KHL Is Still Standing But Continues To Face Some Challenges
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KHL President Wants To
Expand League Throughout Europe |
The KHL is "still going through its share of growing pains" in its second season, but it is "also still standing," according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com. Whether the KHL "will ever turn a dime remains to be seen," but KHL President Alexander Medvedev remains "intent on seeing his vision through." Medvedev: "We're just in the second month of our second season, but it's quite obvious that we have high-quality hockey on ice, a better picture on television, and there is higher interest from the public, in arenas, in the press, in television, in the Internet. We're really happy with this. But we're not going to stop there; we're going to develop our product further." LeBrun reported Medvedev has "visions of European expansion for the KHL and detailed his plan last month to European hockey federations" at an IIHF meeting. LeBrun noted before expanding, the KHL "may want to take care of business at home." Medvedev "admitted that the rumors of some players not getting paid on time last season were indeed true." But former NHL G Robert Esche, who now plays in the KLH, "insisted it's not as bad as people believe." Esche: "Until you go through it, you realize the negativity the KHL gets isn't what it should be getting." The KHL indicated its average attendance per game for 92 games in September was 5,570, but Medvedev said you "can't compare the North American business model with the KHL business model for very simple reasons." He said that the KHL "plans to be 'in the black' in 2012, while it may take a little longer for clubs to get there." In the meantime, he "has been in talks to bring KHL games to TV screens" in the U.S. and Canada. Medvedev: "I do hope that ESPN can become a partner in the future" (ESPN.com, 10/21).
THIS IS THE STORY OF A CHAMPION: The AP reported the IIHF has "agreed with seven European nations to relaunch the Champions Hockey League next year." The annual tournament was canceled in June because of "financial problems after main sponsor Gazprom dropped out." The IIHF Wednesday said that it has "started looking for new investors after agreeing to a relaunch with leagues in the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland" (AP, 10/21).
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