- The KHL will put a gold league shield on the reigning Gagarin Cup champion’s jersey
- Lokomotiv Yaroslavl is swapping silver trim for gold after going back-to-back
- Read below for what the league said and why the NHL has no version of this
The defending champion in the KHL is going to be very easy to spot this season.
Every reigning Gagarin Cup winner will now wear a gold league shield on the collar, and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl gets to break it in. KHL media projects director Artashes Sarkisyan confirmed the change to Championat.com.
Sarkisyan was asked what the champion’s sweater would look like going forward.
“The KHL champion will wear a gold [shield]. Previously, such things were club initiatives, but now it’s official. Starting next season, the champion will play in gold.”
That shield has always come in silver and black. Take a look at the gold version on Lokomotiv’s collar:
Yaroslavl did not stop at the collar. The silver stripe on the neck is gold now, and so are the stripes on each elbow, home and away.
Moscow branding firm Quberten built the championship look for the club after it won a second straight Gagarin Cup, the fifth title in franchise history.
Quberten started the trend back in 2021 with Avangard Omsk, who spent a full season in gold shields, gold numbers and gold names. Here is how that one landed:
Nothing like it exists in the NHL. Clubs wear a Stanley Cup Final patch during the Final, then the winner goes back to a completely normal sweater in October.
It would not take much. The NHL has already recolored its own shield for alternates, and it has a full slate of uniform work coming with Hometown Remix jerseys for all 32 teams.
Russia’s league also gave its logo a refresh for a 19th season, flattening the mark and trading the metallic silver for high-contrast black and white.
Lokomotiv opens the KHL season at home against Traktor on Sept. 5, gold shield and all.
