The Higher Hockey League (VHL) is the second strongest division of the professional Russian hockey with the puck after the Continental League. Since the 2015/2016 tournaments, VHL competitions have been held under the auspices of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation.

Details about the championship of the VHL season 2017/2018

1. The eighth championship of the Major Hockey League will begin in early September 2017;
2. The sports ice hockey spectacle will end at the end of April 2018;
3. Meetings of VHL teams will be held in two stages: regular championship and playoff tournament;
4. This season, two new participants are expected to appear on the ice: the Chinese Kun Lun Red Star, the Yekaterinburg Avtomobilist;
5. The Bratin Cup will be renamed the Vladimir Petrov Cup;
6. Games for the "Vladimir Petrov Cup" are dedicated to the legendary striker of the USSR national hockey team, two-time Olympic champion Vladimir Vladimirovich Petrov, who died in February 2017;
7. Twenty-five teams will take part in the VHL season 2017/2018.

Why were VHL tournaments created?

During the championships of the Major Hockey League:

• Firstly, the following winners are determined purely on a sporting basis:

A) VHL Tournament;
B) All-Russian competitions in hockey;
B) Regular Championship.

• Secondly, in the course of such competitions, the level of skill of individual players increases, teams are united, and the rating of hockey clubs is also growing.
• Thirdly, the level of professional training of both the coaching staff and referees is increasing.
• Fourthly, such ice spectacles allow the population of the Russian Federation and abroad to spend their leisure time, and at the same time attract more fans for HC.

See also:

Dynamo Stadium in 2018: latest news, commissioning date

Date of the VIII VHL championship in 2018

The games of the eighth VHL championship will begin at the beginning of September 2017, finishing closer to the end of April 2018. The exact closing date of the games has not yet been announced, it will become known before the opening.

Scheme of the tournament of the 8th season of the VHL 2017-2018

Similar to KHL games, VHL matches will contain two parts:

1. Regular Championship.
2. Playoff Tournament.

Team meetings are circular.

After all the games, the sixteen winning teams in standings The VHL will take the top places and will play each other in the second round of the competition.

The second round of hockey competitions will be held according to the Olympic playoff system, that is, the club is eliminated on the first defeat. So there is a great incentive to get into the 1/8 and 1/4 finals.

In turn, this will provide an opportunity to determine the undisputed winner, as well as watch an interesting intense struggle for leadership.

Emergence of new VHL teams in 2018

In the 2017/2018 season, fans will see new additions to the league:

• HC "Kun Lun Red Star", China;
• HC Avtomobilist, Yekaterinburg.

See also:

KHL season 2017/18: news, schedule, standings of the Kontinental Hockey League

In fact, there are two Chinese teams. Kun Lun Red Star Capital will take part in the VHL matches, and the youth team Kun Lun Star Junior in the MHL. There are rumors that Aleksey Tertyshny will be the coach of the first team.

Video news VHL 2017-2018

There is another interesting hockey team "Gornyak" from the city of Uchaly, Bashkiria, which has already shown a good game in the youth league of the MHL. Thanks to this, the leadership of the Bashkir Avtomobilist is ready to spend more than a billion rubles to create a strong reserve team.

Vladimir Petrov Cup

A pleasant surprise awaits the fans at these matches: the challenge Bratin Cup will change its name to the Vladimir Petrov Cup.

This legendary striker of the USSR national hockey team, two-time Olympic champion, played in the same formation with V. Kharlamov, B. Mikhailov. He died in February 2017. The Cup will be named in his memory.

VHL championship teams in the 2017-2018 season

Twenty-five participating teams will compete on the rinks in the Major League of the 2017/2018 season. These are mostly Russian squads, but there are two from Kazakhstan. List of participants in the upcoming VHL championship:

1. "Ariada", Volzhsk, Mari El.
2. "Buran", Voronezh.
3. "Bars", Kazan.
4. "Dynamo", St. Petersburg.
5. "Dynamo", Balashikha.
6. "Diesel", Penza.
7. "Ermak", Angarsk, Irkutsk region.
8. "Trans-Urals", Kurgan.
9. Zvezda, Moscow.
10. "Izhstal", Izhevsk.
11. Molot-Prikamye, Perm.
12. Oilman, Almetyevsk.
13. Rubin, Tyumen.
14. "Ryazan", Ryazan.
15. "Sarov", Sarov, Nizhny Novgorod region.
16. "Saryarka", Kazakhstan.
17. Sputnik, Nizhny Tagil.
18. Sokol, Krasnoyarsk.
19. "SKA-Neva", St. Petersburg.
20. THC, Tver.
21. "Torpedo", Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan.
22. "Toros", Neftekamsk.
23. "Chemist", Voskresensk.
24. "Chelmet", Chelyabinsk.
25. "Southern Ural", Orsk.

