020–21 W Avangard Omsk 1–2 4–3 OT 1–0 4 Sergey Tolchinsky (19:28)
E CSKA Moscow 1–4 3–0 0–2 2
2021–22 E Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1–3 6–4 2–3 1–4 3 Alexander Popov (09:29)
W CSKA Moscow 0–4 0–1 2–1 4
2022–23 E Ak Bars Kazan 4–1 0–3 2–1 2–3 3 Darren Dietz (31:28)
W CSKA Moscow 3–2 2–1 0–3 4
2023–24 E Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2–1 1–0 4 Daniil Vovchenko (51:10)
W Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 2–1 2–1 0

Appearances

In the table, the teams are sorted by the number of appearances in the Gagarin Cup finals, then by the number of wins. Italicized marks now non-existent (not playing in the KHL) teams. In the "Years of appearance" column, bold years indicate winning Gagarin Cup Finals appearances.

Apps Team Wins Losses Win % Years of appearance (in Gagarin Cup Finals)
6 CSKA Moscow 3 3 .500 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
5 Ak Bars Kazan 3 2 .600 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2023
5 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3 2 .600 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2024
3 Avangard Omsk 1 2 .333 2012, 2019, 2021
2 Dynamo Moscow 2 0 1.000 2012, 2013
2 SKA Saint Petersburg 2 0 1.000 2015, 2017
2 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 0 2 .000 2009, 2024
1 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 1 0 1.000 2011
1 HC MVD Moscow Oblast 0 1 .000 2010
1 Atlant Moscow Oblast 0 1 .000 2011
1 Traktor Chelyabinsk 0 1 .000 2013
1 Lev Prague 0 1 .000 2014

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gagarin Cup.
  1. ^ Seren Rosso, Alessandro (2008-03-13). "New Kontinental Hockey League takes shape, sets rules". Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  2. ^ "New league schedule announced". IIHF. 2008-06-08. Archived from the original on 2010-09-14. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
  3. ^ news (2009-01-10). ""USSR Hockey Legends" – "KHL Friends": 5:4 (3:1, 1:2)". Retrieved 2008-02-04. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help) [dead link‍]