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Jokerit to join KHL


brandon

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To me this just seems like HUGE news for hockey in Europe. This could be the start of the KHL really taking it to the next level. Is this a bummer for Finnish fans or do they see this as an opportunity? Will they be able to be a middle of the pack team or will they be really bad in the K? This is all very interesting to me.

kylla? ei?

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=426513

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Wasn't the KHL having problems paying the players Salaries? Has that changed? I remember Jagr wasn't getting paid, that was why he came back to the NHL. Its no different then the UEFA Champions League, top 3 or 4 teams from all the European leagues group together and play each other. Problem is all the top players play in the NHL. If Jokerit is in the Finnish league or KHL, the team is still there, its still is the same team that any player could now play for if they wanted to. Them moving to the KHL isn't going to attract players away from the NHL. It will make the KHL a little stronger since they are a better Finnish team. But if Jokerit can't get any better players then what they have now, the KHL will never threaten the NHL. Instead of having 6 small leagues, you will have 1 big and 5 tiny that may end up folding. This could be bad news for the Finnish league or Croatia league or Slovakian league. If it ever gets to the point where 1st or 2nd round Europeans refuse to come to the NHL to stay in the KHL, then there will be problems. There will always be one home sick momma's boy that will stay in Europe, like Semin. That is why the caps got Fedorov, so Semin wouldn't go back to Russia. The European union is so screwed up financially, I don't know if the money will ever be there to compete with the NHL. Hockey is second to soccer in Europe. And its a very far second. And most European soccer clubs are having financial issues, so I can't imagine the KHL becoming a rival to the NHL. I do like the larger ice. I would love to see the NHL to increase the size of the ice. Guys are too big now compared to when Gretzky played, it would be nice to see more space for playmakers to set up plays without having less skilled players stick checking them to death.

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This has been in the works on and off since the conversion from the Super League to the KHL. Bold move by the Russians, who remain ambitious despite some glaring holes in their plan for continental hockey domination. It won't be long before they have footing in every country with a major league with the possible exception of Sweden, who seems resistant to that sort of thing. Even there, if the money is right, it will happen.

It would be cool to see one day a sort of true continental league, but I think it is a long way off. You have a lot of owners using their KHL teams as toys, they don't bring in the revenue to justify the salaries. The travel is also pretty brutal.

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