The Major Hockey League is becoming more and more international. Only it grows not with Russian clubs, not with Sibir, as many dreamed, but with Chinese ones.

Following the KHL, the “comrades from the Middle Kingdom” have now opened the second strongest Russian division. And just in the amount of two clubs.

Tower players should now learn the names of clubs such as Kunlun Red Star Heilongjiang (Harbin) and Tsen Tou' (Jilin) ​​and leaders to ponder how to get there. Moreover, if Red Star Heilongjiang, as the name implies, will be the farm club of Kehael's Kunlun, then Tsen Tou will be an independent team.

Where they will find high-class hockey players in such numbers is still unknown. Last season" chinese dragons” had difficulty finding three players with Chinese roots in the KHL. From North America. Of these, only one had a permanent place in the line-up - Zak Yuen.

Naturally, there will be no Chinese players for two more Chinese clubs, and foreign players will fill the places. Let's hope that at least Russian.

After all, next season the VHL will be replaced by the joint Russian-Chinese (or Chinese-Russian) Silk Road Cup. And over time, the number of participants from the largest country in the world should be increased to ten. Plans worthy of Ostap Bender, who told Vasyukintsy about an interplanetary chess tournament.

Well, the number Russian clubs in major league everything is really shrinking. Four more clubs rested in Bose. Including last season's Bratina winner Dynamo (Balashikha), which is certainly a shame for the league. In addition to Dynamo, the home club of Ilya Kovalchuk, THC (Tver), will not play next season, which last season became the basis for the Russian team that won the Universiade. And also having rich hockey traditions Saratov "Crystal" and "Ariada-NH" (Volzhsk).

There are also newcomers: the Bashkir "Gornyak" (Uchaly) (which became the "farm" of "Avtomobilist"), the Samara CSK VVS (will cooperate with the "Lada") and Novokuznetsk "Metallurg". Of these, only the Forge, which until recently was going to play in the KHL, will be the favorite.

Among the 27 participants in the VHL championship next season are two St. Petersburg clubs - SKA-Neva and Dynamo (St. Petersburg).

Opinions

Dmitry Kurbatov, Chairman organizing committee VHL:

With the advent of two Chinese clubs VHL championship goes to a serious international level. The League is getting younger, which has a positive effect on the training of personnel for the KHL, the emergence of more professional hockey players high level. Next season, we will do our best to make the championship even more interesting, unpredictable, and the financial situation of the clubs more stable.

Vladislav Tretyak, FHR President:

I think that the upcoming VHL season should be very interesting. The geography of the league is expanding, five new clubs will join the tournament. In addition to teams with a name that are well known to fans - first of all, we are talking about Metallurg Novokuznetsk, of course - two Chinese teams. All this, of course, increases interest not only in the league itself, but also in our hockey as a whole. Sure, new season will give us bright, unforgettable hockey confrontations, and the league will have new loyal fans - the VHL deserves it.

The composition of the participants of the VHL Championship season 2017/18:

1. Bars (Kazan)

2. "Buran" (Voronezh)

3. "Gornyak" (Uchaly)

4. "Diesel" (Penza)

5. Dynamo (St. Petersburg)

6. "Ermak" (Angarsk)

7. "Trans-Urals" (Kurgan)

8. "Star" (Chekhov)

9. Izhstal (Izhevsk)

10. Kunlun Red Star Heilongjiang (Harbin)

11. "Metallurg" (Novokuznetsk)

12. Molot-Prikamye (Perm)

13. Oilman (Almetyevsk)

14. Rubin (Tyumen)

15. "Saryarka" (Karaganda)

16. SKA-Neva (St. Petersburg)

17. Sokol (Krasnoyarsk)

18. Sputnik (Nizhny Tagil)

19. Toros (Neftekamsk)

20. "Torpedo" (Ust-Kamenogorsk)

21. HC "Ryazan" (Ryazan)

22. HC "Sarov" (Sarov)

23. "Chemist" (Voskresensk)

24. "Cen Tou" (Jilin)

25. CSK VVS (Samara)

26. Chelmet (Chelyabinsk)

27. "Southern Ural" (Orsk)

In the VHL season 2017-2018, the schedule of games is especially dense. The current championship will be the eighth edition of the prestigious trophy, in the struggle for which the best young hockey players of the post-Soviet space will come together. Attendance at VHL matches is gradually growing, which indicates an increase in both spectator interest and the level of play of many teams.

