The KHL season 2026/27 began on 5 September and only looks familiar at first glance. The Kontinental Hockey League is staging its 19th championship, and this time it has scrapped the Opening Cup, rewritten the playoff format after the first round and raised the salary cap for the first time in several years. Here is everything about how the tournament works: which teams are in it, how many games each club will play and how the 2027 Gagarin Cup will be decided.
KHL teams 2026/27: two conferences, four divisions
The championship again features 22 teams, as it did a season earlier. That is the lowest in the league’s history: the peak came in the 2016/17 season, when there were 29 clubs. There are no newcomers or departures, although a possible move of Lada to the VHL over money was discussed in the summer. The governor of Samara Oblast said the team is staying in the KHL.
The KHL still has two conferences, with 11 clubs in each.
- West (Bobrov and Tarasov divisions): CSKA, Dynamo and Spartak from Moscow, SKA (Saint Petersburg), Shanghai Dragons, Lada (Tolyatti), Dynamo (Minsk), Lokomotiv (Yaroslavl), Severstal (Cherepovets), Torpedo (Nizhny Novgorod), Sochi.
- East (Kharlamov and Chernyshev divisions): Metallurg (Magnitogorsk), Salavat Yulaev (Ufa), Avangard (Omsk), Sibir (Novosibirsk), Amur (Khabarovsk), Ak Bars Kazan, Barys (Astana), Admiral (Vladivostok), Traktor (Chelyabinsk), Neftekhimik (Nizhnekamsk), Avtomobilist (Yekaterinburg).
Shanghai Dragons still play their home matches in Saint Petersburg, at SKA Arena. Divisions in the KHL are more a geographical frame and a line in the table than a separate tournament: playoff places are allocated by position within the conference.
How many games are in the KHL regular season
Each club plays 68 games, the same as a season earlier. The KHL 2026/27 schedule is made up of three parts:
- 42 matches — two against each of the league’s 21 other opponents (one at home, one away);
- 20 matches — two more against each of the ten opponents in your own conference;
- 6 matches — the so-called ‘top-up’: these opponents are assigned by the league.
In total the regular season has 748 matches and 182 match days, and it runs until 20 March 2027. The calendar has become more even: there are no days with nine matches, and only two days with eight games against five a year earlier. On the first match day, 5 September, six games were played at once for the first time. On average there are 4.11 matches per match day — matching the lowest figure in KHL history.
Breaks and the All-Star Week
The calendar is interrupted three times:
- 7–14 December — a national team break, during which the Channel One Cup is held;
- 31 December — 2 January — the New Year break;
- 5–8 February — All-Star Week in Minsk.
From the start to the first break there are 93 match days in a row, so the autumn is packed for the clubs.
Points, overtime and the Continental Cup
A match consists of three 20-minute periods. If the score is level, a five-minute three-on-three overtime is played, and if there is still no winner, a shootout is held. A win at any time brings two points, a defeat in overtime or on shootouts one, and a defeat in regulation none. The regular season winner receives the Continental Cup and the first seeding in the playoffs.
Why the KHL Opening Cup was scrapped
For many years the season began with a single match: the previous season’s finalists met in the Opening Cup. The last time, in September 2025, Lokomotiv won it, beating Traktor 2-1. This year the trophy was not contested for the first time in the league’s history. KHL president Alexei Morozov explained that many players do not regard the Opening Cup as prestigious. Instead of one match, six regular season games were played on 5 September.
The new KHL playoff format for 2027
Sixteen teams reach the Gagarin Cup — the eight best from each conference. All series are played to four wins.
First round — within the conferences
Here everything is as before: the first team in the conference plays the eighth, the second plays the seventh, the third plays the sixth and the fourth plays the fifth.
Then — by the overall table
The main innovation concerns the following stages. The cross-conference scheme the league had used since the 2023/24 season has been scrapped. After the first round the eight remaining teams are ranked by regular season points in a single table, and the strongest from the regular season gets the weakest of those who progressed, the second gets the second weakest, and so on. The pairings are redrawn before each round. Sixteen of the 22 clubs voted for this scheme.
In practice this means that two teams from the same side of the country can meet in the semi-finals, and the final will not necessarily be a West-versus-East clash. But a place in the regular season now matters until the final round: it affects your opponent in every round, not just the first.
When the KHL playoffs 2027 begin
The Gagarin Cup 2027 starts on 23 March, three days after the regular season ends. The round schedule:
- first round — 23 March — 5 April;
- quarter-finals — 8–21 April;
- semi-finals — 24 April — 7 May;
- final — 11–23 May.
A seventh game of the final, if needed, is scheduled for 23 May, while a sweep would see the champion decided as early as 17 May.
How many games are in the KHL playoffs
Each series lasts from four to seven matches. The champion must come through four rounds, that is, win 16 games; depending on how tight the series are, it will play between 16 and 28 matches.
Who won the Gagarin Cup 2026
The reigning holders are Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. In May 2026 they won the final series against Ak Bars Kazan 4-2. The decisive sixth game took place on 21 May in Kazan and ended 3-2 to the visitors: Yegor Surin scored twice in the first period, Maxim Shalunov got the third goal, and Ak Bars pulled two goals back only late on. For the Yaroslavl side this is a second Gagarin Cup in a row and the second in the club’s history: they have now drawn level with Dynamo Moscow and SKA on that count.
KHL Regulations 2026/27: salary cap and floor
From this season the salary cap has risen by 50 million, to 950 million roubles, with the floor at 525 million. The league took that decision back in April 2025. Before that the 900 million cap had stood since the 2020/21 season.
There are also clarifications that close loopholes. If a club re-signs a player for a smaller sum, the terms of the previous contract count towards the cap. At the same time each club is allowed to distribute up to 50 million roubles in commercial payments to players outside the cap. Playoff performance bonuses are not included in the cap either.
What else has changed on the ice
The rule changes are mainly aimed at stopping play less often. The whistle no longer sounds if a player has passed the puck with his hand in his own half and a team-mate receives the puck there too. The puck may not be covered with a glove: it can only be played with an open palm. A player who has lost his helmet and puts it back on is not penalised. Video review powers have also been expanded: the referee himself can request a review for a puck thrown out of play and assess a dive, while the video analysis centre now checks interference with the goalkeeper without a coach’s request.
The main thing to follow until March is the table as a whole, not just your own conference. Under the new playoff scheme every regular season point affects the bracket in the spring. And to read how the ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Olympics went and what the last season of Ovechkin’s NHL career holds, see our pieces on Olympic ice hockey and on Alexander Ovechkin.
Frequently asked questions about the KHL season 2026/27
When did the KHL season 2026/27 begin?
On 5 September 2026, with six regular season matches at once. The regular season runs until 20 March 2027.
How many games are in the KHL regular season?
Each team plays 68 matches, with 748 games in total in the regular season.
Why was the KHL Opening Cup scrapped?
According to league president Alexei Morozov, many players did not consider the trophy prestigious. Instead of one match, six games were played on the opening day.
When do the KHL playoffs 2027 begin?
On 23 March 2027. The Gagarin Cup final is scheduled for 11–23 May.
How many games are in the KHL playoffs?
Each series is played to four wins, that is, a maximum of seven matches. The champion plays between 16 and 28 games.
Who won the Gagarin Cup 2026?
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl: in the final they beat Ak Bars Kazan 4-2 and won the trophy for the second year in a row.
