KHL Expansion Part VII

[Kshahdoo]

What city is closer to Paris, Vladivostok or Los Angeles (or Vancouver)? Ah, Google knows it - Vancouver is closer for almost 1000 km.

 

[Jussi]

What city is closer to Paris, Vladivostok or Los Angeles (or Vancouver)? Ah, Google knows it - Vancouver is closer for almost 1000 km.

Paris would definitely increase travel costs for all teams. Even a German or Austrian team would.

 

[vorky]

Who said that a Paris or a German team needs to travel to Vladivostok?

 

[Jussi]

Who said that a Paris or a German team needs to travel to Vladivostok?

Even if the western and eastern conference teams don't meet during the regular season, it's still a lot of travel. E.g. in Jokerit case, they would more or less just switch some far eastern city for Paris. And because hotel and other accommodations are far more expensive in Paris than Vladivostok, not sure they'd win anything in travel costs.

 

[vorky]

Even if the western and eastern conference teams don't meet during the regular season, it's still a lot of travel. E.g. in Jokerit case, they would more or less just switch some far eastern city for Paris. And because hotel and other accommodations are far more expensive in Paris than Vladivostok, not sure they'd win anything in travel costs.

The league plans to decrease the travel costs.

 

[Jussi]

The league plans to decrease the travel costs.

I don't see how that's relevant. There's much fewer games in UCL and above all, infinitely more money involved. Yes, we know they plan to reduce costs by reducing games against "distant opponents"/teams from other conference. Jokerit travel expenses are still high because they have to insure everyone in Finland and those costs and security drive up the costs.

 

[vorky]

I don't see how that's relevant. There's much fewer games in UCL and above all, infinitely more money involved. Yes, we know they plan to reduce costs by reducing games against "distant opponents"/teams from other conference. Jokerit travel expenses are still high because they have to insure everyone in Finland and those costs and security drive up the costs.

I just say that the professional league´s clubs travel accross Europe, look at the map where Porto and Moscow are located.

 

[Jussi]

I just say that the professional league´s clubs travel accross Europe, look at the map where Porto and Moscow are located.

Yes but you are aware of the fact those travel costs are more than covered by the prize money the clubs get from the league, unlike in the KHL?

 

[powerplaymaker]

I think too, that there would be a lot less opposition from French hockey authorities to one of their teams making the jump to the K, simply because they would probably see it as a good way to grow the game in France, where hockey is much more of a niche sport than in say Germany or Switzerland. But again, what I know about this stuff wouldn't fill a thimble.

I think that KHL should not be a league where you grow awareness of the sport in your own market. It should be a league where you contribute to the league and bring something to the table (hockey-vice, but also the market area).

I wouldn't mind if there is to be a KHL team in Paris, but I would highly prefer Germany (Hamburg!) or Switzerland over France.

Hamburg-Vienna-Paris-London-Zurich would be quite a quintet and a very much preferable addition to KHL. More "european" teams the better.

Potential Hamburg team should have the best German player (not in NHL) and Paris team should have the best French and so on. That would make sense to the national teams also.

 

[Jussi]

I think that KHL should not be a league where you grow awareness of the sport in your own market. It should be a league where you contribute to the league and bring something to the table (hockey-vice, but also the market area).

I wouldn't mind if there is to be a KHL team in Paris, but I would highly prefer Germany (Hamburg!) or Switzerland over France.

Hamburg-Vienna-Paris-London-Zurich would be quite a quintet and a very much preferable addition to KHL. More "european" teams the better.

Potential Hamburg team should have the best German player (not in NHL) and Paris team should have the best French and so on. That would make sense to the national teams also.

Jääkiekkolehti did a series of articles a year or two ago about central European clubs and IIRC, they did Hamburg as well (Berlin for sure). I think there was a comment that ultimately HSV are too big in Hamburg for hockey to have a real chance. Sponsors and media only care about them.

 

[Whiskey In the Jar]

France is not a hockey country and Paris is a terrible choise for khl team. Bad for logistics and and nobody wants to even visit paris anymore due to high crime rates.

 

[Ducks76]

I prefer Istanbul! Why not? Beijing was possible! Istanbul could be too! !

 

[Albatros]

Turkey has as many registered players as Taiwan, it will never be a hockey country. Their domestic league is dominated by Russians that never made it past the MHL back home, the best of them average over seven points per game.

 

[vorky]

Guys, it has been confirmed by the league´s officials again and again. They are interested in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, Sweden, the UK.

I would not talk about other countries, even for a second.

And yes, Finland & Czech rep are not among possible destinations.

 

[hansomreiste]

Turkey has as many registered players as Taiwan, it will never be a hockey country. Their domestic league is dominated by Russians that never made it past the MHL back home, the best of them average over seven points per game.

Well if China can be a hockey country, Turkey could be one as well. In fact, at some point, representatives of a Turkish club even met KHL officials. I can't find it now but they announced it on Twitter with photos. However, another representative of the club whom I know told me that the new arena that is being built has a capacity of 5K and then never replied to my e-mails. I'm not sure if he mocked me or they actually planned to have a KHL team with a 5k-capacity arena.

