KHL Contraction Part I (Mod Warning - Post #15)

loppa*

Guest
Hello. The KHL expansion topic is indeed an incredibly popular topic. But, who is to say that the league will always keep expanding? It might not be the case.

So, I figure that it would be appropriate to have a contraction topic. As we know very well, the KHL has removed teams in the past. Perhaps the most obvious case was the exit of Lada for some years. Lokomotiv also went out of the league for one season due to their accident.

But there are other instances too. Astana if I am not mistaken, was threatened to be kicked out if they did not build a new arena. And voila they are building one. But, there are other not as fortunate stories out there. So, I think that this topic could be useful for that.

So here's my list to start off with, and then to leave it to you guys...



1) Spartak. People say they might leave. This is due to the lack of funding. Personally I'd rather see Atlant leave. Personally I have not seen sources on this, but people on here seem to be of the opinion that they will leave.

2) Donbas. Certainly a popular team, but due to political instability of the area, the future is not certain. KHL games have had to be relocated due to the situation there.

3) Dinamo (Riga). I ran into this article today, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...sian-influence-as-ukraine-sanctions-bite.html which has
The league isn’t immune to the crisis in Ukraine. Dinamo Riga may leave the KHL due to the conflict, former Latvian President and Dinamo Riga board member Guntis Ulmanis said on March 19.

4) Yurga. A simply small town of only about 100,000 people... it does not seem like a place that has lots of capital to have a team for a long time. Now, sure, this is just my speculation, and there are examples of small places having professional sport teams. A similar case could be made for Neftahimik.

5) Medvescak. A fine addition at the moment to the league, but they lack an adequate arena. It's just my speculation that they are there for only a limited time, as their initial contract to be in the league is only three years.
 

tohaa

Registered User
Apr 23, 2012
547
0
Hello. The KHL expansion topic is indeed an incredibly popular topic. But, who is to say that the league will always keep expanding? It might not be the case.

So, I figure that it would be appropriate to have a contraction topic. As we know very well, the KHL has removed teams in the past. Perhaps the most obvious case was the exit of Lada for some years. Lokomotiv also went out of the league for one season due to their accident.

But there are other instances too. Astana if I am not mistaken, was threatened to be kicked out if they did not build a new arena. And voila they are building one. But, there are other not as fortunate stories out there. So, I think that this topic could be useful for that.

So here's my list to start off with, and then to leave it to you guys...



1) Spartak. People say they might leave. This is due to the lack of funding. Personally I'd rather see Atlant leave. Personally I have not seen sources on this, but people on here seem to be of the opinion that they will leave.

2) Donbas. Certainly a popular team, but due to political instability of the area, the future is not certain. KHL games have had to be relocated due to the situation there.

3) Dinamo (Riga). I ran into this article today, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...sian-influence-as-ukraine-sanctions-bite.html which has

4) Yurga. A simply small town of only about 100,000 people... it does not seem like a place that has lots of capital to have a team for a long time. Now, sure, this is just my speculation, and there are examples of small places having professional sport teams. A similar case could be made for Neftahimik.

5) Medvescak. A fine addition at the moment to the league, but they lack an adequate arena. It's just my speculation that they are there for only a limited time, as their initial contract to be in the league is only three years.
Donbass, Dinamo, and Medvescak are great teams and hopefully nothing happens to them. Spartak can lend its place to another western team, as will hopefully happen with Atlant and Vityaz (or a merger like MVD and Dynamo Msk a couple years back). Yugra to Tyumen, a bigger city with money in it, and something needs to happen with Nizhnekamsk and Novokuznetsk. Those places are far worse than Winnipeg or Edmonton, and they don't even have adequate amenities/infrastructures/fanbases to support a KHL team. They make the league look bad. At least Magnitogorsk has fans show up to their little arena.

The KHL seems set to become a league where the western conference has great arenas with enthusiastic fans and ticket sales, while the eastern conference is mostly 60 year old rinks that are half-empty, with poor lighting and horrible video. It needs to be evened out in the right direction (Sochi is likely a disaster in terms of attendance unless they get some great marketing going, Lada's brand new arena only fits 6000 people, Admiral's is even smaller).

