# 2023–24 KHL season

The 2023–24 KHL season was the 16th season of the Kontinental Hockey League. There were 23 teams that competed in 68 regular season games, with a record-breaking 165 playing days, having begun on 1 September 2023 and ended on 26 February 2024.
In the Finals, Metallurg Magnitogorsk completed the series sweep against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to win their third Gagarin Cup trophy.

## Season changes

For the 2023–24 season, the competition welcomed the return of Lada Togliatti, marking their third stint in the KHL having last played in the league in 2018.
The regular season was expanded to feature 782 games scheduled for a record-breaking 165 gamedays, with each club to play 68 regular season engagements. The regular season had just one break, from 8–18 December 2023 in which the 2023 All-Star Week took place. For the first time the league changed the playoff format for the Gagarin Cup playoffs by introducing a cross playoff system in which teams participated in the Conference Quarterfinals before a cross conference switch and re-seeding took place from the second round.

## Teams

The 23 teams are split into four divisions: the Bobrov Division and the Tarasov Division as part of the Western Conference, with the Kharlamov Division and the Chernyshev Division as part of the Eastern Conference.
Lada Togliatti was assigned to play in the Kharlamov Division in the Eastern Conference with every other participant remaining in their previous season allotment.
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference |
| Bobrov Division | Tarasov Division | Kharlamov Division | Chernyshev Division |
| SKA Saint Petersburg | CSKA Moscow | Ak Bars Kazan | Admiral Vladivostok |
| HC Sochi | Dinamo Minsk | Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg | Amur Khabarovsk |
| Spartak Moscow | Dynamo Moscow | Lada Togliatti | Avangard Omsk |
| Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | Kunlun Red Star | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | Barys Astana |
| Vityaz Podolsk | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | Salavat Yulaev Ufa |
| | Severstal Cherepovets | Traktor Chelyabinsk | Sibir Novosibirsk |
Each team plays 68 games: in the Western Conference team play every other team home-and-away (44 games), plus an additional 20 intra-conference games (10 home and 10 away games). The remaining 4 games were slated against opposition selected with a view to increasing the number of high-profile match-ups (2 home, 2 on the road). In the Eastern Conference team play every other team home-and-away (44 games), plus an additional 22 intra-conference games (11 home and 11 away games). The remaining 2 games were slated against opposition selected with a view to increasing the number of high-profile match-ups (1 home, 1 on the road). Points were awarded for each game, where two points were awarded for all victories, regardless of whether it was in regulation time, in overtime or after game-winning shots. One point was awarded for losing in overtime or game-winning shots, and zero points for losing in regulation time.

## Opening Cup

The 2023-24 KHL season started on 1 September 2023 with the Opening cup. The 2023–24 Opening Cup was contested between CSKA Moscow the 2022-23 Gagarin Cup Champions and Ak Bars Kazan the 2022-23 Gagarin Cup runner up.

## Standings
### Western Conference

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Dynamo Moscow (Z, T) | 68 | 31 | 15 | 6 | 16 | 215 | 160 | +55 | 98 | Conference winner and Home advantage in Conference Quarterfinals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | SKA Saint Petersburg (B) | 68 | 40 | 6 | 3 | 19 | 220 | 139 | +81 | 95 | Home advantage in Conference Quarterfinals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 3 | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | 68 | 34 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 174 | 139 | +35 | 93 | Home advantage in Conference Quarterfinals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 4 | Spartak Moscow | 68 | 36 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 233 | 189 | +44 | 88 | Home advantage in Conference Quarterfinals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 5 | Severstal Cherepovets | 68 | 30 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 203 | 185 | +18 | 80 | Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 6 | CSKA Moscow | 68 | 30 | 4 | 8 | 26 | 193 | 166 | +27 | 76 | Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 7 | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | 68 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 189 | 180 | +9 | 75 | Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 8 | Dinamo Minsk | 68 | 26 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 180 | 178 | +2 | 69 | Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 9 | Kunlun Red Star | 68 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 37 | 159 | 222 | −63 | 56 | |
| 10 | HC Sochi | 68 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 38 | 168 | 254 | −86 | 53 | |
| 11 | Vityaz Podolsk | 68 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 40 | 133 | 224 | −91 | 48 | |

### Eastern Conference

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk (C, Y, K) | 68 | 35 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 212 | 167 | +45 | 95 | Conference winner and Home advantage in Conference Quarterfinals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Avangard Omsk (H) | 68 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 19 | 211 | 181 | +30 | 92 | Home advantage in Conference Quarterfinals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 3 | Salavat Yulaev Ufa | 68 | 36 | 6 | 6 | 20 | 196 | 143 | +53 | 90 | Home advantage in Conference Quarterfinals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 4 | Ak Bars Kazan (O) | 68 | 33 | 8 | 2 | 25 | 175 | 140 | +35 | 84 | Home advantage in Conference Quarterfinals of Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 5 | Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg | 68 | 26 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 163 | 157 | +6 | 82 | Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 6 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | 68 | 27 | 10 | 6 | 25 | 182 | 167 | +15 | 80 | Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 7 | Lada Togliatti | 68 | 24 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 165 | 170 | −5 | 78 | Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 8 | Amur Khabarovsk | 68 | 23 | 6 | 13 | 26 | 159 | 178 | −19 | 71 | Advance to Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 9 | Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | 68 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 26 | 158 | 200 | −42 | 69 | |
| 10 | Sibir Novosibirsk | 68 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 148 | 180 | −32 | 67 | |
| 11 | Admiral Vladivostok | 68 | 14 | 7 | 12 | 35 | 148 | 197 | −49 | 54 | |
| 12 | Barys Astana | 68 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 39 | 137 | 205 | −68 | 50 | |

