KHL playoff game schedule. KHL: all playoff pairings and game schedules have become known. How does a hockey tournament work in the KHL?

The Continental Hockey League is an international league created to develop hockey in Russia and other countries in Europe and Asia. The decision to create the League was made in February 2008.

After negotiations and preparatory work, the Russian Hockey Federation (RHF) on March 27, 2008 officially transferred to the KHL the rights to host the national championship for three years. Currently, there is a 4-year agreement between the FHR and the KHL (dated April 29, 2017).

Based on the results of the regular KHL Championship, the winner of the Continental Cup named after Viktor Vasilyevich Tikhonov is determined. Based on the results of the playoffs, the champion of Russia is determined, who becomes the best Russian club, and the KHL champion - winner of the Gagarin Cup.

The league is divided into two conferences - West and East - and into four divisions bearing the names of famous coaches and players: Vsevolod Bobrov, Anatoly Tarasov, Valery Kharlamov and Arkady Chernyshev.

The 12th KHL Championship (2019/2020) will be attended by 24 clubs from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Latvia and Finland. The tournament will begin on September 1, 2019 and will end no later than April 30, 2020 with the final playoff series, following which all championship winners will be determined.

The KHL championship is divided into two stages: the regular season and the playoffs.

First stage of the championship

Structure of the First Stage of the Championship

In the First Stage, each team plays two matches with each opponent (46 in total) and another 16 additional games. Thus, in total, at the first stage the teams will conduct 62 match, defining:

• winner of the Regular Championship of the Continental Hockey League - winner of the Continental Cup. V.V. Tikhonov;
• Division winners;
• the order of places occupied by clubs in the Conferences to determine the pairs of teams participating in the playoff series matches at the Second Stage of the Championship.

Determination of results and places of teams at the First Stage of the Championship

• 1.

  Places of teams in Divisions, Conferences and General table Championships are determined by the sum of points scored in all matches of the First Stage of the Championship.

• 2.

  To determine the current and final distribution of places between teams in Divisions, Conferences and the General Championship Table, in the event of a tie in points between two or more teams, the team shall have an advantage:

  • having a greater number of victories in regular time in all matches of the First Stage;
  • who has won the most overtime victories in all matches of the First Stage;
  • who has the most shootout victories in all matches of the First Stage;
  • having the best goal difference in all matches of the First Stage;
  • having the most goals scored in all matches of the First Stage.

  The above criteria are applied sequentially.

  If all indicators are equal, the distribution of places between teams is determined by lot.

• 3.

  In the official tables of the Conferences, the teams occupying first places in the Divisions are ranked first and second depending on the number of points scored in all matches of the First Stage of the Championship in descending order of sports results.

Results of the First Stage of the Championship

• 1.

  Based on the results of the First Stage, 16 (sixteen) teams are determined that will take part in the Second Stage of the Championship.

• 2.

  In the General Table of the First Stage, all teams are ranked from 1st to 24th place, depending on the number of points scored in all matches of the First Stage of the Championship, in descending order of sports results.

Second stage of the championship (play-offs)

The procedure for determining teams to participate in the playoffs

• 1.

  Based on the results of the First Stage, 8 (eight) teams from each Conference receive the right to participate in the Second Stage of the Championship (a series of playoff games).

• 2.

  In each Conference, the first two “seeding” numbers are awarded to the teams that take first place in their Divisions in descending order of athletic performance.

• 3.

  In each Conference, the “seeding” numbers from 3rd to 8th are assigned to teams according to their sporting results at the end of the First Stage of the Championship, regardless of the Division in which they played.

Structure of the playoff matches of the Second Stage of the Championship

• 1.

  In each Conference, pairs for each stage of the playoffs are formed according to the principle: the highest seed plays with the lowest seed, the second in a row plays with the penultimate one, etc.

• 2.

  Teams with a higher seeding number receive home-court advantage at all stages of the draw.

• 3.

  If in the final there are teams that have the same seeding number in their Conferences, the team that took a higher place in the General Championship table based on the results of the First Stage receives home-court advantage.

Playoff match order

• 1.

  Matches of the Second Stage of the Championship (play-offs) are held in the following way: a) in each Conference there are matches of 1/4 finals (4 series), 1/2 finals (2 series) and finals (1 series). Two teams take part in one series of matches;

  • in each Conference, a series of matches of 1/4 finals, 1/2 finals and finals are played up to four victories, the maximum number of matches is seven. The winner of the series is the team that wins four matches in the series. A team that loses four matches in a series terminates its participation in the Championship;
  • The winners of the Conference finals meet in the Championship finals. A series of matches in the Championship finals is played until four victories, the maximum number of matches being seven. The winner is the team that wins four matches in the series.

