Why is there a rivalry between the NHL & KHL?
- Thread starter steveayres35
- Start date
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
If you mean the NHL league itself, it's one way hatred. The KHL loses its best players to the NHL every year because they can make more money in a more stable environment in a much better league and the KHL teams get little to no compensation for its lost players. The NHL considers the KHL as irrelevant as most other European leagues.
If you mean the video game, the KHL doesn't have interest in selling it's licensing rights for not a lot of money to a North American video game company where the name of the game is the league that takes all of their best players. The old Russian Super League was featured in NHL '09, will likely never happen again. The NHL division of EA Sports has minimal funding when compared to FIFA and other titles, they likely are unwilling to meet the KHL's asking price for licensing.
SoundAndFury
Registered User
- May 28, 2012
- 11,331
- 5,299
I don't actually think anyone in the KHL hates the NHL either. Maybe the people who hate anything American but really not much else. All this "no compensation" stuff only comes from vorky as well because for a usual KHL fan, if you aren't losing that player to NHL you are to the SKA. And at this point, I'd say SKA is way more hated than the NHL.
I think its partly the media's fault, especially in North America, the seem to always portray the KHL as some thing that is trying to fight and compete.
I mean the league is 11 years old? and in a VERY different environment than the NHL.
Any sane fan of either league should understand there is no competition, the NHL is and for the foreseeable future, always will be the top hockey league. I prefer the KHL because I prefer the euro style of hockey and the geography is more relevant and interesting to me than US/Canada and sure it sucks if a top player in the league leaves or gets 'stolen' and sure there should probably be some better way to deal with it.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
The NHL as a league has nothing to do with the video game series, it's independent franchise run by EA has nothing to do with the NHL. It's very comparable to FIFA and the EA Sports FIFA series. It takes the name, but it's purely for marketing reasons and there's no actual connection. EA Sports owns and runs FIFA, NHL, Madden, and all of the other series well outside of the realm of those leagues/organizations.
The EA NHL series includes the leagues from Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, and Czech Republic. It's much more likely that the EA Sports is unable or unwilling to meet the licensing fee the KHL wants to use its image and likeness. The old RSL was featured in NHL 09 for a very small licensing fee, similar to the small fees that the SHL, Liiga, Allsvenskan, DEL, NLA and and EBEL receive each year for their leagues, teams, and likeness to be used in the NHL video game. NHL series is one of the smallest EA Sports departments and the money they pay for licensing is a token price as we've seen many times before. ECHL refused to give EA cheap licensing for years and it was only 1-2 years ago they broke down and agreed to do it for almost nothing. EA is still refusing to pay for IIHF licensing for many of its national teams, like Belarus and Czech Republic.
We are not losing players to SKA. We do to the NHL. Now what? I also don't want any compensation from the NHL. I want the players in my arena.
The real problem is people obsessed with the general idea of hatred. Why would I hate? A competition is a competition. All means to improve the KHL icluding those hurting the NHL are welcome. The NHL certainly isn't shy of using everything they can.
vorky
@vorkywh24
- Jan 23, 2010
- 11,413
- 1,272
You are very right about the NHL´s behaviour.We are not losing players to SKA. We do to the NHL. Now what? I also don't want any compensation from the NHL. I want the players in my arena.
The real problem is people obsessed with the general idea of hatred. Why would I hate? A competition is a competition. All means to improve the KHL icluding those hurting the NHL are welcome. The NHL certainly isn't shy of using everything they can.
A great example is Golyshev recently. The NHL club contacted him all year, or even longer, to sign with them. Even, if this behaviour is prohibited by rules. Then, when he re-signed with Avto for 4-years, he got a call from the NHL club next day, when the NHL club admonished him to terminate his just signed contract with Avto. Thank God, Golyshev honours the deals.
Another example was said by Esmatovich with Shumakov last year. He agreed on terms with CSKA, all OK. Then, his new agent came to CSKA with a threat that Shumakov will not play for CSKA! And he moved to Caps and finally finished the season in Avangard in the KHL.
And I could go on with other cases if I wish. The list is long, especially with teenagers.
TomasHertlsRooster
Don’t say eye test when you mean points
This is like asking why the Philadelphia Flyers don’t have a rivalry with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. They are literally not in the same league.
vorky
@vorkywh24
- Jan 23, 2010
- 11,413
- 1,272
The KHL Chief Referee Anisimov replied recently when asked about referring during the latest playoff campaign (no-goals in the KHL, and after unnamed NHL executive apologises to Vegas I believe). "There are so many problems even with the NHL´s referees & their job, but the NHL has never talked about it in media. They solve all problems within the corporation (NHL)"
So, the conclusion is that if the media does not speak about something, it does not mean it does not exist.
So, the conclusion is that if the media does not speak about something, it does not mean it does not exist.
Though with the FIFA franchise there has been a lot of politics like this, one rival signing with EA and another with Konami, but indeed with the KHL that's not really the case.
sdf
Registered User
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
That’s not even a comparison. Konami’s PES and EA’s FIFA actually fight. FIFA has won every battle except for the Camp Nou and Brazilian league licensing. There is no other worldwide hockey video game franchise. EA still doesn’t have IIHF licensing for teams like Belarus and Czech because they don’t feel like dropping money on teams people wouldn’t play with. It took them getting a sweet deal to even include the ECHL. KHL is a continent away, if the asking price is too high, EA has shown they won’t pay it.
