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.[1]

2023–24 KHL season
LeagueKontinental Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Duration
  • 1 September 2023 – 26 February 2024
    (regular season)
Number of games68
Number of teams23
TV partner(s)
Regular season
Continental Cup winnerHC Dynamo Moscow
Season MVP
Playoffs
Playoffs MVPIlya Nabokov
Finals championsMetallurg Magnitogorsk
  Runners-upLokomotiv Yaroslavl
KHL seasons

In the Finals, Metallurg Magnitogorsk completed the series sweep against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to win their third Gagarin Cup trophy.

Season changes

edit

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.[2]

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.[3] 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.[4][5]

Teams

edit

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.[1]

Western 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).[3] 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.[6]

Opening Cup

edit

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.

CSKA Moscow2–5Ak Bars Kazan
CSKA Arena, Moscow

Standings

edit

Western Conference

edit
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
4 Spartak Moscow 68 36 4 8 20 233 189 +44 88
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
7 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 68 27 7 7 27 189 180 +9 75
8 Dinamo Minsk 68 26 6 5 31 180 178 +2 69
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
Source: KHL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) games won in regulation time; 3) games won in overtime; 4) games won in shootouts; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) drawing of lots.
(B) Won Bobrov Division; (T) Won Tarasov Division; (Z) Won Continental Cup

Eastern Conference

edit
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
4 Ak Bars Kazan (O) 68 33 8 2 25 175 140 +35 84
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
7 Lada Togliatti 68 24 8 14 22 165 170 −5 78
8 Amur Khabarovsk 68 23 6 13 26 159 178 −19 71
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
Source: KHL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) games won in regulation time; 3) games won in overtime; 4) games won in shootouts; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) drawing of lots.
(C) 2023-24 Gagarin Cup Champions; (H) Won Chernyshev Division; (K) Won Kharlamov Division; (O) Won Opening Cup; (Y) Won Conference

Continental Cup

edit
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
Source: KHL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) games won in regulation time; 3) games won in overtime; 4) games won in shootouts; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) drawing of lots.
(C) 2023-24 Gagarin Cup Champions; (O) Won Opening Cup; (Z) Won Continental Cup

Gagarin Cup playoffs

edit

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

edit
Conference Quarterfinals Round 2 Semifinals Gagarin Cup Finals
            
E1   Metallurg Mg 4
E8   Amur 2
E1  Metallurg Mg 4
W4   Spartak 2
E2   Avangard 4
E7   Lada 1
E1   Metallurg Mg 4
E5   Avtomobilist 3
E3   Salavat Yulaev 2
E6   Traktor 4
W2   SKA 1
E5   Avtomobilist 4
E4   Ak Bars 1
E5   Avtomobilist 4
E1   Metallurg Mg 4
W3   Lokomotiv 0
W1   Dynamo Msk 4
W8   Dinamo Mn 2
W1   Dynamo Msk 0
E6   Traktor 4
W2   SKA 4
W7   Torpedo 1
W3   Lokomotiv 4
E6   Traktor 0
W3   Lokomotiv 4
W6   CSKA 1
E2   Avangard 3
W3   Lokomotiv 4
W4   Spartak 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[7]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "2023-2024 KHL season's calendar: a record with 165 playing days". Kontinental Hockey League. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  2. ^ "HC "Lada" is included in the list of Fonbet participants of the KHL Championship season 2023-2024" (in Russian). Kontinental Hockey League. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b "2023-2024 KHL schedule released". Kontinental Hockey League. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Season 2023/2024: 68 regular season games, cross playoffs" (in Russian). Kontinental Hockey League. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  5. ^ ""Most of the clubs voted for a cross playoff" - Alexei Morozov" (in Russian). Kontinental Hockey League. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Kontinental Hockey League Championship – Russian Men's Ice Hockey Championship 2023/2024. Stage 2 Guidelines" (PDF). KHL.ru. Kontinental Hockey League. Retrieved 4 September 2021. In each Conference teams are seeded first to eighth depending on points scored and regardless of Division placing.
  7. ^ KHL standings
edit