Distribution of places based on the results of the Second Stage of the Championship

• 1.

  Based on the results of two stages, the winning team of the Championship, as well as the teams’ places in the final Championship table from 2nd to 16th inclusive, are determined.

• 2.

  The team that wins the Championship final becomes the Champion of the Continental Hockey League and the winner of the Gagarin Cup.

• 3.

  The team that lost in the final series of matches takes second place in the final Championship table.

• 4.

  Third place in the Championship is taken by one of the two teams that lost in the Conference finals, taking a higher place in the General table based on the results of the First Stage of the Championship.
  

• 5.

  The fourth place in the Championship is taken by one of the two teams that lost in the Conference finals, taking a lower place in the General table at the end of the First Stage of the Championship.

• 6.

  The distribution of places from 5th to 8th in the Championship is carried out among the teams that lost in the semi-final series of the Conferences, taking into account the places occupied by these teams based on the results of the First Stage of the Championship. In this case, the team that took a higher place in the General Table at the end of the First Stage of the Championship receives a higher place.

• 7.

  The distribution of places from 9th to 16th in the Championship is carried out among the teams that lost in the 1/4 finals of the Conference, taking into account the places taken by these teams based on the results of the First Stage of the Championship. In this case, the team that took a higher place in the General Table at the end of the First Stage of the Championship receives a higher place.

• 8.

  The distribution of places from 17th to 24th in the final Championship table among teams not participating in the Second Stage is carried out in accordance with the position of these teams in the General table based on the results of the First Stage of the Championship.

• 9.

  The champion of Russia, silver and bronze medalists of the Russian Hockey Championship become Russian teams, who occupied the most high places based on the results of the Second Stage of the Championship.

Teams in the KHL

In the debut season of 2008/2009, 24 clubs took part in the Kontinental Hockey League. Gradually, the number of participating teams increased every year, and currently 29 clubs from eight European countries (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Finland, Croatia, Slovakia, Latvia) compete in the KHL. In the future, it is planned to expand the number of participants to 32 teams.

Season structure in the KHL

All teams in the Kontinental Hockey League are divided geographically into the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. Each conference, in turn, is divided into two divisions: in the east - the Bobrov Division and the Tarasov Division, in the west - the Kharlamov Division and the Chernyshev Division.

The first phase of the KHL is a regular season in which each team plays 4 matches with opponents from its division, 2 matches with teams from another division of its conference, and one meeting with clubs from another conference. Also, each team holds four more meetings with opponents from its division, and the matches are compiled with the aim of maximizing the intrigue in the championship. In total, during the Regular Season, teams play 60 matches, determining the winners of divisions and conferences, as well as forming pairs for the next stage of the season - the playoffs.

KHL Playoffs

The top 8 teams from each conference continue to fight for the Gagarin Cup, playing elimination series until four victories. Each conference determines the best team through matches according to the playoff system (1/4 finals, 1/2 finals and final), after which the two best teams in the league play the final series, also up to four wins, in which the Gagarin Cup is played.

KHL winners

Over eight seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League, 5 teams won the Gagarin Cup. Ak Bars (2009, 2010), Dynamo Moscow (2012, 2013), Metallurg Magnitogorsk (2014, 2016) have two victories each, and Salavat Yulaev (2011) and SKA ( 2015).

The regulations of hockey competitions have some features that were formed in the homeland of the popular game. There is no need to explain what the playoffs in hockey are to the residents of Canada and the United States, everyone knows it there. And with the establishment of the Continental sports organization The basic organizational principles of the NHL were adopted as a proven experience in holding large tournament competitions over many years.

How does a hockey tournament work in the KHL?

In order to answer the question “What are the playoffs in hockey?”, you need to understand the system by which competitions are held every year for championship title KHL. The annual championship draw of the Kontinental Hockey League consists of two parts. The game calendar is drawn up in such a way that all teams in the league have the opportunity to meet each other on their own field and on the opponent’s field. This is the first part of the championship - the regular season. In the first years after its creation hockey organization all teams had the opportunity to find out the relationship among themselves. Then their number increased, and the Continental hockey league had to be divided into two conferences - Western and Eastern. Based on the results of the regular season, the standings are compiled. And then the answer to the question of what the playoffs in hockey is becomes relevant. To put it very briefly, this is the second, final part of the KHL championship.

