View source for Opening Cup

{{Infobox Ice Hockey Award
|name      = Opening Cup
|Image            =
|Established      = 2008
|Holder           = {{flagicon|RUS}} [[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA CSKA Moscow]]
|Awarded          = Team winning the first game of the regular season of the [[Kontinental Hockey League]]
}}

The '''Opening Cup''' ({{lang-ru|Кубок Открытия, Kubok Otkrytiya}}), is the trophy awarded to the winner of the first game of every regular season of the [[Kontinental Hockey League]]. This match is played between the previous season's play-off champion and runner-up. The game is played on the home ice of the previous season's play-off champion.

==History==
During the [[2008–09 KHL season|first season]] of the [[Kontinental Hockey League|KHL]] the match was played between the winner and runner up of the 2007–08 play-offs of the [[Russian Superleague]].

The Western Conference in the 2010 Opening Cup game was represented by [[UHC Dynamo]] because the [[2009–10 KHL season|2009–10]] [[KHL Conference Finals|Western Conference champion]], [[HC MVD]], merged with [[HC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]] to form the new team after the [[2009–10 KHL season|2009–10 season]].<ref name=Sep2010 />

On September 10, 2011, three days after the [[2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl air disaster]], the KHL head office decided to honor the deceased in the 2011 Opening Cup.<ref>[http://www.khl.ru/news/2012/09/05/43922.html Официальное заявление КХЛ, 4 сентября 2012 года (ru)]</ref>

==Winners==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Key to colors
|-
|style="text-align: center;background:blue;color:white"| '''W'''
|Western Conference member
|-
|style="text-align: center;background:red;color:white"| '''E'''
|Eastern Conference member
|-
|style="text-align: center;background:gray;color:white"| '''N/A'''
|N/A, KHL conferences established during the [[2009–10 KHL season|second season of competition]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%"
|-
!Season
!Match date
! colspan=2|Previous season<br />play-off champion
! colspan=2|Previous season<br />play-off runner-up
!Result
!Venue
!Ref
|-
| style="text-align: center"|[[2008–09 KHL season|2008–09]]
| style="text-align: center"| 2 September 2008
| style="text-align: center; background:gray;color:white"|'''N/A'''
| style="text-align: center;"| '''[[Salavat Yulaev Ufa]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:gray;color:white"|'''N/A'''
| style="text-align: center"|[[Lokomotiv Yaroslavl]]
| style="text-align: center"|4–1
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Ufa Arena]], [[Ufa]]
| 
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2009–10 KHL season|2009–10]]
| style="text-align: center"| 10 September 2009
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center;"| '''[[Ak Bars Kazan]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|[[Lokomotiv Yaroslavl]]
| style="text-align: center; "|3–2 (OT)
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[TatNeft Arena]], [[Kazan]]
| 
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2010–11 KHL season|2010–11]]
| style="text-align: center"| 8 September 2010
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center; "| [[Ak Bars Kazan]]
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "| '''[[HC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]]'''<ref>2009–10 season's finalist [[HC MVD]] united with [[HC Dynamo Moscow|HC Dynamo]] after the 2009–10 season, thus [[HC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]] participated in the 2010 Opening Cup.</ref>
| style="text-align: center; "|1–3
|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[TatNeft Arena]], [[Kazan]]
| style="text-align: center; "|<ref name=Sep2010>{{cite web|url=http://en.khl.ru/news/2010/8/3/23879.html|title=Calendar 2010/2011|publisher=khl.ru|quote=Third season of the Kontinental Hockey League starts September 8th with Gagarin Cup holders Ak Bars entertaining UHC Dynamo Moscow in Kazan in a clash for Opening Cup.}}</ref>
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2011–12 KHL season|2011–12]]
| style="text-align: center"| 12 September 2011<ref>Game originally was scheduled for 7 September 2011;  because of [[2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl air disaster|Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash]] during the playing of the Opening Cup, the game was abandoned and rescheduled for 12 September 2011.</ref>
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center;"| '''[[Salavat Yulaev Ufa]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|[[Atlant Moscow Oblast]]
| style="text-align: center; "|5–3 
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Ufa Arena]], [[Ufa]]
| style="text-align: center; "|
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2012–13 KHL season|2012–13]]
| style="text-align: center"| 4 September 2012
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center;"| '''[[HC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center; "|[[Avangard Omsk]]
| style="text-align: center; "|3–2 (SO)
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Megasport Arena]], [[Moscow]]
|
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2013–14 KHL season|2013–14]]
| style="text-align: center"| 4 September 2013
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center;"| '''[[HC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center; "|[[Traktor Chelyabinsk]]
| style="text-align: center; "|5–1
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Minor Arena Luzhniki]], [[Moscow]]
|
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2014–15 KHL season|2014–15]]
| style="text-align: center"| 3 September 2014
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center;"| '''[[Metallurg Magnitogorsk]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|[[HC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]]<ref>2014 playoff runner-up [[HC Lev Praha]] ceased operations for the 2014–15 season. [[HC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]] took their place as [[Continental Cup (KHL)|Continental Cup]] holders.</ref>
| style="text-align: center; "|6–1 
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Arena Metallurg]], [[Magnitogorsk]]
| style="text-align: center; "|
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2015–16 KHL season|2015–16]]
| style="text-align: center"| 24 August 2015
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center;"| [[SKA Saint Petersburg]]
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|'''[[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]'''<ref>[[Ak Bars Kazan]] were the 2014–15 play-off runner-up, but their place was taken by [[Continental Cup (KHL)|2014–15 Continental Cup]] winner [[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]].</ref>
| style="text-align: center; "| 3–4 (OT)
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Ice Palace (Saint Petersburg)|Ice Palace]], [[Saint Petersburg]]
| style="text-align: center; "|<ref name="schedule">{{cite web|url=http://en.khl.ru/news/2015/06/30/235218.html|title=KHL 2015-16 Schedule Announced|date=2015-06-30|accessdate=2015-07-01}}</ref>
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2016–17 KHL season|2016–17]]
| style="text-align: center"| 22 August 2016
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center;"| '''[[Metallurg Magnitogorsk]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|[[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]
| style="text-align: center; "|3–2 
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Arena Metallurg]], [[Magnitogorsk]]
| style="text-align: center; "|
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2017–18 KHL season|2017–18]]
| style="text-align: center"| 21 August 2017
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center;"| '''[[SKA Saint Petersburg]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|[[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]
| style="text-align: center; "| 4–2
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Ice Palace (Saint Petersburg)|Ice Palace]], [[Saint Petersburg]]
| style="text-align: center; "|<ref name="schedule2">{{cite web|url=http://en.khl.ru/news/2017/07/12/350676.html|title=KHL Schedule 2017-18 – Fewer days without hockey|date=2017-07-12|access-date=2017-08-21}}</ref>
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2018–19 KHL season|2018–19]]
| style="text-align: center"| 1 September 2018
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center;"|[[Ak Bars Kazan]]
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|'''[[SKA Saint Petersburg]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "|1–6
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[TatNeft Arena]], [[Kazan]]
| style="text-align: center; "|
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2019–20 KHL season|2019–20]]
| style="text-align: center"| 1 September 2019
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center;"|[[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center; "|'''[[Avangard Omsk]]'''<ref>As [[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]] won both trophies, [[Avangard Omsk]] took the other place as [[Gagarin Cup]] runner-up</ref>
| style="text-align: center; "|1–3
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[CSKA Arena]], [[Moscow]]
| style="text-align: center; "|
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2020-21 KHL season|2020–21]]
| style="text-align: center"| 2 September 2020
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center;"| '''[[Ak Bars Kazan]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|[[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]<ref>As a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the [[Gagarin Cup]] was not awarded in 2019-20. [[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]] were, however, the [[Continental Cup (KHL)|Continental Cup]] winners</ref>
| style="text-align: center; "|3–2 ([[Overtime (ice hockey)|OT]])
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[CSKA Arena]], [[Moscow]]
| style="text-align: center; "|<ref name="OpeningCup2020">{{cite web|url=https://en.khl.ru/game/1045/872319/protocol/|title=Game summary: CSKA - Ak Bars : Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)|date=2020-09-02|access-date=2020-09-04}}</ref>
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2021–22 KHL season|2021–22]]
| style="text-align: center"| 1 September 2021
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center;"| '''[[Avangard Omsk]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|[[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]
| style="text-align: center; "|4–0
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Balashikha Arena]], [[Balashikha]]
| style="text-align: center; "|
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2022–23 KHL season|2022–23]]
| style="text-align: center "| 1 September 2022
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|'''[[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center; "|[[Metallurg Magnitogorsk]]
| style="text-align: center; "|6–2
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[CSKA Arena]], [[Moscow]]
| style="text-align: center; "|
|-
| style="text-align: center; "|[[2023–24 KHL season|2023–24]]
| style="text-align: center "| 1 September 2023
| style="text-align: center; background:blue;color:white"|'''W'''
| style="text-align: center; "|'''[[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background:red;color:white"|'''E'''
| style="text-align: center;"|'''[[Ak Bars Kazan]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "|2–5
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[CSKA Arena]], [[Moscow]]
| style="text-align: center; "|
|}

