Why is the KHL destroying European Hockey?

[ult]

I don't hate the league itself, I have objections to certain ways they're proceeding in some matters. Are you seriously of the opinion that a lower salary cap would not benefit all teams in the league?

If someone suggests that in order to make the league equal one has to make everyone equally poor, I naturally assume that this guy doesn't have league's best interests in mind.

Dropping the cap to 20 mln is Pejorative Slured, and I guess you know that, but would very much like that to happen.

 

[Jussi]

If someone suggests that in order to make the league equal one has to make everyone equally poor, I naturally assume that this guy doesn't have league's best interests in mind.

Dropping the cap to 20 mln is Pejorative Slured, and I guess you know that, but would very much like that to happen.

Would it now allow other teams to build more competitive teams?

Would it not allow teams to make profit with lower payrolls?

Would it not help to lure new teams more if all teams were more on a level playing field?

Is the current situation where some teams spend nearly 20 million more on salaries ideal situation?

Is the healthy for the league for those rich teams to buy all the best players from the poorest teams after every season?

 

[vorky]

KHL club can operate with salary budget of 8/10 mil euro, nobody forces clubs to pay 30-35 mil euro.

KHL´s goal is to challenge NHL not euro local/domestic leagues, so KHL clubs have to spend more to attract (better) players. If KHL clubs can not afford it, they dont do it! Nobody cares if SKA loses big money. It is nothing for them.

Players are UFA in KHL at 29yrs, so poorest teams get money for releasing players (RFA), ask Severstal.

Be calm, salary cap is rising for next season. Salary floor as well.

 

[ult]

Would it now allow other teams to build more competitive teams?

Would it not allow teams to make profit with lower payrolls?

Would it noe help to lure new teams more all teams were more on a level playing field?

Is the current situation where some teams spend nearly 20 million more on salaries ideal situation?

Is the healthy for the league for those rich teams to buy all the best players from the poorest teams after every season?

No. If somehow SKA will start to spend less money, Novokuznetsk won't become any richer.

Like how? Lower budgets > lower level of play > lower interest among fans > no way you'd make any revenue at all. Guess who's making the most money number wise? (SKA)

Lure teams? Like we don't have enough already.

I don't see the problem with it. If they wanna spend 30 mln, let them.

It's okay if they buy them.

That's pretty obvious stuff. But I guess some poor souls don't realize that the real competition to KHL is a Russian Football Premier League, the league which in the span of 5 years is gonna get 16 modern football stadiums with capacities of 45000 seats minimum, and teams ready to spend 150 million euros on transfers per year.

And now you're talking about KHL willingly handicapping themselves, lowering the level of play in pursuit of some mythical equality. [MOD]

 

[BalticWarrior]

If you think about it KHL has accomplished 2 major things this summer- got an NHL star (Kovalchuk) to sign, AND got a finnish team in KHL. impressive,ive got to say.

 

[Thesensation19*]

The Nordic leagues will never be popular enough for their superstars to stay put, or to gain popularity outside of their own country.

The KHL is looking to expand beyond it borders and create a Unified European Hockey League and I believe it would be great.

The best teams around Europe will compete in division 1 of this unified league. There could be division 2 and division 3... or better yet, allow the division 1 teams to keep reserve leagues in their domestic leagues to keep that tradition and league going.

The KHL is only growing stronger. Every year there gaining new owners who are richer each day. Every day, the league is growing popularity and profitably.

Sooner or later the Nordic teams will have no choice but to join the KHLs path. And it be wise. As the KHL is already picking up steam and doing whats right. Building new arenas, stealing NHL players, building reserve teams and minor league affiliates. Soon the young stars will forget the NHL and stay in domestic. At least some of them. Enough for the KHL to become reputable as a top competitive league.

Bringing in Croatias Medvescak was smart. Medvescak joined the Austrian League to leave its limited Croatian and Slovenian leagues. It grew 10x under the new league and it will grow even further in the KHL. In the KHL, the team will have more TV rights, more sponsors, more money and thus better players.

KHL is also targeting teams like Milan. And these smaller teams will love to join the KHL. So they do as told. Rebuild the team, create a reserve squad, gain promotion to your countries top division and show your profit numbers. As it all increases, you can go into the KHL and have more opportunity.

 

[Thesensation19*]

If you think about it KHL has accomplished 2 major things this summer- got an NHL star (Kovalchuk) to sign, AND got a finnish team in KHL. impressive,ive got to say.

Oh wow. I like this. I didnt know about this expansion.

Soon, more Nordic countries will follow. There is more opportunity and less boundaries for teams to join the KHL.

The game will grow more with the KHL involvement. We have to forget that its just a Russian League. Its run by Russia, in hopes to expand throughout Europe and Asia.

 

[cska78]

Oh wow. I like this. I didnt know about this expansion.

