Renowned coach Andrei Nazarov has shared his expectations for the 2026 Gagarin Cup final series between Lokomotiv and Ak Bars. The matchup, widely regarded as the strongest in KHL history, will begin on May 11 in Yaroslavl.
“In this decisive series, two strong and ambitious teams will face off. We are in for the most competitive final the KHL has ever seen. No one reaches this stage by accident — both sides have endured a long and exhausting journey filled with injuries and nerves. Lokomotiv and Ak Bars are like a massive truck and a train, fully loaded with the best fuel in the world, and they will deliver a true hockey celebration, striving to be the first to cross the finish line,” Nazarov said in an interview with Championat correspondent Pavel Panychev.
“As experience shows, finals are decided by the smallest details: who sharpens their skates better, what meals the chefs prepare, how well the players are physically conditioned, who manages the team best before the series, and which goaltender proves more reliable. I also hope hotel fire alarms don’t go off during the players’ daytime naps — such incidents have happened before and would be unfortunate. Ideally, everything should be decided in honest, man-to-man competition,” Nazarov added.