I think a team from Germany would benefit the league, and I'm sure that bringing Kosice and Trencin instead of Vityaz and Spartak would do wonders for attendance, rivalries, etc. The Slovak league could really just send its top (at least in terms of alumni) teams to KHL and the other to Czech league or EBEL or whatever. The KHL should probably abandon the ideas about Valeranga or Gdansk or Milan - Medvescak and Sochi can be the KHL's hard-to-manage, out-of-market teams.
 

mitch mdv zg

Registered User
Sep 6, 2013
112
0
5) Medvescak. A fine addition at the moment to the league, but they lack an adequate arena. It's just my speculation that they are there for only a limited time, as their initial contract to be in the league is only three years.

Thing that should be MedveÅ¡čak's only worry is current financial situation in Croatia. Arena is not an issue.
 

loppa*

Guest
Donbass, Dinamo, and Medvescak are great teams and hopefully nothing happens to them. Spartak can lend its place to another western team, as will hopefully happen with Atlant and Vityaz (or a merger like MVD and Dynamo Msk a couple years back). Yugra to Tyumen, a bigger city with money in it, and something needs to happen with Nizhnekamsk and Novokuznetsk. Those places are far worse than Winnipeg or Edmonton, and they don't even have adequate amenities/infrastructures/fanbases to support a KHL team. They make the league look bad. At least Magnitogorsk has fans show up to their little arena.

The KHL seems set to become a league where the western conference has great arenas with enthusiastic fans and ticket sales, while the eastern conference is mostly 60 year old rinks that are half-empty, with poor lighting and horrible video. It needs to be evened out in the right direction (Sochi is likely a disaster in terms of attendance unless they get some great marketing going, Lada's brand new arena only fits 6000 people, Admiral's is even smaller).

I think a team from Germany would benefit the league, and I'm sure that bringing Kosice and Trencin instead of Vityaz and Spartak would do wonders for attendance, rivalries, etc. The Slovak league could really just send its top (at least in terms of alumni) teams to KHL and the other to Czech league or EBEL or whatever. The KHL should probably abandon the ideas about Valeranga or Gdansk or Milan - Medvescak and Sochi can be the KHL's hard-to-manage, out-of-market teams.

The arena in Vladivostok has about 5,500 seats, but isn't that because the seating is not yet complete? I thought that they have like 1/3 of the seats not installed or something? So that capacity will go up a bit at least.

For others... well, the Astana arena is low yes, only about 5,500, but they are making that new arena. I think that Nizni novgorod is in a similar situation, and that they are building a really big arena? So they're safe. Yekaterinburg is an interesting one, I mean, it's a big city and as such it ought to be in the KHL... but bad arena. :/

For Lada - I heard people express dismay at the new arena. But, I have also heard that hockey is really popular over there. So, perhaps it would be at least a good step if they sell out that arena every game. And, if they do that they might be able to make an even bigger arena in the future? At least, in the immediate short term future, I wouldn't put Lada on the slicing block.


---

I just looked into your claim of 60 year old arenas. That simply is not true. Almost all the arenas were built in the 2000s, one was built in the 1970s and one in the 1980s. Even the inadequate arena in Astana was built in 2001 for example...


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Thing that should be Medveščak's only worry is current financial situation in Croatia. Arena is not an issue.

Dom Sportova is inadequate? So what will happen after their three year contract is over? Will someone replace them or will they be able to go full time into Arena Zagreb? Or will they be granted an extension on their sub-minimum conditions?
 

loppa*

Guest
You included Medvescak and Riga but no Novokuznetsk on your list?

My list is not exhaustive. People should feel free to add or take away names there. My list was compiled in only a few minutes and just meant to get the discussion going ya know.
Also, I would not call it "my list". I ran into an article that mentioned that Riga might leave and decided to say heck why not make such a topic, as there is much potential discussion there.


The thing about Novokuznetsk which works to its favor is that they have a pretty large arena.
 

BalticWarrior

Registered User
Apr 28, 2012
6,477
320
Riga
I already made a post about Rīgas possible departure from KHL,but a few days later the actual owner of Dinamo Rīga, Juris Savickis, said that no such thing will happen and Dinamo will stay in KHL.
 

Medo

Registered User
Oct 26, 2011
354
0
Yeah what is his deal with MedveÅ¡čak? You guys have one of the best marketing departments in the league(along with SKA) very strong fanbase and team good enough to make the playoffs,i dont see why KHL would even cosider throwing MedveÅ¡čak out. I`m guessing sooner or later youll move to Arena Zagreb so you guys can really start to profit.

