KHL Expansion Part VIII

[vorky]

And even more dysfunctional divisional structure.

Of course, every system has its good/bad side, but what is wrong with that one?

European fans like @Jussi complain about travelling costs and playing against non-interesting Russian clubs. With that new model, where European clubs do not travel beyond Siberia, these two problems are solved. European clubs play within Europe + Moscow/St.Petersburg, perhaps Ufa/Kazan.

 

[Albatros]

Playoffs mostly, it's hard to find a suitable number as nothing functional can be cleanly divided by 3.

 

[vorky]

Yeah, playoff.

Still, we do not know yet. Of course, the best format is West vs East. That 3 groups (Europe/Russia/Asia) may be divided into 2 conferences (W/E). European teams are the West, plus Russian teams from its Western part. And the Eastern conference consists of the remaining Russian clubs + Asian sides.

The main aim is to save travel costs, so more games against your geographical opponent in the regular season. Yes, it may be unfair sport-wise, when some teams face stronger opposition than others. But, it is a reality even today. Not sure about the NHL, but I believe they have very similar geographical order. One conference/division is stronger than another.

 

[Toro2017]

Playoffs mostly, it's hard to find a suitable number as nothing functional can be cleanly divided by 3.

Yes, no traditional structure will work here, but they can still go with many different model. They could decide to just play playoffs inside division/conference. This way they would get three "Champion". European division/conference, russian division/conference and asian division/conference. This way the playoff stage would be shorter and all the teams could get regular season games as late as in march.

Other model could be that five team from each division/conference gets to playoffs and the best sixth team gets the last spot. Or just five from each division/conference and the best division winner gets automatically to the second round. Or some other model.

 

[Albatros]

In the CHL they play for the Memorial Cup with three league champions and one host team, but I imagine that wouldn't be an overtly popular model in the KHL.

Wildcards alone don't solve the problem that it's difficult to determine who plays whom with three divisions involved, especially as these divisions are going to be rather diverse in terms of level so that just sorting it according to points is not going to be fair.

 

[hansomreiste]

KHL will add only one or possibly two teams from Europe. Why create a whole new conference to alter the system? Just make a more division-oriented schedule to cut travel expenses and that's it. Three conferences of nine teams or so sounds quite absurd, to be honest. Flying between Paris/Berlin and Minsk/Moscow/Helsinki/Bratislava twice a year shouldn't be a big deal for any team.

 

[Exarz]

3 conferences feel a bit overkill for about 24 teams, either you just don’t play the division farthest away at all (how would that work out for the Moscow-oriented teams?), or just face the opposing conference teams once per season, no matter if it’s home or away.

I proposed a solution for the last one earlier:
24 teams (6 per division)

6 games vs own division
4 games vs the rest of the conference
1 game vs the counter conference

30+24+12 = 66 games compared to today’s 62.

Could be made 5, 3, 1 for 55 games but feels a bit too uneven

 

[Toro2017]

or just face the opposing conference teams once per season, no matter if it’s home or away.

Do I remember it wrong or did they try this already? I think it was the second season for Jokerit, when they try to go with this format, but after the season teams from eastern conference wanted to go back to "home and away games" with all the other teams, atleast once per season.

Because if it did go like that and the eastern conference teams demanded this current model, then how are they going to sell this new three division model to the teams in eastern conference? Or was the situation that Magnitka, Ak Bars, UFA and Omsk were the loudest opponent and will they be in "central" division, in the new model?

 

[Exarz]

Do I remember it wrong or did they try this already? I think it was the second season for Jokerit, when they try to go with this format, but after the season teams from eastern conference wanted to go back to "home and away games" with all the other teams, atleast once per season.

Because if it did go like that and the eastern conference teams demanded this current model, then how are they going to sell this new three division model to the teams in eastern conference? Or was the situation that Magnitka, Ak Bars, UFA and Omsk were the loudest opponent and will they be in "central" division, in the new model?

If i remember it correctly, they never did exactly that but changed it to more inner-divisional/conference games. And correct, eastern teams did not like the idea of a single counter-conference game because of the stronger teams/more attendance-boosting teams playing in the Western conference.

But I really hope they change this ASAP...

 

[vorky]

KHL will add only one or possibly two teams from Europe. Why create a whole new conference to alter the system? Just make a more division-oriented schedule to cut travel expenses and that's it. Three conferences of nine teams or so sounds quite absurd, to be honest. Flying between Paris/Berlin and Minsk/Moscow/Helsinki/Bratislava twice a year shouldn't be a big deal for any team.

You are very right with short-term expansion plans as I understand them.

The point of the change is due to long-term plans. Looks like there are more clubs wanting to join, so the league is not able to fit them into the current system. Plus, as said, the new model solves the transport costs.

If there is separated European division/group playing mostly within their group, it would be more attractive for European clubs. I mean sport-wise & of course financial-wise.

We do not have all the detailed information, so it is just my point of view.

Clubs' executives will meet after the IIHF Worlds. I believe the league will inform them about the plans. Not sure, if there is its final version at the time, so we will see.

 

[hansomreiste]

Well, I want to believe you, vorky. I really hope KHL gets more than two European teams to become a full-fledged Eurasian league spanning от тайги до британских морей. It would be really good. Let's see what happens.

 

[vorky]

Well, I want to believe you, vorky. I really hope KHL gets more than two European teams to become a full-fledged Eurasian league spanning от тайги до британских морей. It would be really good. Let's see what happens.

