What,in your opinion,is the KHL main goal right now?
- Thread starter BalticWarrior
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Acallabeth
Post approved by Ovechkin
Right now? Definitely expansion.
What it should be is improving quality of broadcasting and marketing IMO.
What it should be is improving quality of broadcasting and marketing IMO.
Broadcasting and marketing are very easy to improve, the main problem is upgrading the infrastructure and moving every team to 12000+ arena.
BalticWarrior
Registered User
Peter25
Registered User
The continued expansion of the KHL means that the league will get more and more watered down. The player pool in Europe is not large enough and the restrictions in foreigner rules for Russian teams further increases this effect.
The next goals for the KHL should be to grow the game in the current KHL cities. There is a lot of room for improvement for hockey in places like St.Petersburgh and even Moscow. St.Petersburgh's junior system produces very little talent on it's own.
Building a stronger player base and better development systems for the current KHL cities should be a start. Russia needs more good players and a larger player base to sustain a further expansion of the KHL.
The next goals for the KHL should be to grow the game in the current KHL cities. There is a lot of room for improvement for hockey in places like St.Petersburgh and even Moscow. St.Petersburgh's junior system produces very little talent on it's own.
Building a stronger player base and better development systems for the current KHL cities should be a start. Russia needs more good players and a larger player base to sustain a further expansion of the KHL.
SoundAndFury
Registered User
- May 28, 2012
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Right now the main goal should be get rid of the teams with no prospects (Vityaz, Yugra(?), even maybe Novokuznetsk) and figure out the schedule and realignment plan which would really make sense because these trips to Khabarovsk can't go on, it's ridiculous.
BalticWarrior
Registered User
Well this will happen eventually whe new teams join (Medvescak,Oilers(??),Milan,German,swiss clubs (??).
vorky
@vorkywh24
- Jan 23, 2010
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I agree with guys who claim that expansion/arenas are no.1 priorities.
KHL main goal right now
1) expansion to Europe - to get 3 or 4 clubs (one from Finland) + arenas as ult wrote (I prefer arenas over 15+) + IIHF
2) make more stable all russian clubs, get rid of a few if necesarry + finished developing system, feeder leagues (MHL/VHL)
3) rest
You can not do step 2 if you dont fullfill step 1 etc.
KHL does not need 10-15 euro clubs (btw there are no money/will for so many clubs in Europe), but needs some euro clubs from "west". Would be a mistake to give up euro expansion now. At the same time KHL must solve arena´s problem and IIHF schedulling.
When this is done, KHL can go to step 2. So developed all russian clubs, not all are good. There are agree with SoundAndFury, but in my eyes it is step 2 not 1. As Peter25 wrote, KHL needs to produce more and more great players. So feeder leagues must be more stable than now (changes of MHL/VHL structure every summer, not good). I would abandon limit for foreigners as well.
Marketing etc is important, but not the most.
Would be great if steps 1/2 to be done within a two years.
KHL main goal right now
1) expansion to Europe - to get 3 or 4 clubs (one from Finland) + arenas as ult wrote (I prefer arenas over 15+) + IIHF
2) make more stable all russian clubs, get rid of a few if necesarry + finished developing system, feeder leagues (MHL/VHL)
3) rest
You can not do step 2 if you dont fullfill step 1 etc.
KHL does not need 10-15 euro clubs (btw there are no money/will for so many clubs in Europe), but needs some euro clubs from "west". Would be a mistake to give up euro expansion now. At the same time KHL must solve arena´s problem and IIHF schedulling.
When this is done, KHL can go to step 2. So developed all russian clubs, not all are good. There are agree with SoundAndFury, but in my eyes it is step 2 not 1. As Peter25 wrote, KHL needs to produce more and more great players. So feeder leagues must be more stable than now (changes of MHL/VHL structure every summer, not good). I would abandon limit for foreigners as well.
Marketing etc is important, but not the most.
Would be great if steps 1/2 to be done within a two years.
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BalticWarrior
Registered User
Yes it does,if it wants to become truly continental,which i think will happen irregardless of what you think,vorky.
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Jussi
Registered User
vorky
@vorkywh24
- Jan 23, 2010
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It is debatable if it does or not.
Look at KHL´s expansion. Consider next 2-3 yrs. No chance to get swedish club in next 2 yrs. The same Suiss (or is Helvetics still alive?). German expansion has been delaying, who knows why? Maybe because of german policy toward Russia? Dont know. KHL has clubs from Slovakia/Czech rep, no chance to get second team from Slovakia, maybe one from Czech rep (Liberec?). There are 3 official candidates for joining - Milan, Medvescak, Gdansk. KHL does not need more teams from those countries. Norway? Maybe within 2-3 yrs, who knows. Finns? The same story. All in all, 3 candidates + Finland/Norway/2nd from Czech(?)=5/6 teams Today we have 5 euro clubs if counts Minsk/Donbass/Riga/Slovan/Lev. That is maximum of 10 euro clubs, definitelly not 15.
Would be great to have more euro clubs, but I doubt it will happen in next 2-3 yrs. All signals are against it. I agree that KHL can have more euro clubs than 10, not NOW, but after step 2 (russian clubs replaced by euro, why not?). Who knows, maybe Germans will get rid of Schauble and KHL´s expansion to Germany will have "green". Or I am totally wrong
I like idea of german clubs in KHL, but for KHL is more important to have german firms in KHL - no necesarry to have german teams.
