UPD: KHL independent from IIHF, season finish on May 31: impact on hockey

[vorky]

As I already mentioned earlier, there is Kazakhstan, also Slovaks definitely have quite some players in the KHL (no idea what's their current position on the KHL players though, as I saw some debates on twitter, but didn't fully understood those), also some from Germany, France and Slovenia. Also there are players from Czechia, Sweden and even Finland, but in those cases their position is quite clear (although they also would be among the best players outside the NA).

Slovak Ice Hockey Federation supports the KHL players to play for NT at IIHF Worlds & Olympics.

If will be Russia for some reason back, KHL season will be adjusted immediately. No doubt about that.

You are terribly wrong.

 

[Dofs]

You are terribly wrong.

Depends a lot on the state of the league and the country when/if the return of Russia into the international hockey happens.

 

[Albatros]

Meh, they can always remove 10 teams and the league is more affordable again.

 

[Garl]

Vorky, you still did not elaborate on your point, what does it all mean, and how it is big news? Are you embarassed to showcase your position?

 

[Lambo]

Yes, to be fair I shouldn't have included him, however he is still relevant to the "Russia is closed indefinitely anyway" argument.

The Sbornaja is excluded indefinitely. Tha'ts what I meant!

 

[Dofs]

Meh, they can always remove 10 teams and the league is more affordable again.

The league is not going to disappear and some funding will always remain. The question is will the league be in a position to get the top non-Russian non-NHL talent and outcompete top European leagues and hence World Championships so that the split from IIHF would have any meaningful sense?

I don't believe it will.

 

[ForumNamePending]

"I already have other much cooler plans anyway, and don't even care about your stupid party!"

I proclaim to anyone within shouting distance after finding out I wasn't invited.

 

[Zine]

"I already have other much cooler plans anyway, and don't even care about your stupid party!"

I proclaim to anyone within shouting distance after finding out I wasn't invited.

Dumb analogy.

The KHL wanted this long before any suspension. It wants to be like the NHL, free from the constraints of the IIHF.

The IIHF’s banishment of Russia just enabled it because it reduced the influence of the FHR to act as a counter-balance to the KHL.

 

[Albatros]

If our friends worry about hockey funding, I can reassure them. The KHL & their clubs having the highest revenues ever. They are more stable than ever.

Oil and gas companies made high profits in 2022 when the sanctions weren't yet in place and international customers were hoarding their products. Since then export revenues have collapsed and the Russian government has introduced high special taxes worth billions in order to finance its war effort. Additionally largest companies have to contribute directly like Gazprom through the Redut private army. Hockey sponsorship is peanuts compared to anything else, but that everything else certainly hasn't developed favorably at all.

 

[Namejs]

Oil and gas companies made high profits in 2022 when the sanctions weren't yet in place and international customers were hoarding their products. Since then export revenues have collapsed and the Russian government has introduced high special taxes worth billions in order to finance its war effort. Additionally largest companies have to contribute directly like Gazprom through the Redut private army. Hockey sponsorship is peanuts compared to anything else, but that everything else certainly hasn't developed favorably at all.

Also, 'highest revenue ever' means very little when the teams were only generating 10% of their income naturally through tickets, ad fees/tv deals a few years ago.

The whole league is a dog and pony show of an authoritarian regime that was meant to convince the global hockey world that the KHL is somehow competing with the NHL.

Apparently, as it usually happens in Russia, the Russians have managed to fool themselves by their own lies and deceit.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

As I already mentioned earlier, there is Kazakhstan, also Slovaks definitely have quite some players in the KHL (no idea what's their current position on the KHL players though, as I saw some debates on twitter, but didn't fully understood those), also some from Germany, France and Slovenia. Also there are players from Czechia, Sweden and even Finland, but in those cases their position is quite clear (although they also would be among the best players outside the NA).

None of the missing Czechs would be gamebreakers. Yeah solid players but we are absolutely fine without them.