From the rules of the game of hockey - playoff games

Let's take a closer look at the features of the regulations of the second part hockey championship. Only those teams that took the first sixteen places in the playoffs qualify for the playoffs. standings, eight in each of the two conferences. These teams split into pairs and continue to sort things out among themselves. Games are played separately in the Western and Eastern conferences. The team that takes first place plays against the eighth in the table, the second against the seventh, the third against the sixth, and the fourth against the fifth. This is the first stage - the quarterfinals.

Teams meet each other until one of them achieves four victories. Only the winners advance to the next stage, the semi-finals. There are only four of them left. This principle is the answer to the question “What are the playoffs in hockey?” This is followed by the conference finals and the super final, a series of games between the strongest teams in the West and East. There will only be one winner.

Features of playoff games

To achieve a clean result in playoff games, such an element of hockey as shootouts is excluded. In the regular part of the championship, they are thrown at the opponent’s goal to overcome a draw when it is not possible to sort things out in regular and extra time of the match. And in the playoffs, the game continues until the winning goal of one of the teams, no matter how many additional periods, the so-called “overtimes,” are required for this. Often the game becomes protracted and lasts for a very long time. This is due to the fact that everyone is afraid to make a mistake and give the enemy a chance.

Is this principle justified?

During the playoffs, attention to hockey increases sharply. The result begins to interest everyone, even people who are indifferent to big sport. Both news releases and newspaper pages begin to be full of headlines: “Big hockey, KHL, playoffs...”. But hockey was played in Soviet times for decades, and somehow they managed to get by without the American word “playoffs.” Some people still doubt whether this principle of play should have been adopted from the NHL. But elimination games, or playoffs, give hockey a special dynamism, sharpness and entertainment. And only for this reason the answer to the question about the advisability of such competitions can be given unequivocally positive.

The analysts of our resource take an individual approach to each confrontation that takes place in the Kontinental Hockey League. Experts predict absolutely every match, which passes into KHL. To do this, you need to be aware of not only the tournament prospects of each team, but also understand the form of any team, injuries, disqualifications and other nuances that will affect the final result of the matches. Express bets on the KHL will help you significantly increase your bankroll with minimal risks.

You can see the performance and success of our analysts’ actions in your forecasts by going to the section.

Forecasts and bets on the KHL

The Continental Hockey League (KHL) is the most popular hockey tournament in Russia and neighboring countries. Along with the great popularity of the KHL, the demand for forecasts for this tournament is also growing. We have assembled a team of professionals who make forecasts for the KHL every day and, absolutely, for all matches of the regular season and playoffs.

Forecasts for the KHL regular season

The KHL regular season starts in August and ends in February. The accuracy of forecasts increases with every week. If at the beginning of the season we only rely on the teams' pre-season matches, then after a few weeks we can see their form. Our KHL experts are divided into two groups. Each group is responsible for its own conference: West (Bobrova division and Tarasov division) and East (Kharlamov division and Chernyshev division). This allows you to predict match results with maximum accuracy.

Despite the large number of games, we predict all matches with great accuracy.

Predictions for the KHL playoffs

The KHL playoffs start in February and already in April we know the name of the new champion. Experts lead teams from their conferences all the way to the finals.

Features of forecasts for the KHL

Forecast KHL tournament difficult, but possible. Over the years, we have already proven our understanding of the peculiarities of this league.

The playoffs of the 2017-2018 season have begun in the KHL.

The 2017-2018 KHL season will be a milestone one. For the tenth time, the teams will compete for the main prize - the Gagarin Cup.

Let us remind you that the 16 best teams from Russia, Europe and China participate in the playoffs (or knockout competition). They are selected among the winners of games in the “Western” and “Eastern” conferences. 8 of each best clubs advance to the playoffs of the tournament. Quarter, semi and finalists are selected from each conference. They fight for the Gagarin Cup one at a time best team from the "East" and "West".

Participants of the KHL championship of the 2017-2018 season

IN qualifying tournaments 27 teams played. Foreign representatives of the league included hockey clubs from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Finland, Slovakia and China.

Schedule of KHL playoff matches 2017-2018 season

The first matches of the 2017-2018 playoffs will be held on March 3.

Who is SKA's opponent in the KHL playoffs 2017-2018

This year the St. Petersburg club SKA will play four matches with Severstal from Cherepovets. Ice battles will take place on March 4, 5, 7 and 8 in " Ice Palace"Based on the results, additional days may be assigned.