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Acallabeth
Post approved by Ovechkin
I think all guys saying that every team should have a 12-15k+ arena are lazy crazy. Let's start with fulfilling 8k arenas first, then we can build megalomaniac projects. This is exactly why I left new arenas out. When the fan service is on the top level, when all teams sell every game out, then you take the nxt step.
vorky
@vorkywh24
- Jan 23, 2010
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Sure, maybe I did not explain what I mean by arenas. I think that KHL has to solve arena´s problem in Sokolniky/Barys/Vityaz etc in next 2-3 yrs. Sure, Ufa/Kazan etc does not need new arenas NOW. Amur needs, but it is unreal to build it within 2 yrs. And I can go on... I prefer 15+ arenas because it is better from long-term poin of view. Why to do the same mistake as Amur did with 7000 arena? if club decides to build new arena, it should think about next 20-30 yrs, not next 5-10 yrs. It is not only about hockey but culture in the city. Astana, capital city with 708 000 ppl, is planning to build arena for 12000. Why? Dont they need bigger arenas, for concerts etc? Etc.
BalticWarrior
Registered User
NHL seems to steal players too from Finland and Sweden,why arent you mad about that?
Also adding one team from each league wouldnt be "Stealing" its not like KHL bosses come to Sweden and Finland one day and threaten for example HIFK leadership with Kalashnikovs to join KHL
Jussi
Registered User
NHL seems to steal players too from Finland and Sweden,why arent you mad about that?
Also adding one team from each league wouldnt be "Stealing" its not like KHL bosses come to Sweden and Finland one day and threaten for example HIFK leadership with Kalashnikovs to join KHL
Because we want our player to play in the best league in the world, not KHL? Also we're guaranteed payments for every player, unlike with KHL(clauses guaranteeing free or cheap 100K euro departure).
Dunno about Finnish, but the Swedish top teams has no interest in joining KHL.
Maybe you could try one of the lesser teams with financial problems.
Jussi
Registered User
Dunno about Finnish, but the Swedish top teams has no interest in joining KHL.
From what I've heard or read, Swedish clubs are just as reluctant as Finns to relinquish control of the club to Russians which they demand in exchange for financial backing.
Peter25
Registered User
You can't expect a club to jump from a 5k arena to a 15+ one. Half of the seats will be empty for the next 5-10 years, nobody wants that. I understand that it makes more sense in the long run, but nobody wants to see an empty stadium or shell out the extra cash for the bigger arena. Also, Astana has a 30k football stadium for big events.
1) Separate from FHR, so they have no obligations or clauses- Just a nice working parnership
2) Give up their membership with the IIHF, and set up a partnership instead
3) Make all player salaries/contracts public
4) Get rid of foreigner limits
5) Work on image. Get rid of the tacky advertisements on the uniform and keep the on ice ads to a minimum. KHL is already the best in Europe in this aspect but can easily get onto the NHL standard with some Reebok Jerseys instead of Lutch Jerseys and remove all ads. CSKA was paying for that I think
6) Give away the TV rights for free(or really low price) to North/South America, China/East, Middle East, and probably many West European countries. For 5 years, then option to renegotiate the price.
In that order of importance. Then the league will improve on their own through natural growth. The expansion will also happen on its own. Once teams/people see how good the KHL is or gets from a commercial point of view, they will be lining up to apply. Including Swedes and Finns.
2) Give up their membership with the IIHF, and set up a partnership instead
3) Make all player salaries/contracts public
4) Get rid of foreigner limits
5) Work on image. Get rid of the tacky advertisements on the uniform and keep the on ice ads to a minimum. KHL is already the best in Europe in this aspect but can easily get onto the NHL standard with some Reebok Jerseys instead of Lutch Jerseys and remove all ads. CSKA was paying for that I think
6) Give away the TV rights for free(or really low price) to North/South America, China/East, Middle East, and probably many West European countries. For 5 years, then option to renegotiate the price.
In that order of importance. Then the league will improve on their own through natural growth. The expansion will also happen on its own. Once teams/people see how good the KHL is or gets from a commercial point of view, they will be lining up to apply. Including Swedes and Finns.
Your right, makes no sense to rebuild every 2 years, these are capital intensive investments with intended life spans of at least 25 years. Makes absolutely no sense to build < 10K arenas if goal is to remain in KHL long term. Your cost will be twice as much if you do this.
BTW part of what brings fans to the games are an arena that is better than expectations. There was some marketing article on KHL and the VP referenced simple marketing strategies that were proven to increase fan adoption: Things like whiter ice, hd broadcasts, brighter lighting, modern arenas with enjoyable enviroment etc..
True, but it also doesn't make sense to jump from 5k to >15, I don't care how nice the stadium is, attendance isn't going to increase to 15, 8-10 max. Over the course of 5-10 years you may get 15k people to attend, but you'll have an empty stadium until then.
BalticWarrior
Registered User
I`ll have to disagree,if you put in a good marketing like SKA or Minsk did,who both had half empty arenas,crowds will almost always be sell outs looks at SKA`s attendence now the atendence a few years ago,quite difference if you ask me.
