Torpedo's Nikita Kolobov celebrates a goal on Herning Blue Fox during a 6-2 victory at the 2026 IIHF Continental Cup Final in Nottingham.
photo: Joshua Day / Panthers Media
Day two of the 2026 IIHF Continental Cup Final saw Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk open its campaign with a 6-2 win over Herning Blue Fox. The Kazakh team can secure its place in the championship game on Saturday with anything better than an overtime loss against Angers Ducs tomorrow.
In the evening game, HK Mogo and GKS Katowice battled to a 2-2 tie in regulation before GKS took a shoot-out verdict. That means the Poles can clinch a spot in the championship game on Saturday with win in a winner-takes-all showdown against host club Nottingham Panthers on Friday night.
In the evening game, HK Mogo and GKS Katowice battled to a 2-2 tie in regulation before GKS took a shoot-out verdict. That means the Poles can clinch a spot in the championship game on Saturday with win in a winner-takes-all showdown against host club Nottingham Panthers on Friday night.
Torpedo forward Dmitriy Grents scores on Herning Blue Fox goalie Janis Fecers
photo: Adam Gouldson / Panthers Images
Kazakhs start with big win
Herning Blue Fox 2 Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 6 (1-1, 1-3, 0-2)
Thursday’s opener brought a first glimpse of Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk, a Kazakh team featuring several players who won this tournament with Nomad Astana in 2024.
And that experience made a big difference, with four of the Kazakh goals scored by players who were part of that title-winning team.
Forward Maxim Musorov was among the players who faced Herning two years ago. He admitted that the Danes provided a tougher test in 2026. Goaltender Vladislav Pestov made 43 saves to backstop the win.
“They were stronger this time and we didn’t expect such a fast-paced game at the start,” he said. “Maybe our long journey affected us in the first period but I’m pleased with the way we responded.”
One feature of Nomad’s success was starting fast and scoring early. Today, jetlag aside, Torpedo grabbed the lead after three minutes when a Blue Fox attack broke down. Musorov led a counterattack, drew the Danish defence towards him and dished off a pass for Mikhail Rakhmanov to open the scoring from the right-hand circle.
However, Herning responded well to enjoy the better of the opening frame, outshooting Torpedo 16-6. Mathias Bau quickly tied it up with his second of the competition on an intelligent play. Bau emerged from behind the net, sent the puck back to Terrance Amorosa on the point and waited on the dot for a perceptive return pass before firing a one-timer into the net.
Herning had more of the first-period possession but had to wait until the start of the second to convert it into another goal. Latvian international defender Oskars Cibulskis got it, hitting a venomous one-timer from the slot. Up 2-1, the Danish team looked well-placed to reach Saturday’s championship game.
“I feel like we played in their zone more and controlled the puck more,” Cibulskis said. “The score doesn’t show how we played, but their goalie did an amazing job and hats off to them, they took their chances to win it.”
Two goals in 30 seconds changed the course of the game midway through the second. Nikita Kolobov tied the scores in the 29th minute after goalie Janis Fecers offered a big rebound from Andrei Yakovlev’s shot from distance. Then Musorov – who led Nomad in scoring during that 2024 triumph – needed just four seconds to convert the first power play of the game with something straight out of head coach Andrei Korabeinikov’s playbook: face-off win, puck along the blue line, point shot, goal.
The Kazakhs built on that when Kolobov potted his second of the game on another power play to make it 4-2 at the second intermission.
Herning needed a fast start in the third, and got a great chance when back-to-back fouls reduced Torpedo to three skaters for 1:49. The Danish power play was impressive in its opening game, but today it had no answers to the Kazakh PK. Pestov made a brilliant double save, his best in a game-winning performance, to deny Kyle Maksimovich as Torpedo survived.
“Our special teams were important tonight,” Kolobov said. “The power play goals had a big impact and that penalty kill gave us the strength to finish the job.”
Torpedo not only survived, but thrived. Soaking up pressure at one end, lethal at the other. On 52 minutes, a breakaway saw Dmitriy Grents make it 5-2. Then Ilia Kliauzov completed an emphatic win as the team from Ust-Kamenogorsk underlined some serious championship credentials in its first game.
Herning Blue Fox 2 Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 6 (1-1, 1-3, 0-2)
Thursday’s opener brought a first glimpse of Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk, a Kazakh team featuring several players who won this tournament with Nomad Astana in 2024.
And that experience made a big difference, with four of the Kazakh goals scored by players who were part of that title-winning team.
Forward Maxim Musorov was among the players who faced Herning two years ago. He admitted that the Danes provided a tougher test in 2026. Goaltender Vladislav Pestov made 43 saves to backstop the win.
“They were stronger this time and we didn’t expect such a fast-paced game at the start,” he said. “Maybe our long journey affected us in the first period but I’m pleased with the way we responded.”
One feature of Nomad’s success was starting fast and scoring early. Today, jetlag aside, Torpedo grabbed the lead after three minutes when a Blue Fox attack broke down. Musorov led a counterattack, drew the Danish defence towards him and dished off a pass for Mikhail Rakhmanov to open the scoring from the right-hand circle.