I don't see us moving there full time but the percentage of the games played there will surely increase. Together with the revamped Dom Sportova that will be pretty much it.
 

BalticWarrior

Registered User
Apr 28, 2012
6,477
320
Riga
I don't see us moving there full time but the percentage of the games played there will surely increase. Together with the revamped Dom Sportova that will be pretty much it.

So you are saying moving fulltime to Arena Zagreb is not possbile at all or jus not possible in the near future?
 

Medo

Registered User
Oct 26, 2011
354
0
So you are saying moving fulltime to Arena Zagreb is not possbile at all or jus not possible in the near future?

Everything is possible but i don't think that its probable. There's no point playing some smaller games in 15 000 venue.
 

BalticWarrior

Registered User
Apr 28, 2012
6,477
320
Riga
Everything is possible but i don't think that its probable. There's no point playing some smaller games in 15 000 venue.

Well KHL might buy the arena at some pioint,seeing as they have enough billionaires for that kind of thing.
 

Exarz

Registered User
Jan 1, 2014
2,415
339
Helsinki
As I've said before, Spartak, Yugra, Neftekhimik, Novokuznetsk, Yugra, Atlant and Severstal out. Replace them with more attractive clubs!

I'd like to see Spartak be moved to Sochi. Spartak Sochi, cool name? :D
 

loppa*

Guest
@Medo. As for the Arena, some minor renovations that are planned are not enough to bring Dom Sportova up to par with KHL standards.

@Urbanskog. Perhaps the solution then is to just change the logo? I personally don't like many of the Logo's. :/
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Killion

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
36,763
3,211
Please be....

mindful & respectful of one another & think twice before posting once & hitting Send. This topic, of Contraction, Insolvency, possible Relocations etc is always "touchy" regardless of what league or sport. All we ask is that you show some empathy in understanding that there are people reading your posts who are fans of some of these Clubs so important to not be overly critical but more practical & objective in forming your opinions & posting them herein. Any deliberate or even subtle Flaming will not be tolerated.
 

tohaa

Registered User
Apr 23, 2012
547
0
As I've said before, Spartak, Yugra, Neftekhimik, Novokuznetsk, Yugra, Atlant and Severstal out. Replace them with more attractive clubs!

I'd like to see Spartak be moved to Sochi. Spartak Sochi, cool name? :D

much better name than 'Leopards'. Besides, it would be great to preserve the name, it's one of the most important clubs historically.
 

Exarz

Registered User
Jan 1, 2014
2,415
339
Helsinki
much better name than 'Leopards'. Besides, it would be great to preserve the name, it's one of the most important clubs historically.

I agree. Based on "Spartak" you could get some fans still following the team (even though there will be a few), and it feels like a better name out of a marketing perspective.

"Leopards" feels like a bad name from the marketing perspective, while I see "Dolphins" as a much better name for this!

Added: Spartak would be perfect for the colors as well, since the seats are in Bolshoy Ice Dome are in red and white!
 

bobbeaver

Registered User
Oct 7, 2013
879
0
Well the changes to Dom Sportova will not be minor in any sense. They will be major on all levels from the visuals and its surrounding and additions to the wiring and electronics. Only thing that wount be touched is the number of seats (or very doubtfully) which is still on par with most KHL clubs. As Mitch said it is possible that Arena Zagreb will be used more often for bigger games, but for smaller games DS is more than good enough. The biggest problem with Arena Zagreb is the lack of permanent ice for which there would be needed a reconstruction.

P.S. Owner of Donbass has already stated the Donbass arena will be repaired till the new KHL season.


@Baltic Warrior well in that case they would sell the club to that unnamed money guy first and besides the buying and reconstructing of the Arena to have permanent ice he would have to probably build another Ice rink for training and for the Medvescak hockey school, and invest in the reforming of the hockey school and a farm team aswell so the club would work properly on all lvls lol. That would have to be one big deep pocketed money guy lol.
 
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loppa*

Guest
It's quite repairable.

They need to resolve other things...

You think they will be able to in such a short time? To me it seems that the conflict will take much more time to be resolved...
 

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