KHL rink sizes for 2019-20

[Amazing Kreiderman]

The KHL has released details on rink sizes for each team in the KHL this season.



Shrinking ice pads: how KHL teams are moving to smaller rinks

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[SoundAndFury]

Odd timing considering the games on those rinks have been going on for 2 weeks already and everyone interested got the information from any number of different sources. Also since nobody is happy about it why agitate the problem now after it's blown over.

 

[vorky]

Odd timing considering the games on those rinks have been going on for 2 weeks already and everyone interested got the information from any number of different sources. Also since nobody is happy about it why agitate the problem now after it's blown over.

The league tweeted this before the season if I know. Or the first day of the season. So, I see no problem.

The KHL has been doing a favour to the IIHF.

 

[Jussi]

It's not even sure if IIHF will go to 26 meter wide rinks yet. They're doing a research on it and the decision could change yet.

 

[vorky]

They're doing a research

What research? The KHL has been doing that research for them.

 

[Jussi]

International hockey competitions may move to NHL-sized ice: IIHF president

There are concerns on how older arenas can accommodate 26 meter wide rink without ruining the experience for rinkside seating for example. 28 meters is easier to do as there are several rinks in Europe already around that width, not just in Finland. The ones in Czech Republic are also very varied, as someone posted the sizes on this site a couple of years or so ago. Most Finnish hockey fans would seem to prefer a 28 meter wide rink and even many NA posters here feel the NHL rinks are getting too small and would like to see even a meter more width.

 

[vorky]

It is like I said.

The real experience has been doing by the KHL. The league consults their research with the IIHF. So, the IIHF should be very happy that the KHL decided to test the rink-size in real games. No other European league doing it.

Yeah, old venues should be replaced by new venues. No problem with it.

 

[Section Netherlands]

Do we have any idea what the KHL is aiming for? Finnish or NA size?

 

[Jussi]

Yeah, old venues should be replaced by new venues. No problem with it.

Well in most parts of Europe that's a problem because often the arena was built by the city/town and is possibly owned by it as well. I realize this might come as a surprise for you but outside of Russia, hockey teams in Europe are not funded by government owned oil/energy companies and thus have to worry about the bottom line. A new sports venue is usually on the city council list only if the current one is too old, they have money or private money is involved. That's the case with the new arena projects in Finland. In Jyväskylä they're updating the whole Hippos sports area because as a university city, the venues are in heavy usage. The Tampere new arena which is furthest in development has other projects attached to it that have usage by the city. There's also that nothing gets built fast in Finland for example because the process includes potential complaints from area occupants which have to be addressed and that can take years. Hartwall Arena is an aberration in Finnish major construction projects, nothing that big usually gets built that quickly.

But the big issue with the IIHF research Kummola talked about was the coach's perspective, which several European posters raised in the thread I linked to. Is it better for European hockey to go with hybrid rinks or NA rinks?

 

[vorky]

Do we have any idea what the KHL is aiming for? Finnish or NA size?

Chernyshenko recently said the KHL would like to go with "Canadian" size, so NHL size. But it depends on the analysis of the reality/test they are doing now. We will see.

 

[Name Nameless]

Yeah, it's less advertising space on the smaller surface so...