2020–21 KHL season

For the 2020–21 season, the competition was reduced to 23 teams after Admiral Vladivostok took a hiatus for the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia affecting their financial status.[3]

With pre-season events returning to the schedule in August as a part of preparations to start the season, Jokerit, whose ability to stage games was governed by Finland's restrictions in response to the coronavirus pandemic, announced that it expected to play before a reduced audience at the Hartwall Arena during the first month of the campaign.[4]

Due to the on-going travel restrictions against the COVID-19 pandemic, Kunlun Red Star determined that they would be unable to play in Wukesong Arena situated in Beijing, China for this season. In August, the club signed a contract to play out of Mytishchi Arena, the second venue for the 2007 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships located on the outskirts of Moscow.[5]

The 23 teams were 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.

Following Admiral Vladivostok's hiatus from the league, and to alleviate any potential issues with teams transiting during the COVID-19 pandemic, several conference and divisional changes were announced.[1]

Western Conference		Eastern Conference
Bobrov Division	Tarasov Division	Kharlamov Division	Chernyshev Division
Jokerit	CSKA Moscow	Ak Bars Kazan	Amur Khabarovsk
Severstal Cherepovets	Dinamo Minsk	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg	Avangard Omsk
SKA Saint Petersburg	Dinamo Riga	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	Barys Nur-Sultan
HC Sochi	Dynamo Moscow	Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk	Kunlun Red Star
Spartak Moscow	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod	Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Vityaz Podolsk		Traktor Chelyabinsk	Sibir Novosibirsk

Each team played 60 games: playing every other team home-and-away (44 games), 8–10 games against division rivals and 6–8 games against teams in the other division in their respective conference.[1]

Points were awarded for each game, where two points were awarded for all victories, regardless of whether it is 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. At the end of the regular season, the team that finished with the most points was crowned the Continental Cup winner.

Ak Bars Kazan were the Eastern Conference regular season winners with 90 points. It was determined despite a 2–3 overtime loss at home to Spartak Moscow.[6] CSKA Moscow were the Western Conference regular season winners with 91 points. It was determined following a 1–3 defeat suffered by closest challengers SKA Saint Petersburg, at home to Dynamo Moscow, leaving CSKA Moscow with an unassailable points lead.[7] CSKA Moscow won the Continental Cup for the third season in succession and sixth time overall, defeating Ak Bars Kazan 1–0 on the final day of the regular season.[8]

The 2021 Gagarin Cup playoffs started on 2 March 2021, and finished on 28 April 2021.[9] The top eight teams from each of the conferences qualified for the playoffs.

	Conference Quarterfinals					Conference Semifinals					Conference Finals					Gagarin Cup Finals
	1	Ak Bars	4
	8	Torpedo	0
						1	Ak Bars	4
						4	Salavat Yulaev	0
	2	Avangard	4
	7	Avtomobilist	1
											1	Ak Bars	3
	Eastern Conference
											2	Avangard	4
	3	Metallurg	4
	6	Barys	2
						2	Avangard	4
						3	Metallurg	2
	4	Salavat Yulaev	4
	5	Traktor	1
																E2	Avangard	4
																W1	CSKA	2
	1	CSKA	4
	8	Spartak	0
						1	CSKA	4
						4	Lokomotiv	3
	2	SKA	4
	7	Dinamo	1
											1	CSKA	4
	Western Conference
											2	SKA	2
	3	Dynamo	4
	6	Severstal	1
						2	SKA	4
						3	Dynamo	1
	4	Lokomotiv	4
	5	Jokerit	0

• Official website