After a long, hard fought series of seven games, Ak Bars Kazan claimed their third title of their history. It has been a sensational run for the Leopards in the playoffs, always on the edge of the elimination but, at the end, always victorious. And now they are the first owners of the Gagarin Cup.

KHL’s director Alexander Medvedev could not think of a better ending, when Jukka Hentunen scored the OT goal in game-6 that meant the seventh, decisive match in the first KHL final series. A one-sided final wouldn’t have been that interesting and the last show has been surely a lot entertaining for everyone. The difference maker, not surprisingly, has been Aleksei Morozov, probably as far as now the best player not playing in the NHL. It was his goal that, midway through game-7’s third period – allowed Kazan’s crowd to celebrate once again after the titles clinched in 1997 and in 2006. Morozov starred also in 2006 gold medal edition, scoring an outstanding twenty-six points in thirteen matches. This year he scored “only” nineteen in twenty-one, but he was anyway the playoffs’ top points scorer.

If the Leopards can celebrate their second title in a three-year span, Lokomotiv has lost its second straight final. Lead by Kari Heikkila, Yaroslavl's team had the fault of not being able to close the series when they could, especially in game six, when they were up 2-1 playing at home. The consolation prize can be the best goalkeeper of the finals award gave to Georgi Gelashvili, who was the best in the semi-finals too. He was arguably the best goalie of the season and he has been of course the team's most bright star throughout the whole year. Lokomotiv certainly didn't lack goaltending, but they lacked the killer instinct that Kazan showed many times during the post season.

The first KHL season thus ended and the boards can be satisfied with the first year's experience. Unfortunately Karlovy Vary won't participate in the 09-10 edition, but the upcoming season will look interesting anyway. It will be an intense summer for CSKA Moscow. After Bykov's and Zakharkin's resignation the team will undergo to major changes as many players will be without a contract and the new trainer might want new players too.

Also other teams will follow the same path: Salavat Yulaev Ufa and Avangard Omsk probably will want to redeem their disappointing seasons, as well as Metallurg Magnitogorsk, whose season has been really plagued by the defeats suffered in the Victoria Cup and in the Champions' League.

We will see if the KHL will change some rules for the 09-10 campaign, even if probably we won't see any rule revolution. A couple of things are already certain though: the foreigners will be again five, and not six, in order to contain the expenses after the economical crisis and, for the same reason, the divisions won't be aligned in order to a performance's coefficient, but according to a geographical principle.

All the rules for the 09-10 season will be communicated around mid May.