Opening Cup

The Opening Cup (), is the trophy awarded to the winner of the first game of every regular season of the Kontinental Hockey League. This match is played between the previous season's play-off champion and runner-up. The game is played on the home ice of the previous season's play-off champion.
==History==
During the first season of the KHL the match was played between the winner and runner up of the 2007–08 play-offs of the Russian Superleague.
The Western Conference in the 2010 Opening Cup game was represented by UHC Dynamo because the 2009–10 Western Conference champion, HC MVD, merged with Dynamo Moscow to form the new team after the 2009–10 season.
On September 10, 2011, three days after the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl air disaster, the KHL head office decided to honor the deceased in the 2011 Opening Cup.Официальное заявление КХЛ, 4 сентября 2012 года (ru)
==Winners==
 Key to colors
W 	Western Conference member
E 	Eastern Conference member
N/A	N/A, KHL conferences established during the second season of competition
Season 	Match date 	Previous seasonplay-off champion	Previous seasonplay-off champion	Previous seasonplay-off runner-up	Previous seasonplay-off runner-up 	Result 	Venue 	Ref
2008–09	2 September 2008 	N/A 	Salavat Yulaev Ufa 	N/A 	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 	4–1 	Ufa Arena, Ufa 	
2009–10	10 September 2009 	E 	Ak Bars Kazan 	W 	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 	3–2 (OT)	TatNeft Arena, Kazan 	
2010–11	8 September 2010 	E 	Ak Bars Kazan 	W 	Dynamo Moscow2009–10 season's finalist HC MVD united with HC Dynamo after the 2009–10 season, thus Dynamo Moscow participated in the 2010 Opening Cup.	1–3 	TatNeft Arena, Kazan 	
2011–12	12 September 2011Game originally was scheduled for 7 September 2011; because of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash during the playing of the Opening Cup, the game was abandoned and rescheduled for 12 September 2011.	E 	Salavat Yulaev Ufa 	W 	Atlant Moscow Oblast 	5–3 	Ufa Arena, Ufa 	
2012–13	4 September 2012 	W 	Dynamo Moscow 	E 	Avangard Omsk 	3–2 (SO)	Megasport Arena, Moscow 	
2013–14	4 September 2013 	W 	Dynamo Moscow 	E 	Traktor Chelyabinsk 	5–1 	Minor Arena Luzhniki, Moscow 	
2014–15	3 September 2014 	E 	Metallurg Magnitogorsk 	W 	Dynamo Moscow2014 playoff runner-up HC Lev Praha ceased operations for the 2014–15 season. Dynamo Moscow took their place as Continental Cup holders. 	6–1 	Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk	
2015–16	24 August 2015 	W 	SKA Saint Petersburg 	W 	CSKA MoscowAk Bars Kazan were the 2014–15 play-off runner-up, but their place was taken by 2014–15 Continental Cup winner CSKA Moscow. 	3–4 (OT)	Ice Palace, Saint Petersburg 	
2016–17	22 August 2016 	E 	Metallurg Magnitogorsk 	W 	CSKA Moscow 	3–2 	Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk	
2017–18	21 August 2017 	W 	SKA Saint Petersburg 	W 	CSKA Moscow 	4–2 	Ice Palace, Saint Petersburg 	
2018–19	1 September 2018 	E 	Ak Bars Kazan 	W 	SKA Saint Petersburg 	1–6 	TatNeft Arena, Kazan 	
2019–20	1 September 2019 	W 	CSKA Moscow 	E 	Avangard OmskAs CSKA Moscow won both trophies, Avangard Omsk took the other place as Gagarin Cup runner-up 	1–3 	CSKA Arena, Moscow 	
2020–21	2 September 2020 	E 	Ak Bars Kazan 	W 	CSKA MoscowAs a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gagarin Cup was not awarded in 2019-20. CSKA Moscow were, however, the Continental Cup winners 	3–2 (OT)	CSKA Arena, Moscow 	
2021–22	1 September 2021 	E 	Avangard Omsk 	W 	CSKA Moscow 	4–0 	Balashikha Arena, Balashikha 	
2022–23	1 September 2022 	W 	CSKA Moscow 	E 	Metallurg Magnitogorsk 	6–2 	CSKA Arena, Moscow 	
2023–24	1 September 2023 	W 	CSKA Moscow 	E 	Ak Bars Kazan 	2–5 	CSKA Arena, Moscow 	
==Appearances==
 	Team 	Wins	Losses	Win %
8	CSKA Moscow 	2 	6 	.250
5	Ak Bars Kazan 	3 	2 	.600
4	Dynamo Moscow 	3 	1 	.750
3	SKA Saint Petersburg 	2 	1 	.667
3	Avangard Omsk 	2 	1 	.667
3	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	2 	1 	.667
2	Salavat Yulaev Ufa 	2 	0 	1.000
2	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 	0 	2 	.000
1	Atlant Moscow Oblast 	0 	1 	.000
1	Traktor Chelyabinsk 	0 	1 	.000
==Notes and references==
Category:Kontinental Hockey League trophies and awards