The ceremonial first puck in today's Gagarin Cup final series-opener will be sent to the International Space Station.

      The puck will hit the ice in Omsk at the final series curtain-raiser between local team Avangard and Dynamo Moscow today, on April 13, at 4 pm (Moscow time).

      According to Valery Kamensky, the chairman of the KHL's disciplinary committee, after the match the puck would be put aboard a Soyuz rocket and sent to the orbiting laboratory.

       After arriving back to the Earth, the puck will be used in the first match of next season, which traditionally takes place in September, between the previous year's finalists.

      The next match of the series will be held in two days, on April 15, in Omsk. Two following games will be held in Moscow with the same two-days interval. If necessary, the games can be held on April 21, 23 and 25.  

Sources: Lenta.ru Sportbox.ru Image: ural.ru