Vysshaya Liga

An Ice Hockey Wiki article.

The Vysshaya Liga (Russian: Высшая Лига, Vysshaya Liga, Supreme League) is the second highest professional ice hockey league in Eurasia. Initially the second division of the Soviet League and then of the Russian Superleague, it is now the level below the Continental Hockey League.

No promotion or relegation occurs between the KHL and the Vysshaya Liga as was the case with the RSL and the Soviet League; however, teams from the Vysshaya Liga fulfilling criteria fixed by the KHL may become full KHL member as part of league expansion. Khimik Voskresensk and Barys Astana are two such expansion teams.

[edit] History

[edit] The KHL era

The creation of the KHL brought many changes to the Vysshaya Liga's structure. Parting ways with the usual East and West divisions format, the league found itself divided in 2008 into three divisions, the Central Division joining the usual two. The league now has 24 teams split between the three conferences. These compete to qualify for the playoffs, which ultimately crown a champion, the Bratina Cup winner.

The absence of promotion and relegation with the KHL leads many to believe the Vysshaya is to become a developmental league for the KHL. Already, roster limitations such as a maximum of seven players over the age of 29 per team seem to indicate such a thing. Speculations suggest the league may, like the American Hockey League is for the NHL, become a "farm league", with all of its teams farm teams of one KHL team.

[edit] Participating teams

Division	Team	City	Arena	Founded	Joined
Western Division	Sokil Kyiv	Kyiv	Sport Palace Kyiv	1963	2007
	HC Dmitrov	Dmitrov	Dmitrov Sport Palace	2003
	MHC Krylya Sovetov	Moscow	Soviet Wings Sport Palace	2008
	HC Rist Podolsk	Podolsk		2008
	Kapitan Stupino	Stupino		1999	2006
	Kristall Elektrostal	Elektrostal	Kristall Sports Palace	1949	2000
	HC Belgorod	Belgorod		1999	2004
	HC Lipetsk	Lipetsk	Lipetsk Palace of Sport	1966	2000
	HC Ryazan	Ryazan	Ryazan Olympic Sports Palace	1955	2007
	Krylya Sovetov Moscow	Moscow		1947	2008
	HC BMF St. Petersburg	Saint Petersburg		2008
	Titan Klin	Klin	Ice Palace Valery	1991	2005
Central Division	Ariada-Akpars Volzhsk	Volzhsk	Ariada Ice Palace	2003
	Neftyanik Almetyevsk	Almetyevsk	Yubileinyi Sports Palace	1965	2001
	Kristall Saratov	Saratov	Ice Sports Palace Saratov	1948	1998
	Dizel Penza	Penza	Ice Sports Palace Penza	1955	2004
	Neftyanik Leninogorsk	Leninogorsk	Ice Sports Palace Leninogorsk	1965	2003
	Izhstal Izhevsk	Izhevsk	Sports Palace Izhstal	1949	2006
	Yuzhny Ural Orsk	Orsk	Ice Palace Rostoshi	1996	2006
	Toros Neftekamsk	Neftekamsk	Ice Palace Neftekamsk	1998	2006
	Molot-Prikamye Perm	Perm	Universal Sports Palace	1948	2006
	Gazprom-OGU Orenburg	Orenburg	Universal Sport Palace	1998	2007
	CSK VVS Samara	Samara	CSK VVS Sport Palace	1950	2000
Eastern Division	Mechel Chelyabinsk	Chelyabinsk	Mechel Sport Palace	1948	2003
	Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk	Khanty-Mansiysk		2008
	Sputnik Nizhny Tagil	Nizhny Tagil	V.K. of Sotnikova Vmest	1948	2002
	Gazovik Tyumen	Tyumen	Sports Palace Tyumen	1995	2000
	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg	Yekaterinburg	KRK Uralets	2006
	Kazzinc-Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk	Öskemen, East Kaz.	Commercial Center of Sport	1955	2001
	Ermak Angarsk	Angarsk	Ermak Stadium	1958	2007
	Metallurg Serov	Serov	Metallurg Ice Palace	2004
	Sary-Arka Karaganda	Karagandy, Karagandy		2006	2008
	Zauralie Kurgan	Kurgan	Mostovik	1994	2003