So we wait: the KHL officially became independent of the FHR (and, as a result, of the IIHF) after the adoption of changes to the federal law “On Physical Culture and Sports”, according to which it is now possible in Russia to form sports leagues that hold competitions independently of the federations in their own way.
In the old days, this would have been big news. The independence of the KHL was especially dreamed of at those times when the vassal status vis-à-vis the FHR paralyzed and disfigured the schedule of the country’s top hockey league or put an end to the competition, creating grassroots clubs in the name of the interests of the national team. You probably haven’t forgotten that regular season, limited in the number of games, with gigantic breaks for the Eurotour, galloping through the playoffs for the sake of a big window to prepare the team before the World Cup, the voluntary-forced gathering of the best hockey players into one team, justified by the lofty goal of future international success (which, however, has not yet come to pass).
But it is obvious that in those years there was no question of such changes in legislation. Our teams competed on the international stage and no one would have thought of depriving the federation of all its power. Now the FHR and its comrades are in the weakest possible position; linking club tournaments with the performances of the national teams has become useless due to the complete absence of these performances.
And perhaps it is in hockey that the situation can be used to its full potential. In general, the KHL began to flourish as a competitive and interesting league even before the new amendments were passed. Of course, earlier decisions also contributed to this, for example, the introduction of a strict salary cap, but the ban on hockey teams played a huge role. This allowed the KHL to add matches in the regular season and make a more or less uniform schedule, and Russian hockey players stopped thinking about which club would be easier to get into the national team when choosing options for continuing their careers. So the league became more fluid and competitive. And even if you have lost your stardom, answer the question yourself: which KHL is more interesting for you to watch: the modern one or the 2014-2018 period?
Now, after the bill was passed, the KHL has become completely independent. The previous limit of five foreigners is back, it imposes its own schedule on the World Cup in May, disavowing any dependence on the FHR. And that’s great. For once, the KHL will not have to worry about the interests of the national team, but will follow its own interests in everything, without exception. It’s a pity that the league has reached this new stage of development as a result of, to put it mildly, an unpleasant chain of events that had nothing to do with hockey. But that’s how it turned out.
What does the new independence bring to the KHL? The main thing for now is that league clubs will no longer need an IIHF transfer card to request a player. The obvious beneficiary here is, of course, CSKA, which, due to sanctions from the International Hockey Federation, was not allowed to make international transfers at all.
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But other clubs will find it much easier to work without the conditions imposed by the impartial IIHF. At the same time, the KHL is committed to continuing to respect the validity of contracts from other leagues, as well as not to register new contracts for hockey players who have valid agreements. In other words, the league wants to play fair, without any intermediaries interfering. And the main thing here is that the KHL should be treated fairly.
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By the way, the withdrawal from the jurisdiction of the FHR is also an attempt to depoliticize the KHL. After all, it seems that there is no connection with a state organization now. But the league, of course, will not become a “private shop”: it is known that the clubs are sponsored by state enterprises and municipal budgets. Therefore, we should not expect a change of attitude towards the KHL from those same Europeans.
Another important point concerns refereeing. The League itself will certify and evaluate referee candidates for the KHL/MHL, and instead of the FHR video review room, a video analysis center will be created under the jurisdiction of the KHL. The league will also independently accredit hockey agents.
At the same time, it is important to understand that there is no question of breaking off relations with the FHR or of complete independence from anyone. State money will continue to circulate in the KHL, so the league will closely cooperate with the Ministry of Sport on issues of regulatory documents and the limit on foreign players. Although this will probably be a dialogue now, and not a resigned execution of orders from above.
Interaction with the FHR will also continue: the KHL will continue to provide specific funding to the federation for the development of children’s, youth and women’s hockey; ensure the staffing of the teams; there will be a break for the Channel One Cup. This seems more like proper and equal cooperation between the two organisations, while the FHR clearly indicates its main tasks and the limits of its powers.
Does the independence of the KHL have another side to it? It is too early to say for sure, but we can assume possible negative consequences. For example, the IIHF may continue and tighten its policy of sanctions against leagues that refuse to follow its rules and regulations. And deliver a harsh ultimatum to the federations of China and Kazakhstan, which remain full members of the IIHF.
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But if you are afraid of wolves, don’t go into the forest. The KHL has already embarked on this path of independence, and it is not worth abandoning it for the sake of flirting with the IIHF (which is not necessarily a fact that it will make itself worse). The International Federation will still not be loyal or at least objective in relation to our hockey, so it is better not to curry favor, but to create a strong league and look for a path to respect. Following the example of the NHL and AHL, which are governed by their own rules, but are fully recognized by the IIHF. So why are we worse?
