With probability 99% Khimik Voskresensk will replace Avtomobilist, not foreign club.
only fair, very storied franchise. But the league is starting on a wrong foot, loosing a team before the things even got going...I expect Riga and Minsk eventually to drop out as well. Kazahstan has money so the amount of teams from there will increase...IMHO
only fair, very storied franchise. But the league is starting on a wrong foot, loosing a team before the things even got going...I expect Riga and Minsk eventually to drop out as well. Kazahstan has money so the amount of teams from there will increase...IMHO
I'm sure many more will join that team before too long
Oh hell, this is bound to happen. I can't imagine the degree of difficulty involved in forming a new sports league. EVERY league has franchise shifts and lots of leagues have had teams shut down. Oakland Seals, Montreal Expos, Seattle Sonics, St. Louis Cardinals.
The positive from this is it happened during the offseason so balanced schedules, etc are maintained.
out with the excess russian teams, in with some swedish, finnish, and german teams
The Eisbaeren Berlin would be the natural candidate for expansion to Germany, but as they are owned by Anschutz, I deem it to be highly unlikely, that they (and thus any German team) will take part in the KHL anytime (soon).
As Anschutz has to sell out a new venue, I cannot see him leaving the DEL and joining the KHL. Although there aren't any local rivals left, I suppose, that the fanbase in Berlin would not support a move to the KHL.
Moreover, Anschutz was awarded two NHL-games in his new venue in London last year and the NHL will send the Tampa Bay Lightnings to Berlin for a delayed opening game of the O2-world arena in September, so I reckon, that Anschutz rather puts all his eggs in the North-American basket than displease the league's headquarter with a KHL-membership.
That's why it's called the Continental Hockey League instead of the Super-Duper Soviet League or something like that.
