- Lokomotiv goalie Alexei Melnichuk lost his balance hoisting the 40-pound Gagarin Cup
- His goaltending reflexes kicked in to keep the trophy from striking the ice
- Read below for the video and how Lokomotiv won its second straight KHL title
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s championship celebration almost ended with a very expensive accident.
Alexei Melnichuk, the 27-year-old backup goalie, got his turn with the Gagarin Cup right after Lokomotiv beat Ak Bars Kazan 3-2 in Game 6 of the KHL Finals on Thursday. He raised the 40-pound trophy over his head, leaned back a little too far, and the ice did the rest.
Melnichuk’s goaltending reflexes kicked in just in time. As he tumbled, he somehow kept the Cup from striking the ice on its way down.
Watch the near-disaster:
It echoed Nicolas Aube-Kubel’s Stanley Cup spill in 2022, when the Avalanche winger caught an edge during the team photo and dented the bottom of the trophy. The Gagarin Cup got off cleaner.
Back-to-back titles for Lokomotiv, but this run had a new face on the bench. Bob Hartley took over the team this season and just delivered the franchise its second straight Gagarin Cup. He retired immediately after the game.
Goaltender Daniil Isayev took home playoff MVP honors. Alex Radulov, still producing at 39, led the team in postseason points with 17 (six goals, 11 assists) in 22 games. That gives him a third career Gagarin Cup.
The KHL had some fun with how often Radulov was finding the net this spring:
Here’s the video of the final seconds in Kazan:
Former Capitals forward Richard Panik picked up his second Gagarin Cup ring along the way with 11 points in 22 games. Lokomotiv has now reached the KHL final three years running. As for Melnichuk, the trophy survived its near-miss without a single new dent.
