The Continental Hockey League, known as the KHL, is updating its playoff structure following a formal agreement between the league’s leadership and the Russian Hockey Federation. The change will take effect next season, introducing a cross-conference phase from the second round onward. The aim is to create new competitive dynamics by mixing teams from the Eastern and Western conferences later in the playoffs, rather than keeping them strictly separated in each round.
According to a source familiar with the discussions, a vote was held to confirm the new framework for conference alignment. Under the refreshed plan, the team Lada will be assigned to the Eastern Conference and will participate in a 68-game regular season. The playoff format will be adjusted in coordination with the Russian Hockey Federation, with a transition beginning at the second round. In practice, clubs will be divided into groups, and the winner from one group will face the winner from another group, thereby creating cross-matchups as the postseason progresses.
With cross-qualifiers now part of the format, the second round of the Gagarin Cup will feature two groups, each consisting of four teams. Each group will include two representatives from the Eastern Conference and two from the Western Conference, ensuring a balanced distribution of teams as the competition moves into the later stages.
The league president also announced the timeline for the upcoming season. The new term is scheduled to begin on September 1, with the regular schedule slated to conclude on February 26. The playoff phase is set to start on February 29 of the following year, with a latest finish date of April 29, 2024. Across the board, teams will vie in 68 matches, maintaining a robust pace through the season and into the playoffs.
Earlier reporting indicated that Kazan’s Ak Bars club was close to finalizing terms with the league and that during the 2022/23 season SKA St. Petersburg, a storied franchise, was in talks regarding the contract extension of striker Dmitry Yashkin, who also serves as captain for the team. These developments reflect ongoing negotiations around player mobility and strategic team-building as the KHL positions itself for the upcoming campaign, aligning talent movements with the broader structural changes in the postseason format.