NHL and KHL teams facing each other?

[Martin Hare]

According to Washington Hockey Now, the president of the Kontinental Hockey League, Alexei Morozov, has approached the NHL with a request for KHL teams to play in exhibition games with overseas teams

Would you be interested in such a confrontation or do you see it as a mockery given the current situation in Ukraine?

https://ruiksport.com/khl-president-wants-russian-teams-to-play-in-america-we-are-very-interested-but-the-nhl-has-its-own-plans-morozov-said/

[flyercanuck]

1 hour ago, Martin Hare said:

According to Washington Hockey Now, the president of the Kontinental Hockey League, Alexei Morozov, has approached the NHL with a request for KHL teams to play in exhibition games with overseas teams

Would you be interested in such a confrontation or do you see it as a mockery given the current situation in Ukraine?

https://ruiksport.com/khl-president-wants-russian-teams-to-play-in-america-we-are-very-interested-but-the-nhl-has-its-own-plans-morozov-said/

 

Good luck....maybe after Putin takes a flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg

[Podein25]

On 9/5/2023 at 10:22 AM, flyercanuck said:

Good luck....maybe after Putin takes a flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg

I see what you did there and I salute you!

[MoleMan]

On 9/5/2023 at 10:22 AM, flyercanuck said:

 

Good luck....maybe after Putin takes a flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg

Well played.

 

My Torpedo vs. my Stars? Yes please. I have no idea how that's going to happen, Jokerit rejoining the Liiga is gonna happen sooner I think, but I love international rivalries in sports. NHL vs. KHL would be really fun to watch to me, and there are some really strong teams in the KHL of course. I want more hockey, not less.

[Icechipper]

No

[MoleMan]

9 hours ago, Icechipper said:

No

Elaborate. Even though I disagree, let's hear your position.

[Icechipper]

Nothing against international competition. Ukrainian war looms politically. Sports cannot always be separated from politics. Still own a St. Petersburg sweater from a tour of U.S. colleges in early 80s. So, to elaborate, bad timing and puts athletes in a political spotlight they didn't ask for.

[Math]

Also, Gary Bettman and the League want to remain as far as possible from any political aspects. They will probably wipe this under the rug and mention schedule and logistics reasons not to go any further with any NHL-KHL match-up (which is also true).

[notfondajane]

15 hours ago, MoleMan said:

Well played.

 

My Torpedo vs. my Stars? Yes please. I have no idea how that's going to happen, Jokerit rejoining the Liiga is gonna happen sooner I think, but I love international rivalries in sports. NHL vs. KHL would be really fun to watch to me, and there are some really strong teams in the KHL of course. I want more hockey, not less.

Unfortunately with the war in Ukraine I don't think this will happen any time soon. Maybe after Putin is relieved of his duties. 

I would not mind seeing foreign teams play N.H.L teams. Only in the preseason tho.

[notfondajane]

1 hour ago, Icechipper said:

Nothing against international competition. Ukrainian war looms politically. Sports cannot always be separated from politics. Still own a St. Petersburg sweater from a tour of U.S. colleges in early 80s. So, to elaborate, bad timing and puts athletes in a political spotlight they didn't ask for.

I agree with the timing of the idea.

[yave1964]

50 minutes ago, Math said:

Also, Gary Bettman and the League want to remain as far as possible from any political aspects. They will probably wipe this under the rug and mention schedule and logistics reasons not to go any further with any NHL-KHL match-up (which is also true).

Forgetting politics (if that is possible in this world anymore)

 

I would love to see SKA Moscow or St/ Petersburg  play against NHL teams, one issue would be rink size, the KHL plays a 197 by 92 foot rink, the NHL plays a 200 by 85, so whoever hosted would have an advantage based off what they are used to.

 

  I believe the top tier KHL teams fall somewhere between the top of the AHL and the bottom of the NHL. For instance, if you look at SKA who went 41-22-5 they have a bunch of failed NHLers from NA and Europe, guys like Grigorenko who washed out in Buffalo/Colorado, Christian Jaros, Fredrik Claesson, Darren Dietz, Vitaly Abramov, Sergei Plotnikov, Vladislav Kamenev, Maxim Mamin and Nikita Nesterov, who the most hardcore of NHL fans will remember for brief NHL careers. I believe the teams best player Konstantin Okulov could easily be an NHL regular if he had chosen to do so but instead he decided to stay home in Russia where he is a star.Their goalie is the Infamous Ivan Fedotov who the league and the Flyers are fighting over his rights. He is IMHO a capable AHL goalie or possibly an NHL backup. In the KHL with this team he will be a star.

