Season Structure
The league is divided into two conferences, East (with 12 teams) and West (with 14 teams), and further into two divisions per conference. During the regular season, each team plays 52 games: two games against each of the other teams and two extra games against a selected rival, normally the geographically closest team.
The eight top-ranked teams in each conference receive playoff berths. Within each conference, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals are played before the conference winners play against each other for the Gagarin Cup. The division winners are seeded first and second in their conference, based on their regular season record. All playoff rounds are played as best-of-seven series. In each round, the top seeded remaining team is paired with the lowest seeded team etc. In the playoffs, overtime periods last 20 minutes (or until a goal is scored). The number of overtime periods is not limited.
The 2013 season will introduce the Cup of Hope, a new consolation tournament for six teams from the Western Conference and four teams from the Eastern Conference who did not qualify for the playoffs. The winning team in the tournament will win the first overall pick in the KHL Junior Draft. The new tournament is intended to extend the season and help maintain interest in hockey in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
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