There are 27 clubs taking part in the VHL 2017-2018. The competition started on September 8, 2017 with the opening match between last year's victorious Torpedo (Ust-Kamenogorsk) and Zauralye (Kurgan). The meeting ended with the victory of the guests in overtime (3:4). The season will end in April 2018.

The tournament is held in two stages:

• regular season;
• playoff series.

During the regular championship, 16 best teams are determined, which will continue to fight for the Petrov Cup in the future. It is noteworthy that this trophy is played for the first time. Previously, the winner of the playoff series was awarded the Bratina Cup. It was decided to rename the trophy after the death of the legendary Soviet hockey player Vladimir Vladimirovich Petrov, who performed in a troika with Mikhailov and Kharlamov.

In the elimination round, teams are divided into pairs according to occupied places(1 squad plays from 16, 2 from 15, 3 from 14, etc.). Each series is played up to 4 victories, and if the scoreboard after the end of 60 minutes of the meeting is on an equal score, an additional 20-minute is assigned before the first abandoned puck. The number of overtimes is not regulated. The series for third place is not played: the best loser of the semi-finals receives bronze.

AT this season Two teams became newcomers to the league - Kunlun Hailongjian and Miner. Both hockey teams are KHL farm clubs Kunlun Red Star and Avtomobilist, respectively. Young players who have reached the age of 17 will be tested here before joining the ranks of the adult squad.

You can find the VHL 2017-2018 standings for today below:

League position	Team name	Number of goals scored / conceded	Points scored
	"Dynamo St. Petersburg"
	"Oilman"
	"Izhstal"
	"Sary-Arka"
	"HC Sarov"
	"Star of Chekhov"
	"Trans-Urals"
	"Southern Urals"
	"Torpedo U-K"
	"Hammer-Prikamye"
	"Tseng Tou"
	"Diesel"
	"Miner"
	"Chelmet"
	"Kunlun Hailongjian"
	"HC Ryazan"
	"Metallurg Nk"
	"Sputnik NT"
	"CSK VVS"

Schedule upcoming games VHL looks like this:

Date/Moscow time of the match	Members	Location
	"KunLun Hailongjian" - "Hammer-Prikamye"	Harbin, sports complex"Crystal"
	Tseng Tou - Toros
	Ermak - Bars	Angarsk, Sports Palace "Ermak"
	Metallurg Nk - CSK VVS	Nizhnekamsk, Sports Palace of Kuznetsk Metallurgists
	Zauralye - Dynamo St. Petersburg	Kurgan, Ice Palace sports them. N. V. Parysheva
	Rubin - SKA-Neva	Tyumen, Sports Palace
	"Tseng Tou" - "Hammer-Prikamye"	Jilin, Jilin Tiyuguan Stadium

Tournament Goals

Many experts are in favor of the abolition of the VHL. In their opinion, there is no point in competition when a championship is held in parallel at an order of magnitude higher level -. Nevertheless, the tournament is a kind of rehearsal ground for both clubs and the judiciary seeking to get into. The list of the main tasks that the VHL sets for itself includes:

• cultivation of team spirit;
• preparation of the coaching staff;
• improving the skills of individual players;
• development of tactical schemes and interactions.

The VHL is designed to attract a new audience. In sparsely populated cities of Russia or neighboring countries, there is simply no money in the budget for maintenance own club in the KHL, although the infrastructure allows hockey games. In this case, the minor league becomes an excellent solution, since participation in it does not require significant financial costs, and also provides an opportunity to organize interesting leisure activities for young people and sports fans.

Contenders for victory

The VHL 2017-2018 is an unpredictable tournament, and the tight calendar does not allow predicting even those lucky ones who will make it to the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Today, at least 10 clubs are fighting for the last 16th line with approximately equal chances of success. For sure, in the spring knockout series we will see such clubs as:

• "Dynamo St. Petersburg";
• "Oilman";
• "Sary-Arka";
• "Trans-Urals";
• "Ruby";
• "Star of Chekhov";
• "Torpedo" (Ust-Kamenogorsk).

This season, Dynamo from St. Petersburg unexpectedly became the favorite. The club has been playing in the VHL since 2013 and, as they say, there were not enough stars from the sky, although it regularly qualified for the playoffs. In the current draw, Dynamo under the leadership of Leonid Tambiev fired, confidently holding the first line in the table. While maintaining the pace of scoring, the champion of the regular season will be known long before it ends.

