The Gazprom Neft Cup was established in 2007 by the Russian company Gazprom Neft as a U11 children’s ice-hockey tournament.
In 2010, the Kontinental Hockey League became the strategic partner of the tournament. In 2014, the tournament adopted a divisional model whereby teams in the East and West Groups played in different cities. After all the KHL clubs had established teams to compete in the Gazprom Neft Cup, the tournament started to expand by adding teams from non-league countries. National ice-hockey federations can choose one kids’ team to take part in the tournament. Starting in 2019, the whole tournament will take place at the Olympic ice arenas in Sochi.
The Gazprom Neft Cup boasts an unprecedented level of organization for a children’s competition. The games take place at international-standard ice arenas and are managed by professional referees. Every year the name of the winning team is engraved on the Gazprom Neft Cup, and that team keeps the Cup until the next tournament. After teams from Austria, China, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic joined the tournament in 2019, the Gazprom Neft Cup became the world’s largest non-profit youth ice-hockey tournament.
2020
In the light of recommendations from the World Health Organisation regarding the risks of COVID-19 (coronavirus) proliferation, the Organising Committee of the XIV Gazprom Neft Cup International Kids’ Hockey Tournament has taken the decision to cancel 2020 Gazprom Neft Cup. The world’s leading international non-profit youth tournament had been planned to take place on 13 — 17 April 2020, in Sochi, attended by 35 teams from 12 countries including Austria, Belarus, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Russia.
2019 — the XIII Gazprom Neft Cup
The 2019 XIII Gazprom Neft Cup took place, for the first time, in just one city, with all matches being held at Sochi’s Olympic arenas. The number of participating teams, from various countries in Europe, was also increased, with 31 teams, from 10 countries — Russia, Austria, Belarus, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and Slovakia — battling it out for the main trophy. First-time competitors included China’s KunLun Red Star, Austria’s Black Wings, Germany’s KEC Die Junghaie, the Czech Republic’s Oceláři Třinec, and Slovakia’s Slovan.
Year: 2019
Number of teams: 31
Additional materials:
Best photo
Best players
Video
Scoreboard
Tournament Brochure (PDF, 15,3МB)
The largest tournament in the world
This massive increase in the Gazprom Neft Cup’s geographic coverage has now made it the largest and most important non-commercial under-11s youth hockey tournament in the world.
«Stars of the Future» match
This year’s tournament included an event unique in youth hockey — a gala «Stars of the Future» match, between representative elite «East» and «West» group teams, with the match transmitted live on KHL-TV. The Opening Ceremony was watched by 5,000 spectators, with a 3:1 victory going to the West Group team.

The opening ceremony of the XIII Gazprom Neft Cup International Kids’ Hockey Tournament
7,000+spectators
The deciding match took place on the Olympic ice rink of the Bolshoy Ice Dome, in front of 7,000 spectators and transmitted live on the Match! Strana TV channel.
Vityaz — winner of the XIII Gazprom Neft Cup
The XIII Gazprom Neft Cup International Kids’ Hockey tournament came to a close on 26 April, with the Cup going to Vityaz in a 4:1 SuperFinal victory over Torpedo.

The Vityaz team after its victory in the XIII International Kids Hockey Tournament Superfinal
Аll competition matches transmitted on the Gazprom Neft Cup YouTube channel.
As has, already, become traditional, the country’s main sports channel, Match TV, was the General Information Partner to the tournament.

2018 — XII Tournament
The geographic coverage of the Gazprom Neft Cup increased considerably with the addition of an eastern team, Admiral, from Vladivostok. The tournament’s furthest reach westwards was Mannheim, Germany.
Year: 2018
Number of teams: 26
Additional materials:
Best photo
Best players
Video
Scoreboard
Tournament Brochure (PDF, 23,6MB)
63live match broadcasts, from four venues
All matches were broadcast live through tournament Internet platforms, with the Super Final being shown live on KHL-TV.
As was the case last year, the big match out on the ice at Arena Omsk saw CSKA battling it out with Salavat Ulaev.
With no winner after a 2:2 draw at full time the match finally went CSKA’s way after a penalty shoot-out, with the Moscow team retaining the trophy for the second time — having won the tournament two years in a row in

CSKA — the first four-time winners of the Gazprom Neft Cup
The main media sponsor — the country’s leading sports channel, MATCH TV — delivered regular tournament highlights alongside bulletins on adult sports.