Soon, more Nordic countries will follow. There is more opportunity and less boundaries for teams to join the KHL.

The game will grow more with the KHL involvement. We have to forget that its just a Russian League. Its run by Russia, in hopes to expand throughout Europe and Asia.

not much space for more nordic teams... is it 4 spots left till 32 teams? plus some border-line teams, that may eventually leave the KHL: Spartak, Kuznya ( I would say Yugra, Atlant, Neftekhimik, Avto, Riga in some distant future too)

 

[ult]

not much space for more nordic teams... is it 4 spots left till 32 teams? plus some border-line teams, that may eventually leave the KHL: Spartak, Kuznya ( I would say Yugra, Atlant, Neftekhimik, Avto, Riga in some distant future too)

It's 3 spots. And I have my doubts that Spartak will get kicked out, there is a low chance that they could be relocated, yes. Completely gone? No way. Same for Atlant, Riga and Avto. If anyone it's Severstal, Neftekhimik, Yugra, Novokuznetsk, in no particular order.

 

[ficohok*]

. It grew 10x under the new league and it will grow even further in the KHL. In the KHL, the team will have more TV rights, more sponsors, more money and thus better players.

Bolded part Do you realize that we (Medvescak) were pee blood in order to get enough money for one season in EBEL. Only reason why we were so successfull is that we have had better bottom lines than most of Austrian, Slovenian and Hungarian as well, teams simply because borderline AHL-ers and strong ECHL-ers are better than some Austrian/Slovenian juniors or their 3rd tier senior players.

It is true that club will financially grow compared to EBEL days, but until some rich Russian, who likes to spend summer vacation in Dubrovnik or Hvar, doesn't buy us we are going to be one of the most poor clubs in KHL when it comes to budget. Said that, making playoffs will be like winning GC for us.

 

[Pominville Knows]

not much space for more nordic teams... is it 4 spots left till 32 teams? plus some border-line teams, that may eventually leave the KHL: Spartak, Kuznya ( I would say Yugra, Atlant, Neftekhimik, Avto, Riga in some distant future too)

It's 3 spots. And I have my doubts that Spartak will get kicked out, there is a low chance that they could be relocated, yes. Completely gone? No way. Same for Atlant, Riga and Avto. If anyone it's Severstal, Neftekhimik, Yugra, Novokuznetsk, in no particular order.

I believe you're both looking at it short term here. If he hav'nt changed his mind it's Medvedevs ambition to create a KHL Conference involving the perceived maximum of 32 teams, excluding Jokerit i guess, and a European Conference. Perhaps laughable at first, but we have to remember Europe+Russia and their satellite countries have considerably higher population than USA+Canada. It could work, but i guess Medvedev and his crew will take it one step at a time and see how far it will go, beginning with Jokerit.

 

[Pominville Knows]

It is true that club will financially grow compared to EBEL days, but until some rich Russian, who likes to spend summer vacation in Dubrovnik or Hvar, doesn't buy us we are going to be one of the most poor clubs in KHL when it comes to budget. Said that, making playoffs will be like winning GC for us.

Edit: Again, he if he has not changed his mind: I believe that in the future Medvedevs model is that the playoffs will be played through the divisions first, which in your case would mean you first get to fight it out for whatever you'll call the rivalry against Bratislava and Praha, amongst a few more. Come to think of it, i would'nt be all that surprised if your future division will fall under the European Conference as well. You're on the fence so to say, especially as a rivalry group. No way they will split Bratislava and Praha up, and as far as i have read about Zagreb many fans seem to be talking about some "Triangle" involving your three citys.

 

[Yakushev72]

I can't be the only one who thinks that lowering the salary cap would help immensely in that?

In principle, I agree with you, but there is a balancing need to attract "star power," if you will, to enhance the marketability of the league. For example, there was obviously never any chance that Novokuznetsk could compete for the services of a star like Kovalchuk. Whatever SKA had to pay to sign Kovalchuk, and however that chart-busting sum unfairly affects teams in Novokuznetsk and Ekaterinburg who are incapable of bidding for a player of his stature, the primary interest for a fledgling league has to be enhancing its marketability. People will pay to see a player of Kovalchuk's caliber when he is still in his prime, and that is a huge coup for the KHL to be able to sign him. The league has to leave the door open for those kinds of acquisitions.

 

[SashaSemin28]

not much space for more nordic teams... is it 4 spots left till 32 teams? plus some border-line teams, that may eventually leave the KHL: Spartak, Kuznya ( I would say Yugra, Atlant, Neftekhimik, Avto, Riga in some distant future too)

Spartak have far too much history to leave. I can see Yugra, or Neftekhimik out of the teams you mentioned.