SKA-Neva is included in the structure of the KHL, and that says it all. High competition does not allow many talented players to get into the main team of the “army”. Getting into the farm club due to various circumstances, they are forced to prove their worth in the VHL. On the this moment SKA-Neva looks like the main favorite of the playoffs, and only 6 points separate it from the first place in the regular season.

In the VHL 2017-2018, a number of teams claim to win the Petrov Cup. This includes Sary-Arka, which plays well in defense, the scoring Zvezda Chekhov, the pragmatic Rubin, and at least a dozen more equally worthy teams. Obviously, in knockout games, physical readiness, psychological stability, and tactical skills will come to the fore. If in the regular season hockey players have a chance of making a mistake, then starting from February they will no longer be. Well, as always, the strongest will win.

VHL 2017-2018 is considered one of the most exciting tournaments in hockey. The competition cannot boast of a huge budget, and the salaries of many players leave much to be desired. Professional athletes take to the ice and fight in every match, demonstrating skill, the will to win, and unbending character. Do not miss the matches of the Major Hockey League, which will bring you positive emotions.

Top 10 goals of the VHL championship, see the following video:

For many players, the upcoming 2017-2018 VHL season will be a great opportunity to improve their game and move to a Premier Division club. This motivation makes the championship more exciting, intriguing and competitive. It is this fighting spirit of the teams that attracts more and more Russian fans to the arena, who are increasingly becoming witnesses of real hockey battles.

CONTENT

What's new in the new season?

Currently, the calendar of games, the exact list of teams that will play in the upcoming championship, as well as the transition table have not yet been officially announced. However, it became known that the league will replenish the Chinese “CRS Heilongjiang”, which is the farm club of “Kunlun Red Star”, playing in the KHL.

In addition, two more teams applied for participation in the tournament: Gornyak from the city of Uchala and Moscow's CSKA VVS. The first club previously played in the MHL-B (National Youth hockey league) and is a farm club of Yekaterinburg Avtomobilist. The club representing the capital is planning close cooperation with the Togliatti “Lada” from the KHL.

The third participant in the championship, for sure, will be Metallurg from Novokuznetsk, which left the Continental League in the 2016-2017 season.

Last season, 26 teams took part in the Major Hockey League. However, the tournament was not without losses: HC “Crystal” (Saratov) dropped out of the championship. Due to financial problems, the issue of Dynamo from Balashikha and Ariada from Volzhsk still remains relevant.

VHL regulations 2017 - 2018

By analogy with the rules of the KHL, the championship of the Major Hockey League consists of two parts - the regular championship and playoff matches.

The teams will play each other according to the so-called “circular scheme”. According to the results of the games, 16 clubs from the top of the standings advance to the next round of the tournament and play in the playoff series, which starts in February and ends in April 2018.

The opponents will play each other 4 matches. The winner of the series will take part in the next round of the championship. Elimination games start from the 1/8 final stage.

Preliminary standings VHL 2017 - 2018

This tournament, by right, is considered international. Almost any foreign team can take part in it. However, today the vast majority of clubs represent Russia. Only two last season professional teams entered the standings of the championship - "Torpedo" (Ust-Kamenogorsk) and Karaganda "Saryarka".

The following teams will almost certainly take part in the upcoming championship:

1. SKA-Neva (St. Petersburg);
2. Sokol (Krasnoyarsk);
3. THC (Tver);
4. Torpedo (Ust-Kamenogorsk);
5. Zauralie (Kurgan);
6. Saryarka (Karaganda);
7. Dynamo (Balashikha);
8. Dynamo (St. Petersburg);
9. Toros (Neftekamsk);
10. Star (Chebarkul);
11. Ermak (Angarsk);
12. Chelmet (Chelyabinsk);
13. Oilman (St. Petersburg);
14. Diesel (Penza);
15. Izhstal (Izhevsk);
16. Sputnik (Nizhny Tagil);
17. Ryazan (Ryazan region);
18. Rubin (Tyumen);
19. Sarov (Nizhny Novgorod region);
20. Bars (Kazan);
21. Molot-Prikamye (Perm);
22. Ariada (Volzhsk);
23. Chemist (Voskresensk);
24. Buran (Voronezh);
25. Southern Ural (Orsk).