==Appearances==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left"
|-
! {{Abbr|Apps|Appearances}}
! width="220" | Team
! Wins
! Losses
! Win %
|-
| style="text-align: center; "| 8
| style="text-align: left; "| '''[[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "| 2
| style="text-align: center; "| 6
| .250
|-
| style="text-align: center; " | 5
| style="text-align: left; "| '''[[Ak Bars Kazan]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "| 3
| style="text-align: center; "| 2
| .600
|-
| style="text-align: center; "| 4
| style="text-align: left; "| '''[[HC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "| 3
| style="text-align: center; "| 1
| .750
|-
| style="text-align: center; "| 3
| style="text-align: left; "| '''[[SKA Saint Petersburg]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "| 2
| style="text-align: center; "| 1
| .667
|-
| style="text-align: center; "| 3
| style="text-align: left; "| '''[[Avangard Omsk]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "| 2
| style="text-align: center; "| 1
| .667
|-
| style="text-align: center; "| 3
| style="text-align: left; "| '''[[Metallurg Magnitogorsk]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "| 2
| style="text-align: center; "| 1
| .667
|-
| style="text-align: center; "| 2
| style="text-align: left; "| '''[[Salavat Yulaev Ufa]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "| 2
| style="text-align: center; "| 0
| 1.000
|-
| style="text-align: center; "| 2
| style="text-align: left; "| '''[[Lokomotiv Yaroslavl]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "| 0
| style="text-align: center; "| 2
| .000
|-
| style="text-align: center; "| 1
| style="text-align: left; "| '''[[Atlant Moscow Oblast]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "| 0
| style="text-align: center; "| 1
| .000
|-
| style="text-align: center; "| 1
| style="text-align: left; "| '''[[Traktor Chelyabinsk]]'''
| style="text-align: center; "| 0
| style="text-align: center; "| 1
| .000
|}

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

{{Wikipedia}}

[[Category:Kontinental Hockey League trophies and awards]]