I really wish we could be a part of KHL. With a decent investor, it would be possible. We don't have any that would be willing to invest in hockey, especially considering the fact that we are in a deep financial crisis, seemingly getting worse and worse over time.

 

[Go Donbass]

This is my dream: A team in Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Armenia, Turkmenistan and India. We create a new division called the Swarthy Six Division. There's all kinds of regional and cultural rivalries that make this a compelling idea, but the best part would be the possibility of seeing Hansomreiste and 7 of his buddies standing in a row with "Istanbul" shaved into their ample chest hair in Cyrillic letters. I'm willing to kick in a few hundred Canadian Pesos to make this a reality. Who's with me?

 

[alko]

This is my dream: A team in Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Armenia, Turkmenistan and India. We create a new division called the Swarthy Six Division. There's all kinds of regional and cultural rivalries that make this a compelling idea, but the best part would be the possibility of seeing Hansomreiste and 7 of his buddies standing in a row with "Istanbul" shaved into their ample chest hair in Cyrillic letters. I'm willing to kick in a few hundred Canadian Pesos to make this a reality. Who's with me?

Maybe if KHL changes to multilevel multi-country league with promotion and relegation.

 

[SoundAndFury]

For lack of a better thread, I will just post it here, sort of Baltic Superleague was announced today. In addition to national championships (that are very small) 2 best Lithuanian teams, 2 best Estonian teams and 4 Latvian ones will also play in this tournament beginning next season. Latvians are undoubtedly going to dominate this but I guess that's a stepping stone for local hockey in Lithuania and Estonia to grow.

 

[filip85]

I guess that's a stepping stone for local hockey in Lithuania and Estonia to grow.

Why ?

 

[SoundAndFury]

Why ?

It gives lower level NT teams of those countries exposure to somewhat professional Latvian clubs, a chance to play against better competition than local borderline beer leagues, more games per season and international games naturally attract way more viewer interest than local matches which helps to attract sponsors, sell tickets etc. It was obvious that if the hockey is to grow in those countries we need to improve domestically by creating a stop gap, at least semi-professional league where players could spend a season or so between going from junior to legitimate hockey leagues.

 

[kaiser matias]

I realise its not exactly about KHL expansion, but does mention the league, and good to see some discussion on post-Soviet hockey in non-traditional countries. Plus if the article is accurate in saying the president is supporting it, then that's good for hockey (much like neighbouring Turkmenistan, which has a supportive president and is also authoritarian). Just a shame there is no author listed, would be nice to know if its someone who actually knows about the sport:

What the puck? Uzbekistan dreams of ice hockey

Fans hope that team Binokor will revive the winter sport’s fortunes in a nation not often associated with cold weather.

 

[cska78]

For lack of a better thread, I will just post it here, sort of Baltic Superleague was announced today. In addition to national championships (that are very small) 2 best Lithuanian teams, 2 best Estonian teams and 4 Latvian ones will also play in this tournament beginning next season. Latvians are undoubtedly going to dominate this but I guess that's a stepping stone for local hockey in Lithuania and Estonia to grow.

I believe there was such a league before. I think it would be good to join lower belorussian league for all the baltic pro/semi-pro teams. It pains me, that good soviet-times schools in Electronai, Kharkov, Ust'-Kamenogorsk are not producing much anymore. Even Latvia is not producing much.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I believe there was such a league before.

There was EEHL way way back with Ukrainian, Belorussian, Latvian and 1 Lithuanian team but hockey changed a lot since. Estonia wasn't on the radar back then at all, Lithuania managed to upkeep a semi-professional team because players just had nowhere else to play and Ukrainian hockey was alive and kicking (somewhat). It's really quite remarkable how much East European hockey landscape has changed, clubs that carried the flag 20 years ago like Sokol and Berkut are dead, Energija continues its existence strictly on amateur/youth hockey level, Liepajas Metallurgs is finished as well. Ukraine overall went from having numerous players in the NHL to being 1 point away from relegation to D2A.

 

[cska78]

There was EEHL way way back with Ukrainian, Belorussian, Latvian and 1 Lithuanian team but hockey changed a lot since. Estonia wasn't on the radar back then at all, Lithuania managed to upkeep a semi-professional team because players just had nowhere else to play and Ukrainian hockey was alive and kicking (somewhat). It's really quite remarkable how much East European hockey landscape has changed, clubs that carried the flag 20 years ago like Sokol and Berkut are dead, Energija continues its existence strictly on amateur/youth hockey level, Liepajas Metallurgs is finished as well. Ukraine overall went from having numerous players in the NHL to being 1 point away from relegation to D2A.

Yes it did (change). Well good luck to the new league, I hope you have a team to cheer for. I personally try to watch HC Rostov games in Russia's 3rd division when I can and do NOT think there is anything wrong with that.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Yes it did (change). Well good luck to the new league, I hope you have a team to cheer for. I personally try to watch HC Rostov games in Russia's 3rd division when I can and do NOT think there is anything wrong with that.

My hometown team will most likely participate as they will most likely finish 2nd in the league. So yes I will