Of course, there is a long way ahead of us. Chernyshenko has said many times, we have so many pre-application talks with Euros. If there were just one or two clubs, the KHL would not consider that structural change.

Ans it is not a coincidence that Putin talked about the KHL´s expansion recently.

 

[Eye of Ra]

as a swede, i want a swedish team in khl. it would be nice to see. 1 team leaving shl/allvenskan is not a big deal. if it happens i want that team to only have swedish players, so it will be like almost a swedish national team.

this season 25 swedes played in khl, if they formed a team:

Lars Johansson
Magnus Hellberg
Jhonas Enroth

Philip Holm - Patrik Hersley
Viktor Lööv - David Rundblad
Viktor Svedberg - Klas Dahlbeck
Staffan Kronwall - Maxim Matuhskin/Tobias Viklund

Dennis Rasmussen - Anton Lander - John Norman
Linus Omark - Robert Rosen - Linus Videll
Andre Petersson - Patrik Zackrisson - Viktor Stålberg
Patrik Lundh - Johan Sundström - Alexander Bergström/Rickard Gynge

how would this team do in KHL? bottom team? middle team? top team?

 

[Section Netherlands]

as a swede, i want a swedish team in khl. it would be nice to see. 1 team leaving shl/allvenskan is not a big deal. if it happens i want that team to only have swedish players, so it will be like almost a swedish national team.

this season 25 swedes played in khl, if they formed a team:

Lars Johansson
Magnus Hellberg
Jhonas Enroth

Philip Holm - Patrik Hersley
Viktor Lööv - David Rundblad
Viktor Svedberg - Klas Dahlbeck
Staffan Kronwall - Maxim Matuhskin/Tobias Viklund

Dennis Rasmussen - Anton Lander - John Norman
Linus Omark - Robert Rosen - Linus Videll
Andre Petersson - Patrik Zackrisson - Viktor Stålberg
Patrik Lundh - Johan Sundström - Alexander Bergström/Rickard Gynge

how would this team do in KHL? bottom team? middle team? top team?

Thats a top-tier team. Would be very fun to see, as a fellow swede. Very unlikely, but very fun nonetheless.

 

[vorky]

So, Slovan´s VP said to media that the club has reached an agreement with new co-owner. According to reports, the co-owner is from the Czech Republic. Earlier reports were about the wealthiest Czech, Petr Kellner, but it is not confirmed. If the investor were Kellner, Slovan could be (if he wishes) on level of Jokerit/Lev Prague financially.

 

[Jussi]

Slovan could be (if he wishes) on level of Jokerit/Lev Prague financially.

Jokerit are not the same level financially as Lev Prague were. Jokerit player budget for the past season was 9 million euros which included the coaching staff and trainers, so closer to 7,5 million euros. Lev's player budget in their last season was 17 million...

 

[vorky]

Even better!

 

[hansomreiste]

Even better!

Lev Prague was one of the most wonderful teams KHL has ever seen. We all know what happened to it, though. If I was a terribly rich man, I'd finance Lev or Slovan and put aside around 20 million Euros for the team just for giggles and fun of being the owner of an ice hockey team. However, terribly rich men are generally smarter than me and have more important things to think about, hence the reluctance to waste money.

Again, I hope Slovan finds a reliable investor with a decent budget to become a relevant team but Lev Prague is not the best example in terms of giving hope for the future.

 

[vorky]

Lev Prague was one of the most wonderful teams KHL has ever seen. We all know what happened to it, though. If I was a terribly rich man, I'd finance Lev or Slovan and put aside around 20 million Euros for the team just for giggles and fun of being the owner of an ice hockey team. However, terribly rich men are generally smarter than me and have more important things to think about, hence the reluctance to waste money.

Again, I hope Slovan finds a reliable investor with a decent budget to become a relevant team but Lev Prague is not the best example in terms of giving hope for the future.

I mean financially if it is Kellner .... but yeah, his name is not known yet, just speculation in media.

I do not mean the way Lev Prague ended. It is a totally different situation.

The 1st step should be stabilisation of the team to be a middle-table team in the West.

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

If it is Kellner, he could lose what Jokerit has lost for 500 years and still not be broke.

 

[vorky]

Here I will put what Sparta Prague´s fans think. So, not my words but theirs.

As we know, Sparta Prague was owned by the same company as Lev Prague playing the KHL. There was a scenario when Sparta would replace Lev in the KHL. But, Petr Bříza, the key manager at Sparta, was against the idea. He hates Russia btw.

So, Bříza bought Sparta, but he has not been successful with the team. Now, he sold Sparta to a guy, who is close to Petr Kellner.

Sparta´s fans are scared that it is the 1st step towards the KHL. Of course, no serious rumours/indication right now.

 

[Albatros]

Can't see it happening, Lev wasn't exactly a success and Sparta is now the only Prague team in the Czech league.

 

[vorky]

Can't see it happening, Lev wasn't exactly a success and Sparta is now the only Prague team in the Czech league.

I found it funny how the KHL was the first idea coming to their mind.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I found it funny how the KHL was the first idea coming to their mind.

Because every team’s fan base fears for the well-being of their club. And joining the KHL has been kiss of death for many clubs. And we’re all familiar with how fans prefer domestic league play. They don’t care about Moscow or St. Petersburg, they want their Czech team playing Czech teams.

 

[Albatros]

They could bring back Dukla for those that care about Moscow.