Shanghai Dragons was defeated by Sibir Novosibirsk 2-1 in the Kontinental Hockey League regular season, in a game held on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at Oriental Sports Center, in Xangai. Anton Kosolapov and Vyacheslav Leshchenko scored the goals for the visitors, while Parker Fu scored the goal of honor for the home team. The match represented the first KHL clash in the China since January 22, 2020, when the club still operated under the name Kunlun Red Star. The audience was 4,352 fans, who watched a balanced duel until the final minutes.
The result brought relief to Sibir, who interrupted a streak of four consecutive defeats. Já o Shanghai Dragons were unable to take advantage of their return to Chinese territory to gain important points in the table.
Goals and decisive moments
Anton Kosolapov opened the scoring in the second period by taking advantage of Shanghai Dragons’s ball failure. Vyacheslav Leshchenko expanded in the third period with a medium-range shot. Parker Fu scored for the home team in a quick counterattack. The first period ended goalless, with the defenses dominating the actions.
Return of the league to China
Kontinental Hockey League resumed games on Chinese soil as part of the KHL World Games project. Shanghai Dragons, based in São Petersburgo in SKA Arena, organizes matches in Xangai to strengthen the league’s presence in Ásia. The Oriental Sports Center, a multi-purpose arena with a history of major events, hosted the clash with a good structure for ice hockey.
The Chinese club maintains neutral-site games in the 2025/26 season. The next match in Xangai is scheduled for March 7th.
Current positioning of teams
Sibir moved up to eighth place in Conferência Leste, gaining 60 points after the victory. Shanghai Dragons remains in ninth position from Conferência Oeste, with 54 accumulated points. The campaign of the two teams reflects the fierce competition for playoff places in the final stretch of the regular season.
The defeat at home complicates Shanghai Dragons’s immediate recovery in the table. Sibir gains confidence for the next challenges away from home.
Upcoming team games
Shanghai Dragons faces Barys Astana on March 7th, again at Xangai, in another round of the KHL World Games. The team seeks to reverse the negative result in front of the local fans and add crucial points.
Sibir plays against Ak Bars Kazan away from home on the same March 7th. The victory over Shanghai Dragons represents a positive boost for the sequence of matches.
Mathematical elimination confirmed
Shanghai Dragons’s defeat contributed to sealing the mathematical elimination of Admiral and Barys in the race for the playoffs. The consolidated positions in the conferences show the current balance of the competition. Sibir avoids risks in Leste, while Shanghai Dragons needs a sequence of results to improve its position in Oeste.