However, Herning responded well to enjoy the better of the opening frame, outshooting Torpedo 16-6. Mathias Bau quickly tied it up with his second of the competition on an intelligent play. Bau emerged from behind the net, sent the puck back to Terrance Amorosa on the point and waited on the dot for a perceptive return pass before firing a one-timer into the net.
Herning had more of the first-period possession but had to wait until the start of the second to convert it into another goal. Latvian international defender Oskars Cibulskis got it, hitting a venomous one-timer from the slot. Up 2-1, the Danish team looked well-placed to reach Saturday’s championship game.
“I feel like we played in their zone more and controlled the puck more,” Cibulskis said. “The score doesn’t show how we played, but their goalie did an amazing job and hats off to them, they took their chances to win it.”
Two goals in 30 seconds changed the course of the game midway through the second. Nikita Kolobov tied the scores in the 29th minute after goalie Janis Fecers offered a big rebound from Andrei Yakovlev’s shot from distance. Then Musorov – who led Nomad in scoring during that 2024 triumph – needed just four seconds to convert the first power play of the game with something straight out of head coach Andrei Korabeinikov’s playbook: face-off win, puck along the blue line, point shot, goal.
The Kazakhs built on that when Kolobov potted his second of the game on another power play to make it 4-2 at the second intermission.
Herning needed a fast start in the third, and got a great chance when back-to-back fouls reduced Torpedo to three skaters for 1:49. The Danish power play was impressive in its opening game, but today it had no answers to the Kazakh PK. Pestov made a brilliant double save, his best in a game-winning performance, to deny Kyle Maksimovich as Torpedo survived.
“Our special teams were important tonight,” Kolobov said. “The power play goals had a big impact and that penalty kill gave us the strength to finish the job.”
Torpedo not only survived, but thrived. Soaking up pressure at one end, lethal at the other. On 52 minutes, a breakaway saw Dmitriy Grents make it 5-2. Then Ilia Kliauzov completed an emphatic win as the team from Ust-Kamenogorsk underlined some serious championship credentials in its first game.
Mogo's Elivss Zeubovskis (white jersey) and GKS's Patryk Wronka chase the puck at the 2026 IIHF Continental Cup Final in Nottingham
photo: Adam Gouldson / Panthers Images
GKS edges shoot-out verdict
GKS Katowice 3 Mogo Riga 2 SO (1-0, 0-1, 1-1, 0-0, 1-0)
Back-up goalie Michal Kieler backstopped a shoot-out win for GKS after coming off the bench at the end of overtime.
He replaced Swedish netminder Jesper Eliasson, who made 36 saves in a 2-2 tie through 65 minutes, and helped Katowice secure the narrowest of victories.
The shoot-out went to sudden death before Bartosz Fraszko won it for the Poles. Niks Fenenko missed his sudden-death attempt for Mogo, ending the Latvians’ resistance they twice came from behind.
Double goalscorer Jean Dupuy hailed the efforts of both goalies and the defenders in front of them after a hard-fought victory.
“It’s now how we wanted to get to the result, but we got the win in the end,” he said. “When we were under pressure, our PK did a great job and our goalie made some big saves.
“That’s part of the game and we’ve been stepping up all year. And we’ve got too great goalies, they’re both always ready so we’re fortunate with that.”
For Mogo’s GM and alternate captain Elviss Zelubovskis, it was a difficult loss to take but there was pride in two good performances after getting through two qualification rounds to be here.
“We earned our spot, I think we deserved to be here,” he said. “We did our best and it wasn’t enough, but maybe next year.
“The first period tonight was tough. But then we found our game and we tied it up. Got to the shoot-out and that’s just a lottery. It was a tough game, but it was good hockey.”
Roared on by a raucous group or yellow-clad fans, GKS grabbed the lead inside the first minute. A Mogo attack broke down and Dupuy saw open ice ahead of him as he sprinted clear of two defenders to beat Karlis Mezsargs with an emphatic finish.
That persuaded the Polish support that a rout was in the offing. But Mogo refused to lie down. The shot count was even, and both teams had good chances as the first period progressed. GKS’s Canadian forward Stephen Anderson fluffed a penalty shot and Juho Kovusaari dinged the post.
At the other end Mogo came close to tying the scores in the last minute when Ernests Krums wove a path through GKS defence only to poke his shot wide as he tumbled under pressure. No goal, but he earned his team a power play that carried into the second period.
GKS killed the remainder of the penalty, but Mogo continued to ride the momentum through the middle frame. However, the first big chance in that session came when Niks Fenenko fanned a clearance and gave up possession right in front of his team’s net. Patryk Wronka and Grzegorz Pasiut tried to take advantage, but the Latvian defence scrambled back to snuff out the danger in the 26th minute.
It was a rare alarm for Mogo. The Latvians led the shot count 21-5 in the second period, drew 10 minutes of Polish penalties and tied the game on a five-on-three power play after 34 minutes.
