vorky
@vorkywh24
- Jan 23, 2010
- 11,413
- 1,273
Hi @lindelof,
I will try to reply your questions, but I can be wrong, so take it into account.
I will start with Estonia, Lithuania & Poland. No, there will not be a KHL team in near future. By near future I mean 5-7 years. All are non-hockey regions, bad hockey infrastructure (fine, Cracow has a nice arena) and bad relationship with Russia. Uzbekistan is unlikely as well, no hockey tradition.
The KHL is interesting in clubs with bigger arenas, over 10 000+. Yes, there can be an exception, like with KRS, but there needs to be another value of the club for the KHL to negate this negative aspect of arena´s capacity. With China the another value is obvious.
Since Chernyshenko´s team came to office, the KHL started to behave more predictable. There are clear rules of expansion - the new team/market needs to bring some benefits for the league. Especially the benefits of good TV market, which can bring (in future) more money than current Russian teams, especially those in Russian regions. You can look at this TV criterion in latest KHL article here (ENG). Look at TV demand parameter, Jokerit is leading, and is much better than SKA. Riga is 8th, Slovan is 11th, KRS is 13th, and all had terrible season. By using other words, all foreign teams, not counting former CCCP from Astana and Minsk, are better than league´s average in this parameter. The league is interested in such markets, especially Jokerit´s one.
Therefore the league is interested in Germany and Switzerland. Hockey countries (ok, Germany not so much), big arenas, developed TV sport market (even if football is bigger). And what is more important, both countries has positive Russian feelings. I mean people. Germany has a tradition with Soviets, even Eisbaren Berlin is former Dynamo. And of course Swiss people remember Soviet hockey players. They are not so alien to Russian hockey than other nations (Sweden or Czechs). Finally, Russian bussiness has a strong position in Germany. So finding a sponsor should not be a problem (if no sanctions). The same in Switzerland.
That are criteria which the league demands - big arenas, TV potential, fans interest, stable financing.
I do not know what city will join the KHL. And it is not even known if they will be classic clubs or brand new one. I would prefer classic teams. As said earlier, there are problems with sanctions, therefore expansion to Europe was interupted for a few years. Another obstacle is the CHL. All top teams are involved here, even some of them do not want to participate. Current CHL President is an executive of ZSC Lions.
If we look at NLA map, there are only two or three candidates for the KHL - ZSC, Bern and Geneve. All due to arenas and Geneve has a connection to Timchenko.
With DEL it is the same. Eisbären, Adler, Cologne and perhaps Munich. Arenas and Eisbären has close to Gazprom. But the problem is an ownership due to sanctions. Munich is sponsored by Red Bull, which Salzburg´s junior teams played the MHL (run by the KHL). I will add that President of German Hockey Federation has close to the KHL, DEL President was invited to the KHL event. It is not a coincidence. And of course, Fasel has never missed a single KHL event. Btw, have many CHL´s events has he visited?
Another important criterion is a location - a capital is prefered. All non-Russian teams are in capital.
Swedish project Crowns is a mystery. Local federations is stongly anti-KHL.
There are rumors that 2nd Petersburg team to join. We will see.
I do not think Belarus & Kazakhstan will have 2nd team. Lack of money, players. Arenas are there, but it is not enough. The same with Latvia, Slovakia, Finland (anti-KHL attitude). I do not think the KHL wants second CHN team in near future.
Hope I replied to some of your questions. Hoping this discussion will not come to a point of "nobody cares in Sweden" argumentation as some posters like to do.
I wil give you some tips for research. Try to find out a bio of Franz Reindl and Gernot Tripcke and which German teams are close to them (like Jokerit is close to Kurri, former Jokerit´s player). If the KHL expands to Germany, these two guys a key to it.
I will try to reply your questions, but I can be wrong, so take it into account.
I will start with Estonia, Lithuania & Poland. No, there will not be a KHL team in near future. By near future I mean 5-7 years. All are non-hockey regions, bad hockey infrastructure (fine, Cracow has a nice arena) and bad relationship with Russia. Uzbekistan is unlikely as well, no hockey tradition.
The KHL is interesting in clubs with bigger arenas, over 10 000+. Yes, there can be an exception, like with KRS, but there needs to be another value of the club for the KHL to negate this negative aspect of arena´s capacity. With China the another value is obvious.
Since Chernyshenko´s team came to office, the KHL started to behave more predictable. There are clear rules of expansion - the new team/market needs to bring some benefits for the league. Especially the benefits of good TV market, which can bring (in future) more money than current Russian teams, especially those in Russian regions. You can look at this TV criterion in latest KHL article here (ENG). Look at TV demand parameter, Jokerit is leading, and is much better than SKA. Riga is 8th, Slovan is 11th, KRS is 13th, and all had terrible season. By using other words, all foreign teams, not counting former CCCP from Astana and Minsk, are better than league´s average in this parameter. The league is interested in such markets, especially Jokerit´s one.
Therefore the league is interested in Germany and Switzerland. Hockey countries (ok, Germany not so much), big arenas, developed TV sport market (even if football is bigger). And what is more important, both countries has positive Russian feelings. I mean people. Germany has a tradition with Soviets, even Eisbaren Berlin is former Dynamo. And of course Swiss people remember Soviet hockey players. They are not so alien to Russian hockey than other nations (Sweden or Czechs). Finally, Russian bussiness has a strong position in Germany. So finding a sponsor should not be a problem (if no sanctions). The same in Switzerland.
That are criteria which the league demands - big arenas, TV potential, fans interest, stable financing.
I do not know what city will join the KHL. And it is not even known if they will be classic clubs or brand new one. I would prefer classic teams. As said earlier, there are problems with sanctions, therefore expansion to Europe was interupted for a few years. Another obstacle is the CHL. All top teams are involved here, even some of them do not want to participate. Current CHL President is an executive of ZSC Lions.
If we look at NLA map, there are only two or three candidates for the KHL - ZSC, Bern and Geneve. All due to arenas and Geneve has a connection to Timchenko.
With DEL it is the same. Eisbären, Adler, Cologne and perhaps Munich. Arenas and Eisbären has close to Gazprom. But the problem is an ownership due to sanctions. Munich is sponsored by Red Bull, which Salzburg´s junior teams played the MHL (run by the KHL). I will add that President of German Hockey Federation has close to the KHL, DEL President was invited to the KHL event. It is not a coincidence. And of course, Fasel has never missed a single KHL event. Btw, have many CHL´s events has he visited?
Another important criterion is a location - a capital is prefered. All non-Russian teams are in capital.
Swedish project Crowns is a mystery. Local federations is stongly anti-KHL.
There are rumors that 2nd Petersburg team to join. We will see.
I do not think Belarus & Kazakhstan will have 2nd team. Lack of money, players. Arenas are there, but it is not enough. The same with Latvia, Slovakia, Finland (anti-KHL attitude). I do not think the KHL wants second CHN team in near future.
Hope I replied to some of your questions. Hoping this discussion will not come to a point of "nobody cares in Sweden" argumentation as some posters like to do.
I wil give you some tips for research. Try to find out a bio of Franz Reindl and Gernot Tripcke and which German teams are close to them (like Jokerit is close to Kurri, former Jokerit´s player). If the KHL expands to Germany, these two guys a key to it.