 

[Yakushev72]

After Slovan's departure, Slovak league is pretty much done. It looks like very soon 1 or 2 most important teams will will leave for some other league (ebel or something like that) and that's prettty much it. Will be end of hockey for the rest of the country IMO. Slovak league is the weakest league out of all relevant leagues and it has had problems before already, so that's probably reason why it goes so fast. Other countries which join KHL will probably slowly follow.

I'd be glad if it didn't happen, but from the facts I'm seeing, I think KHL won't have any positive impact on hockey in countries that join it.
I'm not going to say it will have negative impact, but it's quite possible too, just hard to predict at this point.

I understand your apprehension, but I think your pessimism is simply not borne out by the facts. Look at how many minor leagues are thriving in NA in the shadows of the NHL. The NHL doesn't work to suffocate minor league hockey, but instead takes action to resuscitate the minors now and then. The participation of Slovan in a major international hockey league will be just as likely to stimulate interest in hockey in Slovakia as it would be to dampen it. As long as interest in the sport remains high, there will both a need and a demand for more than one hockey team in the entire country.

 

[Yakushev72]

I think that the KHL would salivate at the chance of adding a team from Sweden to its ranks. It may not happen in the next year or two, but that has to be a major goal of the league.

 

[Hesher]

I understand your apprehension, but I think your pessimism is simply not borne out by the facts. Look at how many minor leagues are thriving in NA in the shadows of the NHL. The NHL doesn't work to suffocate minor league hockey, but instead takes action to resuscitate the minors now and then. The participation of Slovan in a major international hockey league will be just as likely to stimulate interest in hockey in Slovakia as it would be to dampen it. As long as interest in the sport remains high, there will both a need and a demand for more than one hockey team in the entire country.

Time will tell I guess. And just for the record I'm not against the KHL, I actually like it. I'm just not sure Slovan joining the KHL was the best move for Slovak hockey.

 

[BalticWarrior]

not much space for more nordic teams... is it 4 spots left till 32 teams? plus some border-line teams, that may eventually leave the KHL: Spartak, Kuznya ( I would say Yugra, Atlant, Neftekhimik, Avto, Riga in some distant future too)

Yeah right good one

 

[Sucro]

Spartak have far too much history to leave.

So did Krylya. There is nothing wrong to play in the VHL, Spartak joining it would make both leagues stronger.

 

[Jonimaus]

I thought Riga had good following? Why would they be moved/removed?

 

[BalticWarrior]

I thought Riga had good following? Why would they be moved/removed?

They wouldnt.

 

[Jussi]

I understand your apprehension, but I think your pessimism is simply not borne out by the facts. Look at how many minor leagues are thriving in NA in the shadows of the NHL. The NHL doesn't work to suffocate minor league hockey, but instead takes action to resuscitate the minors now and then. The participation of Slovan in a major international hockey league will be just as likely to stimulate interest in hockey in Slovakia as it would be to dampen it. As long as interest in the sport remains high, there will both a need and a demand for more than one hockey team in the entire country.

That's not a fair comparison. Those leagues operate under much smaller businesses not to mention that the North American sports system is founded upon the high school/college system, where as the European is founded on junior teams of "pro-league" teams, not based on making money and usually funded by the parents and those big teams.

 

[Yakushev72]

That's not a fair comparison. Those leagues operate under much smaller businesses not to mention that the North American sports system is founded upon the high school/college system, where as the European is founded on junior teams of "pro-league" teams, not based on making money and usually funded by the parents and those big teams.

Agreed, but it is not clear why all of the other pro teams in Slovakia would necessarily go away because Slovan left. The same could be said of Jokerit, I would guess. Would Jokerit's departure kill pro hockey in Finland? Maybe I'm not seeing it, but it seems to me that hockey will survive even these surprising changes in the status quo in Slovakia and Finland. It will also help that both teams will likely win a lot in the KHL, because they will likely be able to load up on the cream of the crop talent - at least those that are not already in the NHL - within their respective systems.

 

[cska78]

Yeah right good one

I just think with the lack of funding, being a perennial poorest team in the league (one of for sure) and pretty much non-competitive (now that west has added some serious money bags) Riga's investor may just bail.

Also I foresee some sort of Nordic League with cheaper participation fees and lower budget springing up as a response of Scandinavia to the KHL, where Riga can bolt.

 

[Yakushev72]

I just think with the lack of funding, being a perennial poorest team in the league (one of for sure) and pretty much non-competitive (now that west has added some serious money bags) Riga's investor may just bail.

Also I foresee some sort of Nordic League with cheaper participation fees and lower budget springing up as a response of Scandinavia to the KHL, where Riga can bolt.

Interesting thought. A Scandinavian League would probably have the effect of bring a lot of Scandinavian players currently in the NHL back to their home countries. That might be more likely than significant KHL expansion into Scandinavia. Time will tell!