Kristers Ansons scored his team’s first of the tournament, moving onto Niks Fenenko’s pass to fire a wrister from the top of the circle, through traffic, past Jesper Eliasson. Katowice’s Swedish goalie had a busy time as his team found itself with three men in the box and had to continue with three skaters even after giving up a goal.
GKS held on to go to the intermission level, but Mogo almost snatched a lead before break when Kaspars Ziemins attempted to stickhandle his way home from close range, only for the puck to squirt off the post to safety.
Katowice tightened its discipline in the third, cutting out the penalties. Reward came midway through the session when Dupuy struck on the power play to restore his team’s lead with a deflected shot off a Latvian defender.
“We had good movement on the power play,” Dupuy reflected. “It was fortunate to go in off the guy’s skate but we had two guys in front and that’s where we want them to be.”
But Mogo refused to lie down. Within two minutes Rudolfs Maslovskis harried Aleksi Vartinnen into a turnover and veteran forward Gints Meija gleefully slammed home the loose puck from close range.
That took us to overtime. Dupuy came to close to completing his hat-trick, while Krums had Mogo’s best chance before the game went to a shoot-out and GKS took the win.
GKS Katowice 3 Mogo Riga 2 SO (1-0, 0-1, 1-1, 0-0, 1-0)
Back-up goalie Michal Kieler backstopped a shoot-out win for GKS after coming off the bench at the end of overtime.
He replaced Swedish netminder Jesper Eliasson, who made 36 saves in a 2-2 tie through 65 minutes, and helped Katowice secure the narrowest of victories.
The shoot-out went to sudden death before Bartosz Fraszko won it for the Poles. Niks Fenenko missed his sudden-death attempt for Mogo, ending the Latvians’ resistance they twice came from behind.
Double goalscorer Jean Dupuy hailed the efforts of both goalies and the defenders in front of them after a hard-fought victory.
“It’s now how we wanted to get to the result, but we got the win in the end,” he said. “When we were under pressure, our PK did a great job and our goalie made some big saves.
“That’s part of the game and we’ve been stepping up all year. And we’ve got too great goalies, they’re both always ready so we’re fortunate with that.”
For Mogo’s GM and alternate captain Elviss Zelubovskis, it was a difficult loss to take but there was pride in two good performances after getting through two qualification rounds to be here.
“We earned our spot, I think we deserved to be here,” he said. “We did our best and it wasn’t enough, but maybe next year.
“The first period tonight was tough. But then we found our game and we tied it up. Got to the shoot-out and that’s just a lottery. It was a tough game, but it was good hockey.”
Roared on by a raucous group or yellow-clad fans, GKS grabbed the lead inside the first minute. A Mogo attack broke down and Dupuy saw open ice ahead of him as he sprinted clear of two defenders to beat Karlis Mezsargs with an emphatic finish.
That persuaded the Polish support that a rout was in the offing. But Mogo refused to lie down. The shot count was even, and both teams had good chances as the first period progressed. GKS’s Canadian forward Stephen Anderson fluffed a penalty shot and Juho Kovusaari dinged the post.
At the other end Mogo came close to tying the scores in the last minute when Ernests Krums wove a path through GKS defence only to poke his shot wide as he tumbled under pressure. No goal, but he earned his team a power play that carried into the second period.
GKS killed the remainder of the penalty, but Mogo continued to ride the momentum through the middle frame. However, the first big chance in that session came when Niks Fenenko fanned a clearance and gave up possession right in front of his team’s net. Patryk Wronka and Grzegorz Pasiut tried to take advantage, but the Latvian defence scrambled back to snuff out the danger in the 26th minute.
It was a rare alarm for Mogo. The Latvians led the shot count 21-5 in the second period, drew 10 minutes of Polish penalties and tied the game on a five-on-three power play after 34 minutes.
Kristers Ansons scored his team’s first of the tournament, moving onto Niks Fenenko’s pass to fire a wrister from the top of the circle, through traffic, past Jesper Eliasson. Katowice’s Swedish goalie had a busy time as his team found itself with three men in the box and had to continue with three skaters even after giving up a goal.
GKS held on to go to the intermission level, but Mogo almost snatched a lead before break when Kaspars Ziemins attempted to stickhandle his way home from close range, only for the puck to squirt off the post to safety.
Katowice tightened its discipline in the third, cutting out the penalties. Reward came midway through the session when Dupuy struck on the power play to restore his team’s lead with a deflected shot off a Latvian defender.
“We had good movement on the power play,” Dupuy reflected. “It was fortunate to go in off the guy’s skate but we had two guys in front and that’s where we want them to be.”
But Mogo refused to lie down. Within two minutes Rudolfs Maslovskis harried Aleksi Vartinnen into a turnover and veteran forward Gints Meija gleefully slammed home the loose puck from close range.
That took us to overtime. Dupuy came to close to completing his hat-trick, while Krums had Mogo’s best chance before the game went to a shoot-out and GKS took the win.