 

St. Petersburg same kind of thing, Nikita Gusev wh bombed with the Knights is among the leagues greatest stars, Dmitri Jaskin, Mikhail Vorobyov who failed to impress the Flyers, Valentin Zykov, Alex Grant all  former NHLrole players at best playing key roles. They also have young studs who were drafted early in the NHL drafts who havent come over such as Maret Khusnutdinov (2nd round Wild) and Alex Nikishkin (3rd round Carolina) and Maxim Groshev (3rd round Tampa) all of whom will eventually play in North America and all are considered fine prospects.Their main goalie is 23 year old Dmitri Nikolayev who has no intention of coming to North America, has made it clear he is happy in Mother russia and went 30-7-3 with a 1.98 goals against last year.

 

  So I see these two teams, the best that the KHL has to offer as capable and even slightly favored if facing AHL champ Hershey in a seven game series, but on the opposite end, overwhelmingly favored to get their hat handed to them against a bottom feeder like the Sharks or Canadiens. This is team versus team.

 

  You could make an All star team of KHL stars who could give an average NHL team a run for their money on a given night, but that is an unfair comparison. Team for team the NHL is superior, even the worst we have to offer is significantly better than their best teams. Not insulting the league I would love to see it happen but it would not be close.  It would be fun to watch but wouldnt be much of a series team versus team. I could see the argument that it is the worlds second best league but it is not just a dropoff from one to two, it is a chasm.

 

  S

[notfondajane]

5 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

Forgetting politics (if that is possible in this world anymore)

 

I would love to see SKA Moscow or St/ Petersburg  play against NHL teams, one issue would be rink size, the KHL plays a 197 by 92 foot rink, the NHL plays a 200 by 85, so whoever hosted would have an advantage based off what they are used to.

 

  I believe the top tier KHL teams fall somewhere between the top of the AHL and the bottom of the NHL. For instance, if you look at SKA who went 41-22-5 they have a bunch of failed NHLers from NA and Europe, guys like Grigorenko who washed out in Buffalo/Colorado, Christian Jaros, Fredrik Claesson, Darren Dietz, Vitaly Abramov, Sergei Plotnikov, Vladislav Kamenev, Maxim Mamin and Nikita Nesterov, who the most hardcore of NHL fans will remember for brief NHL careers. I believe the teams best player Konstantin Okulov could easily be an NHL regular if he had chosen to do so but instead he decided to stay home in Russia where he is a star.Their goalie is the Infamous Ivan Fedotov who the league and the Flyers are fighting over his rights. He is IMHO a capable AHL goalie or possibly an NHL backup. In the KHL with this team he will be a star.

 

St. Petersburg same kind of thing, Nikita Gusev wh bombed with the Knights is among the leagues greatest stars, Dmitri Jaskin, Mikhail Vorobyov who failed to impress the Flyers, Valentin Zykov, Alex Grant all  former NHLrole players at best playing key roles. They also have young studs who were drafted early in the NHL drafts who havent come over such as Maret Khusnutdinov (2nd round Wild) and Alex Nikishkin (3rd round Carolina) and Maxim Groshev (3rd round Tampa) all of whom will eventually play in North America and all are considered fine prospects.Their main goalie is 23 year old Dmitri Nikolayev who has no intention of coming to North America, has made it clear he is happy in Mother russia and went 30-7-3 with a 1.98 goals against last year.

 

  So I see these two teams, the best that the KHL has to offer as capable and even slightly favored if facing AHL champ Hershey in a seven game series, but on the opposite end, overwhelmingly favored to get their hat handed to them against a bottom feeder like the Sharks or Canadiens. This is team versus team.

 

  You could make an All star team of KHL stars who could give an average NHL team a run for their money on a given night, but that is an unfair comparison. Team for team the NHL is superior, even the worst we have to offer is significantly better than their best teams. Not insulting the league I would love to see it happen but it would not be close.  It would be fun to watch but wouldnt be much of a series team versus team. I could see the argument that it is the worlds second best league but it is not just a dropoff from one to two, it is a chasm.

 

  S

Excellent post as always!