### Continental Cup

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Dynamo Moscow (Z) | 68 | 31 | 15 | 6 | 16 | 215 | 160 | +55 | 98 | Continental Cup winner and first overall seed in Gagarin Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | SKA Saint Petersburg | 68 | 40 | 6 | 3 | 19 | 220 | 139 | +81 | 95 | |
| 3 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk (C) | 68 | 35 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 212 | 167 | +45 | 95 | 2023-24 Gagarin Cup Champions |
| 4 | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | 68 | 34 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 174 | 139 | +35 | 93 | |
| 5 | Avangard Omsk | 68 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 19 | 211 | 181 | +30 | 92 | |
| 6 | Salavat Yulaev Ufa | 68 | 36 | 6 | 6 | 20 | 196 | 143 | +53 | 90 | |
| 7 | Spartak Moscow | 68 | 36 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 233 | 189 | +44 | 88 | |
| 8 | Ak Bars Kazan (O) | 68 | 33 | 8 | 2 | 25 | 175 | 140 | +35 | 84 | 2023-24 Opening Cup winner |
| 9 | Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg | 68 | 26 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 163 | 157 | +6 | 82 | |
| 10 | Severstal Cherepovets | 68 | 30 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 203 | 185 | +18 | 80 | |
| 11 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | 68 | 27 | 10 | 6 | 25 | 182 | 167 | +15 | 80 | |
| 12 | Lada Togliatti | 68 | 24 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 165 | 170 | −5 | 78 | |
| 13 | CSKA Moscow | 68 | 30 | 4 | 8 | 26 | 193 | 166 | +27 | 76 | |
| 14 | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | 68 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 189 | 180 | +9 | 75 | |
| 15 | Amur Khabarovsk | 68 | 23 | 6 | 13 | 26 | 159 | 178 | −19 | 71 | |
| 16 | Dinamo Minsk | 68 | 26 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 180 | 178 | +2 | 69 | |
| 17 | Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | 68 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 26 | 158 | 200 | −42 | 69 | |
| 18 | Sibir Novosibirsk | 68 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 148 | 180 | −32 | 67 | |
| 19 | Kunlun Red Star | 68 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 37 | 159 | 222 | −63 | 56 | |
| 20 | Admiral Vladivostok | 68 | 14 | 7 | 12 | 35 | 148 | 197 | −49 | 54 | |
| 21 | HC Sochi | 68 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 38 | 168 | 254 | −86 | 53 | |
| 22 | Barys Astana | 68 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 39 | 137 | 205 | −68 | 50 | |
| 23 | Vityaz Podolsk | 68 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 40 | 133 | 224 | −91 | 48 | |

## Gagarin Cup playoffs

The Gagarin Cup playoffs started on 29 February 2024. Metallurg Magnitogorsk won the Gagarin Cup on 4 April 2024 by sweeping the finals series.

### Bracket

| Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Quarterfinals | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | | Gagarin Cup Finals | Gagarin Cup Finals | Gagarin Cup Finals |
| E1 | Metallurg Mg | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Amur | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Amur | 2 | E1 | Metallurg Mg | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | W4 | Spartak | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Avangard | 4 | W4 | Spartak | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Lada | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Lada | 1 | | | | E1 | Metallurg Mg | 4 | | | | |
| | | | | | | E5 | Avtomobilist | 3 | | | | |
| E3 | Salavat Yulaev | 2 | | | | | | | E5 | Avtomobilist | 3 | | | | |
| E6 | Traktor | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Traktor | 4 | W2 | SKA | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | E5 | Avtomobilist | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Ak Bars | 1 | E5 | Avtomobilist | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Avtomobilist | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Avtomobilist | 4 | | | | | | | | E1 | Metallurg Mg | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | W3 | Lokomotiv | 0 |
| W1 | Dynamo Msk | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | W3 | Lokomotiv | 0 |
| W8 | Dinamo Mn | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| W8 | Dinamo Mn | 2 | W1 | Dynamo Msk | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | E6 | Traktor | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | SKA | 4 | E6 | Traktor | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | Torpedo | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| W7 | Torpedo | 1 | | | | W3 | Lokomotiv | 4 | | | | |
| | | | | | | E6 | Traktor | 0 | | | | |
| W3 | Lokomotiv | 4 | | | | | | | E6 | Traktor | 0 | | | | |
| W6 | CSKA | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | CSKA | 1 | E2 | Avangard | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | W3 | Lokomotiv | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | Spartak | 4 | W3 | Lokomotiv | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Severstal | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
* After the Conference Quarterfinals a conference cross-over and re-seeding commenced
* During the Gagarin Cup Finals the team that finished with higher seed in their conference had home ice (if both teams finished with the same seed the team that earned most points during the regular season had home ice)
* source: KHL