Neftekhimik vs Lokomotiv 11/8/2026

Neftekhimik will play game #25 of the season!

11/8/2026               vs Lokomotiv                 ⏰ 2:00 pm              KHL WEB 

Neftekhimik will play its first of six home games. Neftekhimik lost its last game.

Lokomotiv will play its first of three road games. Lokomotiv lost its last game.

Career Milestone:

Neftekhimik may win its 500th KHL game.

Injuries:

Lokomotiv: Alexander Radulov.

Since October 20, Neftekhimik has played seven games, a stretch full of ups and downs. It began with two road wins against Lokomotiv and Avangard, followed by an overtime home loss to Metallurg and a heartbreaking last-second defeat to Admiral. The team then earned away wins against Sibir and Sochi, only to suffer a heavy setback in Magnitogorsk. Now it has the perfect opportunity to make amends in front of its home fans.

Over the same period, Lokomotiv’s record has been just as uneven: as mentioned, the team lost at home to Neftekhimik, then won three in a row against Dynamo Moscow, Severstal, and Sochi before a home loss to Lada. It then beat Spartak in Moscow, followed by a shootout loss to Lada in Tolyatti.

A Two-Time Champion

After its second consecutive Gagarin Cup title, Lokomotiv went through the usual post-championship offseason. The core of the roster stayed intact, but the supporting cast changed significantly. There was another change behind the bench as well: Bob Hartley was replaced by Dmitri Kvartalnov – a coach who previously led Lokomotiv from 2017 to 2019 and later set records at the helm of Dynamo Minsk.

There were notable departures as well: offensive defenseman Martin Gernát moved on, while Richard Pánik and Byron Froese retired. Several homegrown talents, including Nikulin, Likhachyov, and Kraskovsky, have also left for other clubs. In return, the club has added two targeted reinforcements: two-meter-tall Belarusian defenseman Stepan Falkovsky from Ak Bars and Canadian forward Giovanni Fiore from Avangard.

What makes Lokomotiv so strong? First, the depth of the roster. With players like Radulov, Shalunov, Ivanov, Surin, Kayumov, and Sergeyev, the team does not need to reinvent its forward lines – those lines have already proved twice that they work. Second, reliability: with only 38 goals conceded in 23 games, Lokomotiv owns one of the best defensive records in the league. Third, the team has a solid goaltending tandem and a captain in Yelesin, who acts as the glue for the team.

Head-to-head history: it has not always been smooth sailing for the champions.

Yaroslavl holds the edge in the head-to-head record. In the 2009 playoffs, Lokomotiv dispatched the Neftekhimik squad of that era with ease. Recent numbers, however, tell a different story: Neftekhimik has won three of the last four regular-season meetings. In September 2025, it won 5–4 in overtime; in February of this year, Yaroslavl claimed a 1–0 victory; and on October 20 of the current season, the team from Nizhnekamsk left Yaroslavl with a 1–0 win. That win carried particular weight: Andrei Belozyorov scored on a power play in the third period to become Neftekhimik’s all-time leading KHL goalscorer with 92 goals, while goaltender Filipp Dolganov recorded a shutout.

Now, a look at some Lokomotiv player statistics. The team’s top scorer is Artur Kayumov, a native of Bugulma, who has recorded 307 points. He also leads the team in goals, with 133 scored goals.

“Double Agents”

Strong connections – in fact, several have long existed between Lokomotiv and Neftekhimik.

Over the years, true legends have played for the Yaroslavl side, including Alexander Guskov and Ivan Tkachenko – names that fans still mention with special reverence. Danil Yurtaykin, another link in this hockey chain, once shone while wearing a Neftekhimik jersey.

Vyacheslav Butsayev lifted the Russian championship trophy twice as a Lokomotiv player and later served as head coach of Neftekhimik from 2018 to 2021.

Today, Andrei Sergeyev, a product of Neftekhimik Hockey School, stands as one of Lokomotiv’s key players.