For example when Borussia Dortmund left Konami they had Schalke sign a deal the very next day. Currently the Buenos Aires giants do not both fit in FIFA, Boca signing an exclusive deal with Konami. Colo Colo (vs. Universidad) is a similar case. Sometimes it's about more than money, in soccer anyway.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
But football is far and away the most popular sport internationally. The World series and Super bowl get a fraction of what the World Cup and Champions League gets. FIFA is one of the best selling video game series of all time. There's more than one competitor for the soccer video game dollars, so EA and Konami fight each other for the licensing. And since it's a lucrative business, both sides can afford to fight with each other and throw money into it. There is no competitor for EA's NHL. It's not that lucrative and they're not fighting with anyone, like they used to with 2K. There's not a lot of money in it for them, they've even said as much when explaining why the NHL games lag behind FIFA, Madden, and the other big EA brand names in every aspect of gameplay. So if EA can't afford to use their limited licensing budget on a faraway league that no one will play, they won't. They don't even want to pay for the IIHF licensing anymore.
I love the KHL for that reason as well. Travelling across the Baltics, Scandinavia or Eastern Europe to see cheer for your team. Aamzing.
Fan base is as good as the NHL.
cska78
Registered User
JayfromNB1219
Registered User
We are not losing players to SKA. We do to the NHL. Now what? I also don't want any compensation from the NHL. I want the players in my arena.
The real problem is people obsessed with the general idea of hatred. Why would I hate? A competition is a competition. All means to improve the KHL icluding those hurting the NHL are welcome. The NHL certainly isn't shy of using everything they can.
Maybe get the league on better footing...make it reliable (I have heard of multiple teams being unable to pay players) lower tier teams stop being cheap in terms of transportation etc...and market the league...there are crazy hockey fans in NA that are absolutely sick of Bettman and the NHL...want to compete (as any league should) then step up to the plate and make it a real place to play...as of right now the Swiss league is more realistic than the KHL in North American's eyes
JayfromNB1219
Registered User
Marketing is an issue with the KHL / Russian side of things. I guess it stems from the old Communist days? The only team that seems to market well is SKA and they, I believe, were asked to set the standard for the league to follow (I read this some time ago).
Sure some marketing is better, Spartak Moscow since their return seem to do well.
The response I also got when I questioned locals in Riga about why Dinamo isn't marketed properly/more was always the same - "we don't need reminding that we have a hockey team" Yet when in Canada you can't escape hockey and the local team and look who's making the most money?
I know the economies come into play but I would like to see the KHL/Teams have better marketing and EASIER ACCESS TO MERCH. How difficult is it to ship products to different countries?!
How long did it take the NHL to get the league on better footing?
Cheap in terms of tranportation what? This is your propaganda speaking.
The swiss league can't compete with the KHL on the ice, so there is that. And the more realistic aspect is more or less again your propaganda speaking. I have seen a lot of NA expats in Russia in my time. Their expectations when they came here were absurd to say the least. All courtesy of the image of Russia pushed by your media over there.
Point being the KHL does not need to be a all world league in terms of where the players come from. If NA players wat to stay away - fine. The KHL should live of and develop the russian players pool first and foremost to produce enough players to have backbone of a competitive league. The foreigner limit as it is now is perfectly fine with me.
The development of the league in general is a process. It has and will have it setbacks. And as people aren't happy with Bettman I am not happy at all with the current KHL front office. They desintegrate what was already there and can't move forward.
JayfromNB1219
Registered User
I don't follow the KHL closely but isn't it basically set up to allow CSKA Moscow (SKA Moscow) to be THE team in the league? I think I saw something a year or two ago about the league blatantly pushing them ahead in the playoffs when a minnow team was on the verge of upsetting them...I think it may have been a Dinamo team but again I am not sure...any info is appreciated!
JayfromNB1219
Registered User
If it was up to standards people would want to play there...fact...and I hear you I wish our NHL had a foreigner limit to let more AMericans and Canadians develop as opposed to finishing the development of the best players in the world (see Ovie, Malkin, Kotkaniemi, Peddersen, etc) if only there was a way to spread that talent out and have a mini series between the Euro zone winners (obviously KHL Liiga etc) and the stanley cup champs...best of 7 series...3 in the home rink of each team and the last in a neutral location similiar to the Champions League or the NFL...it would be expensive...but the eyes it would bring to hockey globally would probably be quite worth the risk
Well, CSKA has won it's first KHL championship this year, SKA has won twice. That's 3 championships in 11 years. If what you were told there was true then the league is not doing it properly
It's more like there is a rather small circle of richer teams that are always playing for the championship. 6 teams have won in 11 seasons of the KHL. There are maybe another two or three which have not won, but could have and are part of that upper tier in the league. That's the natural disparity without the strict cap hit(there is a luxury tax for exceeding the cap), not much unlike in the NHL before the cap era.
There is always talk about officating, but there is also that natural competition. When the big ones are playing each other which occurs rather regularily in that system who would the league push more? Or better to say if the league indeed would do that they'd piss off some heavyweights too. It just would not work that simple.
Ad
Latest posts
-
-
-
Pre-Game Talk: Round 1 discussion-Lightning at Panthers- Latest: ucanthanzalthetruth
Upcoming events
-
-
-
-
Series Winner Carolina Hurricanes vs NY IslandersWagers: 1Staked: $100.00Event closes - 3 days from now- Updated:
-