Ak Bars will play an away match against Lokomotiv in the opening game of the Gagarin Cup final series.

      Today, the final series of the Gagarin Cup starts at the "Arena-2000-Lokomotiv" ice rink, where the current trophy holder — Yaroslavl Lokomotiv — will host Kazan Ak Bars. The Yaroslavl club finished the regular season in first place in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the "railroaders" defeated Spartak Moscow (4–1), Salavat Yulaev Ufa (4–0), and in the semifinals, they overcame Avangard Omsk in a tense series (4–3), managing to clinch victory in the last two matches through sheer willpower. Kazan Ak Bars finished the regular season in third place in the Eastern Conference, trailing the future finalist from Yaroslavl by just 4 points. The Kazan team confidently progressed through the playoffs, beating Traktor Chelyabinsk (4–1), Dynamo Minsk (4–0), and then in the semifinals, they dealt with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (4–1), ending the series early. The opening face-off of the final series will take place at the "Arena-2000-Lokomotiv" at 14:30 Moscow time. Photo: ak-bars.ru