2017 — XI Tournament
Tournament games were held simultaneously in two cities: West Group teams competed in the Olympic city of Sochi, on the Black Sea, and games in East Group were held in the West Siberian city of Omsk.
Year: 2017
Number of teams: 27
Additional materials:
Best Photos
Best Players
Video
Scoreboard
Tournament Brochure (PDF, 21MB)
In 2017, the number of participants of the Gazprom Neft Cup increased again — the Sochi team debuted in the competition.
25000+viewers
visited the hockey battles of Preliminary stage and Play-off
The country’s main sports television channel MATCH TV was general informational partner of the Gazprom Neft Cup again

Year: 2016
Number of teams: 26
Additional materials:
Best Photos
Best Players
Video
Scoreboard
Tournament Brochure (PDF, 17MB)
Teams of the group “Vostok” played their matches in the hockey center “Avangard” and on the “Arena Omsk”.
11000+fans
attended the opening ceremony and the match of “Dynamo” (Moscow) — CSKA (Moscow) in the sports palace “Bolshoi”. This is the tournament attendance record
2015 — IX Tournament
Twenty five teams from six countries took part in the 2015 Gazprom Neft Cup. For the second time, the tournament was held on a divisional basis, with teams divided into two groups — East and West.
The tournament has been extending its educational activities every year.
To which end, Olympic gold medallists Dmitry Yushkevich and Vladimir Yurzinov led a seminar for coaches training children’s teams, junior hockey players attended an educational lecture, and parents were, for the first time, offered a seminar on the psychological aspects of children’s sport.
9000+fans
gathered in Omsk in “Avangard” — “Ak Bars” match
The tournament has been extending its educational activities every year.
To which end, Olympic gold medallists Dmitry Yushkevich and Vladimir Yurzinov led a seminar for coaches training children’s teams, junior hockey players attended an educational lecture, and parents were, for the first time, offered a seminar on the psychological aspects of children’s sport.
The Super Final traditionally was held in Omsk at the Omsk Arena, the Avangard Club’s home ground.
Thanks to the efforts and resources of Gazprom Neft and the KHL, the Gazprom Neft Cup has, in recent years, has now become the unofficial premier championship for teams under 12.

On the photo: Dmitry Kurbatov, Director for Organization and Holding of KHL Sports Events, Alexander Dybal, Member of the Gazprom Neft Management Board, Omsk Region Governor Viktor Nazarov
Matches are refereed by professional KHL officials, with games held at ice arenas certified to match standard by professional league teams.
Official media partners this year included:
Federal broadcasters: Rossiya-2, Sport 1, NTV-Plus, KHL-TV, the Championat.com website and major sport media holding company Sport Express.
2012 — VI Tournament
This year, 400 athletes from 16 teams took part in the tournament. Competitions were held from 18 to 22 April.
Tournament matches are extensively covered by KHL TV, with the final transmitted live from the Arena Omsk.
6goals
scored Ivan Kazakov (Ak Bars) and Vladislav Shutov (Neftekhimik) and were awarded as top scorers of the tournament
2011 — V Tournament
Competitions were held from 21 to 24 April. A unique trophy is made for the tournament (which this year has a total 12 teams taking part), won by Chelaybinsk’s Traktor.
For the first time, a live broadcast of the tournament finale was broadcast on the KHL-TV
This gripping match could be seen not just by Russians, but also international satellite viewers in numerous countries worldwide.

Master classes were held for young pucksters, as well as competitions to find the best-trained teams — in terms of both technical ability and physical fitness.
2009 — III Tournament
The 3rd Gazprom Neft Cup takes place in Salekhard. Six teams took part in the Tournament.
The opening ceremony saw a friendly between “Elite Yamal” and the “USSR Hockey Legends”
2008 — II Tournament
Tournament takes place in Khanty-Mansiysk in 2008 at the Arena Yugra.
The gala opening ceremony included a friendly between the “Elite Ugra” and “USSR Hockey Legends” teams
Spectators were shown trophies won by Russian teams this year — the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup
The opening ceremony included a friendly match between the “USSR Hockey Legends” team and HC Avangard veterans
Master sportsmen, including multiple world champions, Olympic champions and Olympic medal winners Alexander Yakushev, Sergei Gimayev, Vladimir Lutchenko, Vladimir Golikov, Yuri Lyapkin, Viktor Shalimov, Yuri Shatalov and others appearing on the ice.

Match between the “USSR Hockey Legends” team and HC Avangard veterans