 

[ForumNamePending]

Dumb analogy.

The KHL wanted this long before any suspension. It wants to be like the NHL, free from the constraints of the IIHF.

The IIHF’s banishment of Russia just enabled it because it reduced the influence of the FHR to act as a counter-balance to the KHL.

Yes, it was discussed for at least the past decade... It just so happens they didn't bother pulling the trigger until everyone else kicked them to the curb first and the move would have minimal impact on the IIHF's flagship event. Brilliant use of leverage, sir!

Guys, not everything the KHL does is some brilliant bit of 4-D chess. At this point, they are winging it more than anything.

"I made my much cooler plans years ago, honest!" - I continue to shout.

 

[Caser]

None of the missing Czechs would be gamebreakers. Yeah solid players but we are absolutely fine without them.

I don't doubt that Czech team has enough depth to be fine, but the idea was that if these players would play in a different league there would be a high chance that they would be on the roster for the WC - therefore among the "best Czechs outside the NA" mentioned in the conversation.

 

[Zine]

RollYes, it was discussed for at least the past decade... It just so happens they didn't bother pulling the trigger until everyone else kicked them to the curb first and the move would have minimal impact on the IIHF's flagship event. Brilliant use of leverage, sir!

Guys, not everything the KHL does is some brilliant bit of 4-D chess. At this point, they are winging it more than anything.

"I made my much cooler plans years ago, honest!" - I continue to shout.

Moving the goalposts I see.

The KHL didn't pull the trigger because they literally couldn't.
The league doesn't give two craps about the IIHF, nor is this a move to slight the IIHF because the banishment, or gain leverage over it. The league is merely freeing itself from the constraints of it.

But keep living in some fantasy land where every action by the darth vader KHL is salty and nefariously intentioned (imperial march music playing in the background).
But hey, I cant stop you.

 

[Albatros]

The KHL didn't pull the trigger because they literally couldn't.
The league doesn't give two craps about the IIHF, nor is this a move to slight the IIHF because the banishment, or gain leverage over it. The league is merely freeing itself from the constraints of it.

It's not really a mere coincidence though that Russian sports leagues are trying to close the summer gap as much as possible. Also the soccer league now starts only five days after the UEFA Euro 2024 final and has the final round coinciding with the UEFA Champions League final.

 

[ForumNamePending]

The KHL didn't pull the trigger because they literally couldn't.
The league doesn't give two craps about the IIHF, nor is this a move to slight the IIHF because the banishment, or gain leverage over it. The league is merely freeing itself from the constraints of it.

But keep living in some fantasy land where every action by the darth vader KHL is salty and nefariously intentioned (imperial march music playing in the background).
But hey, I cant stop you.

Re the 1st paragraph... Yes, the KHL finally won their internal squabble with the Russian Hockey Fed, and now both are free to not have to accommodate events and organizations they were already no longer welcomed at anyway. So I guess congrats to the KHL on their big win that changes little for anyone on a practical level.

Re the 2nd paragraph... Nah, for me to actually think that would imply that I believe, at least on some level, the KHL is a competent organization, with a coherent plan to accomplish achievable goals... I think it's pretty obvious at this point none of that applies to the KHL.

 

[Dofs]

Re the 1st paragraph... Yes, the KHL finally won their internal squabble with the Russian Hockey Fed, and now both are free to not have to accommodate events and organizations they were already no longer welcomed at anyway. So I guess congrats to the KHL on their big win that changes little for anyone on a practical level.

Re the 2nd paragraph... Nah, for me to actually think that would imply that I believe, at least on some level, the KHL is a competent organization, with a coherent plan to accomplish achievable goals... I think it's pretty obvious at this point none of that applies to the KHL.

KHL didn't win anything, KHL stopped being separate from Russian Hockey Fed years ago, it's just now that IIHF and Russian Hockey Fed hate each other, Russian Hockey Fed is happy to demonstrably ignore IIHF.

