2010 - 11 KHL season The 2010 – 11 KHL season is the third season of the Kontinental Hockey League . It was held from 8 September 2010 and ended on 16 April 2011 . The season started with the Opening Cup game between the last season ' s finalists , Ak Bars Kazan and the new team that was created by merging last season ' s Western conference winner HC MVD with Dynamo Moscow . Salavat Yulaev Ufa won the Gagarin Cup and the Russian Championship after beating Atlant Moscow Oblast 4 – 1 in the play - off final series . League changes . Team changes . Folding of Lada Togliatti Lada Togliatti dropped out of the league and joined the Russian Major League instead , after failing to meet the league ' s financial requirements . Merger of HC MVD and Dynamo Moscow On 30 April 2010 , it was announced that HC MVD would merge with Dynamo Moscow to form UHC Dynamo , which for the time being will play the majority of their games at Megasport Arena in Moscow , while also attempting to play some games in Balashikha . The current plan is to have a new , large and modernized arena constructed in Balashikha by 2012 . Expansion teams By the deadline of 1 April 2010 , six new teams from four different countries applied for KHL membership for this season : HC Yugra , Krylya Sovetov Moscow and Gazovik Tyumen from Russia ; HC Budivelnyk from Kiev , Ukraine ; HC Lev from Hradec Králové , Czech Republic ; and Vėtra Vilnius from Lithuania . Of these teams , Budivelnyk and Yugra were initially accepted into the KHL , but on 24 June 2010 Budivelnyk announced it is unable to participate in the KHL in the 2010 – 11 season because their stadium is not ready . On 16 July 2010 , HC Lev , which in the meantime has been moved to Poprad in Slovakia , was accepted into the KHL , but after the Slovak Hockey Federation ' s delay to give permit to the team , the KHL excluded Lev from the 2010 – 11 season . Other changes . Play - off format Unlike in the previous seasons , all play - off series will be played in a best - of - seven format . Vuvuzelas ban The KHL administration has explicitly banned the sale and use of vuvuzela s , infamous since the 2010 FIFA World Cup , in ice hockey arenas . Regular season . The regular season started on 8 September 2010 with the Opening Cup and ended on 20 February 2011 . There were short breaks in November , December and February for international matches and for the all - star game . Each team played 54 games during the regular season . Notable events . Opening Cup The first game of the season is traditionally the " Opening Cup " and is played between the two Gagarin Cup finalists from the previous season . Because previous season ' s runner - up HC MVD merged with Dynamo Moscow , the Opening Cup was played between defending champion Ak Bars Kazan and the newly formed UHC Dynamo . The game took place on 8 September 2010 at the TatNeft Arena in Kazan where UHC Dynamo beat Ak Bars Kazan 3 - 1 . KHL versus NHL exhibition games The Carolina Hurricanes played SKA Saint Petersburg at the Ice Palace Saint Petersburg in Saint Petersburg , Russia on October 4 ( SKA won 5 – 3 ) , and the Phoenix Coyotes played Dinamo Riga at Arena Riga in Riga , Latvia on October 6 ( Riga lost 1 – 3 ) . Game in Switzerland On 23 December 2010 , before the Spengler Cup started , the two participants from the KHL , SKA Saint Petersburg and Spartak Moscow , played an official regular - season game in the Vaillant Arena in Davos , Switzerland . It was the first KHL game played in central Europe . All - Star Game The All - Star weekend took place on 5 and 6 February 2011 in Saint Petersburg . League standings . Points were awarded as follows : Conference standings . The conference standings determined the seedings for the play - offs . The first two places in each conference were reserved for the division winners . Divisional standings . Western Conference Eastern Conference League leaders . Scoring leaders . " GP = Games played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; + / – = Plus - minus ; PIM = Penalty minutes " Leading goaltenders . < / small > " GP = Games played ; Min = Minutes played ; W = Wins ; L = Losses ; SOL = Shootout losses ; GA = Goals against ; SO = Shutouts ; SV % = Save percentage ; GAA = Goals against average " Playoffs . The playoffs started on 23 February 2011 . The fifth and final game of the final series for the Gagarin Cup was played on 16 April 2011 . Playoff leaders . Scoring leaders . " GP = Games played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; + / – = Plus - minus ; PIM = Penalty minutes " Leading goaltenders . < / small > " GP = Games played ; Min = Minutes played ; W = Wins ; L = Losses ; SOL = Shootout losses ; GA = Goals against ; SO = Shutouts ; SV % = Save percentage ; GAA = Goals against average " Awards . Players of the Month . Best KHL players of each month . KHL Awards . On 20 May 2011 , the KHL held their annual award ceremony . A total of 20 different awards were handed out to teams , players , officials and media . The most important trophies are listed in the table below . The league also awarded six " Golden Helmets " for the members of the all - star team :