Gagarin Cup

The Gagarin Cup () is the trophy presented to the winner of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) playoffs, and is named after 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 would take place on April 12, the anniversary date of Gagarin's flight.
After the end of the KHL's regular season, sixteen teams participate in the playoffs. The 1/8 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.
It has been reported that the Cup weighs 18 kg (40 lbs), making it heavier than the NHL's Stanley Cup. The Cup is made of silver and is gold-plated.
==Naming history==
According to league commissioner Alexander Medvedev, the Cup was named after 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. Additionally, according to the founders of the KHL, his ascent into space serves as a metaphor for the contemporary Soviet breakthrough in hockey. Gagarin himself did play hockey, albeit not at a level comparable to that of the KHL.
Another candidate for the namesake of the Cup was longtime HC CSKA Moscow and Soviet national team coach Anatoli Tarasov, considered the "father of Soviet hockey". It was later decided that one of the four divisions would bear his name.
==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	Teams 	Game scores 	Game scores 	Game scores 	Game scores 	Game scores 	Game scores 	Game scores 	Seriesscore 	Series-winning goal scorer 	
Season 	Teams	Teams 	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	6 	7 	Seriesscore 	Series-winning goal scorer 	
2008–09	N/A 	Ak Bars Kazan 	0–3 	4–3 OT 	 	 	2–3 	 	1–0 	4 	Alexei Morozov (50:04) 	
2008–09	N/A 	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 	 	 	3–0 	2–5 	 	2–3 OT 	 	3 	Alexei Morozov (50:04) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2009–10	E 	Ak Bars Kazan 	 	 	2–3 	1–2 	 	7–1 	 	4 	Nikita Alexeev (21:18) 	
2009–10	W 	HC MVD 	2–3 	1–4 	 	 	3–2 	 	0–2 	3 	Nikita Alexeev (21:18) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2010–11	E 	Salavat Yulaev Ufa 	2–1 OT 	3–1 	 	 	3–2 	 	 	4 	Alexander Svitov (55:48) 	
2010–11	W 	Atlant Moscow Oblast 	 	 	2–3 	4–0 	 	 	 	1 	Alexander Svitov (55:48) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2011–12	E 	Avangard Omsk 	2–1 	1–2 	 	 	2–3 	 	0–1 	3 	Jakub Klepiš (52:03) 	
2011–12	W 	Dynamo Moscow 	 	 	0–1 	1–2 OT 	 	5–2 	 	4 	Jakub Klepiš (52:03) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2012–13	E 	Traktor Chelyabinsk 	 	 	3–1 	0–1 	 	2–3 OT 	 	2 	Alexei Tsvetkov (65:57) 	
2012–13	W 	Dynamo Moscow 	2–1 	3–2 	 	 	3–4 	 	 	4 	Alexei Tsvetkov (65:57) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2013–14	E 	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	0–3 	4–1 	 	 	2–1 OT 	 	7–4 	4 	Mikhail Yunkov (59:51) 	
2013–14	W 	Lev Prague 	 	 	3–2 	3–5 	 	5–4 OT 	 	3 	Mikhail Yunkov (59:51) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2014–15	E 	Ak Bars Kazan 	2–4 	0–1 	 	 	1–6 	 	 	1 	Roman Červenka (58:57) 	
2014–15	W 	SKA Saint Petersburg 	 	 	1–2 	3–2 	 	 	 	4 	Roman Červenka (58:57) 	
2015–16	E 	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	 	 	2–3 OT 	1–0 	 	2–3 OT 	 	4 	Chris Lee (38:57) 	
2015–16	W 	CSKA Moscow 	5–1 	1–2 	 	 	1–2 OT 	 	1–3 	3 	Chris Lee (38:57) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2016–17	E 	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	4–5 	3–1 	 	 	3–5 	 	 	1 	Ilya Kovalchuk (40:09) 	
2016–17	W 	SKA Saint Petersburg 	 	 	2–1 OT 	3–2 	 	 	 	4 	Ilya Kovalchuk (40:09) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2017–18	E 	Ak Bars Kazan 	 	 	2–3 OT 	3–1 	 	 	 	4 	Rob Klinkhammer (41:06) 	
2017–18	W 	CSKA Moscow 	1–2 	1–2 	 	 	0–1 	 	 	1 	Rob Klinkhammer (41:06) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2018–19	E 	Avangard Omsk 	 	 	0–2 	2–3 OT 	 	 	 	0 	Maxim Mamin (77:44) 	
2018–19	W 	CSKA Moscow 	5–2 	3–0 	 	 	 	 	 	4 	Maxim Mamin (77:44) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2019–20	E 	– 	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019–20	W 	– 	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2020–21	W 	Avangard Omsk 	 	 	1–2 	4–3 OT 	 	1–0 	 	4 	Sergey Tolchinsky (19:28) 	
2020–21	E 	CSKA Moscow 	1–4 	3–0 	 	 	0–2 	 	 	2 	Sergey Tolchinsky (19:28) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2021–22	E 	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	1–3 	6–4 	 	 	2–3 	 	1–4 	3 	Alexander Popov (09:29) 	
2021–22	W 	CSKA Moscow 	 	 	0–4 	0–1 	 	2–1 	 	4 	Alexander Popov (09:29) 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2022–23	E 	Ak Bars Kazan 	4–1 	0–3 	 	 	2–1 	 	2–3 	3 	Darren Dietz (31:28) 	
2022–23	W 	CSKA Moscow 	 	 	3–2 	2–1 	 	0–3 	 	4 	Darren Dietz (31:28) 	
2023–24	E 	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	2–1 	1–0 	 	 	 	 	 	4 	Daniil Vovchenko (51:10) 	
2023–24	W 	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 	 	 	2–1 	2–1 	 	 	 	0 	Daniil Vovchenko (51:10) 	
==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.
 	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==
Category:Kontinental Hockey League trophies and awards