And I honestly wouldn't blame them. It would be pretty silly for them to be still bound by IIHF rules due to both ideological and practical reasons.

Now, why is Russia's rating still frozen is another question.

 

[Albatros]

KHL didn't win anything, KHL stopped being separate from Russian Hockey Fed years ago, it's just now that IIHF and Russian Hockey Fed hate each other, Russian Hockey Fed is happy to demonstrably ignore IIHF.

And I honestly wouldn't blame them. It would be pretty silly for them to be still bound by IIHF rules due to both ideological and practical reasons.

Now, why is Russia's rating still frozen is another question.

Perhaps worth noting that the FHR has neither withdrawn from nor frozen its activity within the IIHF; Bure remains an active member of the IIHF Council and also Kurbatov participated in the most recent IIHF Congress, among other assignments.

 

[Caser]

KHL didn't win anything, KHL stopped being separate from Russian Hockey Fed years ago, it's just now that IIHF and Russian Hockey Fed hate each other, Russian Hockey Fed is happy to demonstrably ignore IIHF.

And I honestly wouldn't blame them. It would be pretty silly for them to be still bound by IIHF rules due to both ideological and practical reasons.

Now, why is Russia's rating still frozen is another question.

The bolded part is just wrong though: KHL was never separate from the Russian Hockey Federation, as it replaced the RSL. However with the way things are going it sounds like it will be announced soon that indeed those will be separate (and yes, therefore officially the top Russian league will be the VHL lol).

 

[Dofs]

The bolded part is just wrong though: KHL was never separate from the Russian Hockey Federation, as it replaced the RSL. However with the way things are going it sounds like it will be announced soon that indeed those will be separate (and yes, therefore officially the top Russian league will be the VHL lol).

KHL was never officially separate as it was given the license to organize the league by FHR in the first place but it had way bigger voice initially than it has now.

Now I am not sure what's the point of it. The idea that it will become fully detached from FHR sounds silly to me.

 

[Dofs]

Perhaps worth noting that the FHR has neither withdrawn from nor frozen its activity within the IIHF; Bure remains an active member of the IIHF Council and also Kurbatov participated in the most recent IIHF Congress, among other assignments.

That's true but the recent situation with Fedotov clearly shows what's the situation between FHR and IIHF looks like anyway.

 

[These Are The Days]

I literally thought the entire point of the season's end was that the last possible day would be to match the date of Yuri Gagarin's flight.

 

[Garl]

Re the 1st paragraph... Yes, the KHL finally won their internal squabble with the Russian Hockey Fed, and now both are free to not have to accommodate events and organizations they were already no longer welcomed at anyway. So I guess congrats to the KHL on their big win that changes little for anyone on a practical level.

Re the 2nd paragraph... Nah, for me to actually think that would imply that I believe, at least on some level, the KHL is a competent organization, with a coherent plan to accomplish achievable goals... I think it's pretty obvious at this point none of that applies to the KHL.

They didn't even "win" local squabble. Aside from some random phrases there was no actual position made by KHL that they insist on skipping the IIHF WC. It is a made up fantasy of a geostrategic mastermind vorky.

Also, there are no "clubs" as a force in KHL. Clubs are worth only as much as their owners, which are mostly some state entities, value them.

 

[Edenjung]

Just leaving my opinion about this here:


They are not invited anyway so why bother with them.

 

[vorky]

UPDATE

As of mid-July the Russian parliament adopted the law (soon to be signed by president) making international professional leagues independent from russian national sports federations & international sports federations (IIHF, FIFA, UEFA, FIBA, FIVB etc). It means the KHL (as international professional league) is independent from Russian hockey federation (FHR) & IIHF. The change has two major consequences

1. KHL will finish their playoffs in May instead of April. KHL players´ contracts will finish on May 31 instead of April 30.

2. KHL clubs do not neeed the IIHF Transfer Card when signing the players from foreign leagues/ clubs. This applies to IIHF member leagues (Sweden, Finland etc) as well as NHL.