* The KHL will have 27 teams in the 2017-2018 season. Medveščak Zagreb and Metallurg Novokuznetsk were cut. The Zagreb club failed to submit the documentation required for admittance into the championship (KHL), because earlier Medveščak decided to come back to the Austrian-based EBEL.
* Metallurg Novokuznetsk was the lowest in the club rating after the season and now find themselves in the VHL.
* In 2018 three more clubs (the lowest in the attendance rating) will leave the KHL, so the league will have 24 clubs.
* Two more teams to go before the puck drops for the 2019/2020 season, but two new foreign clubs will replace them, so the league’s size remains at 24.
* The same will happen before the 2020/2021 season.
* Of course it is just a plan right now, but the league has been in contact with potential candidates.
“There are several possible candidates, but I will not name them yet. We are conducting a comprehensive analysis of all the relevant information presented to us. But I will say that there are clubs from traditional (European) hockey countries, and others from countries where the game does not have deep roots. We are attracting keen interest from Asia. The KHL is an international league and it is important for international development, but we are confident the Russian clubs will remain in the majority” Chernyshenko said to the league´s website.
All current KHL clubs are in danger of exclusion, including foreign sides, but it is generally expected that mainly the Russian teams will leave the league. They will end up in the VHL, second tier hockey in Russia.
So as that stands we are looking to lose five Russian-based KHL sides over the next three years. Let's take a calculated guess as to which of those sides they could be.
First of all let’s rule out the likes of CSKA, SKA, Ak Bars, Avangard, Metallurg and Salavat Yulaev Ufa as being safe given their success, finance and history.
Despite Dynamo’s recent troubles please see Patrick’s links here: https://conwaysrussianhockey.wordpress.com/2017/06/08/a-mess-at-dynamo-moscow/#more-25326 and here: https://conwaysrussianhockey.wordpress.com/2017/07/05/clarity-on-the-dynamo-moscow-situation/#more-26194
you would have to assume they will be safe long term given their stature within Russian hockey. Likewise for Moscow neighbours, Spartak. The Red and Whites have had financial problems before which forced them to miss the 2014-15 season but once again they have a good following and historical importance.
The next band of teams; Torpedo, Lokomotiv, Traktor and Sibir are almost certainly safe too.
However the remaining teams do have some doubt surrounding them.
Vityaz surely have to be on borrowed time, they are one of the smallest sides in the competition and have been struggling to stay afloat for years now.
Severstal are competing against some bigger teams in their division and if the league decides to ‘relegate’ sides strategically for divisional balance the side from Cherepovets could be the side to go.
Likewise Sochi, who also play in the Tarasov division. Don’t get me wrong they play in a beautiful, modern new arena, built next to the Black Sea for the 2014 Winter Olympics, but realistically Sochi doesn’t have the sort of hockey heritage the likes of Chelyabinsk or Magnitogorsk holds.
The Kharlamov division might have a number of teams ready for the cut. Neftekhimik will always live in the shadows of Tartarstan rivals, Ak Bars and will always be a small fish in what is a relatively large divisional pond with Shark like predators in the cities of Kazan, Magnitogorsk and Chelyabinsk.
Yugra could be another to suffer the cull too and must feel pretty cut off away from all the other sides.
Lada and Avtomobilst can’t be counted out either, although they do have tradition and history on their side, but Avto have had problems before and it remains to be seen how much support the Lada motor company will give to their side based in Togliatti.
The just leaves the far east pair of Amur and Admiral. The former has long been seen as a small side in a distant out post although they are relatively close to Kunlun. While Admiral were only formed in 2013, however, they do have the impressive new Fetisov Arena to call upon which the league is unlikely to want to see empty.
If I was to take a guess as to who would go I would say Vityaz, Neftekhimik, Yugra, Amur and Sochi.
As for the four new sides taking their place? It seems there will be expansion out East and possibly another side from China.
There is a booming economy there right now, as evidenced by the free spending ways of the billionaire owners of the Chinese Football (Soccer) teams. Kunlun proved to be a success with the side making the playoffs in their inaugural season and despite being based in Beijing, did play some home games in Shanghai, so maybe there will be a side to play out of the financial capital of China. It would not surprise me if we saw a second Asian side, either a third Chinese team or possibly one from South Korea.
If the KHL were to expand into Europe then the usual suspects will be favourites.
Ilves Tallinn were mentioned last summer and the prospect of having an Estonian team to compliment the other Baltic cities of Helsinki (Jokerit), St. Petersburg (SKA) and Riga (Dinamo) would fit nicely.
Given the civil unrest in Ukraine it is unlikely we will get a team back there anytime soon, but the Czech Republic always remains a popular destination with Prague being an ideal location.
Teams from Sweden, Italy and Germany have all been mooted over the past twelve months or so too, but let’s not forget that the United Kingdom keeps getting a mention.
Being a huge hockey fan from those shores, I certainly would be in favour of bringing a higher level of the good 'ol game to Britain'.
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