News VHL season 2017 - 2018

A major rebranding is planned for the upcoming season in the Major Hockey League. According to the new regulations, the name of the main trophy will change. From now on, instead of "Bratina", it will be named after the legendary striker of the USSR national team - the Cup of Vladimir Petrov.

Match Schedule

As mentioned earlier, the exact list of participants in the championship, as well as its schedule, have not been announced at the moment. This information will become available closer to the autumn. Currently, only the start and end dates of the tournament are known. It starts in September 2017, and the final playoff matches will be played in April 2018.

Results of the final series of the playoffs 2016-2017:

1. Torpedo - Dynamo (Balashikha) - 1: 2;
2. Torpedo - Dynamo (Balashikha) - 1:3;
3. Dynamo (Balashikha) - Torpedo - 5:2;
4. Dynamo (Balashikha) - Torpedo - 2:1.

Video

VHL Championship 2017/2018 is the 8th edition of the second strongest professional hockey tournament Russia. The teams participating in the championship are far from the KHL teams. The clubs of the Major Hockey League cannot boast of either large budgets, or wild popularity, or high salaries players. However, this does not prevent them from demonstrating a complete and interesting game, which is replete with intrigue and high-profile sensations. Let's hope that in the upcoming draw, the fans will once again become eyewitnesses of spectacular and uncompromising matches!

Schedule of the new VHL championship season 2017-2018

The 8th edition of the competition will begin in the first half of September 2017 and end at the end of April next year. The specific date of the draw will be announced closer to the start of the tournament.

Like Continental League, the VHL championship consists of two parts: the regular season and the playoffs.

Regular season (September 2017 - February 2018)

The clubs will play each other in a round-robin format. According to the results of the matches, 16 teams that will take the top lines in the Major Hockey League standings will advance to the next round of the competition.

Playoffs (February–April)

The participants selected among the top 16 teams will continue to fight for the trophy according to the playoff system. Meetings of opponents will be a series of matches in which the team that wins 4 games will celebrate the triumph. The knockout stage will start with the 1/8 round.

Major Hockey League teams 2017/2018

The championship is considered international. Any club can take part in it. However, so far the majority of HCs come from Russia. "Foreigners" are represented by only two teams from Kazakhstan - Karaganda "Syryarka" and "Torpedo" from Ust-Kamenogorsk. Here is a list of 25 ice teams that will almost certainly participate in the coming season:

• "SKA-Neva";
• "Falcon";
• "Torpedo";
• "Saryarka";
• "Trans-Urals";
• Dynamo (Balashikha);
• "Hummock";
• "Star";
• "Ermak";
• "Chelmet";
• "Oilman";
• Dynamo (St. Petersburg);
• "Diesel";
• "Izhstal";
• "Satellite";
• "Ryazan";
• "Ruby";
• "Sarov";
• "Leopard";
• "Hammer-Prikamye";
• "Ariada";
• "Chemist";
• "Southern Urals";
• "Buran".

Latest VHL Championship 2017/2018 News

The league is waiting for a very likely replenishment in the face of Kunlun Red Star Capital and Miner. Both HCs are farm clubs. The first represents the Chinese Kunlun Red Star, a newcomer to the KHL, and the second represents Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.

Kunlun Red Star Capital

The Chinese decided to thoroughly get used to the KHL. Therefore, they decided to create two farm clubs at once: Kunlun Red Star Capital and Kunlun Red Star Junior. The first team will play in the VHL, and the second team will play in the Youth Hockey League (MHL). Little is known about Kunlun Red Star Capital. According to preliminary information, the team will be headed by Alexei Tertyshny, who is part of coaching staff Kunlun Red Star. The club will be based in Beijing.

"Miner"

Based ice squad from the Bashkir city of Uchala, the leadership of Avtomobilist intends to create a full-fledged farm club. It is assumed that the team's budget will be 1.2 billion rubles. In previous seasons, Gornyak played in the MHL, where they distinguished themselves with a mature and memorable game.

And next season, the trophy of the competition is waiting for a rebranding. From now on, the main award will be called not "Bratina", but the Cup of Vladimir Petrov. The trophy owes its new name to the legendary Soviet striker Vladimir Petrov, one of the main characters of the Red Machine, who played shoulder to shoulder with Valery Kharlamov and Boris Mikhailov. Vladimir Vladimirovich passed away in February 2017. Therefore, the VHL management decided to perpetuate the memory of the great athlete in such an original way.

Afterword

The new season hasn't started yet. Therefore, we are still waiting for the main wave of news about the upcoming edition of the competition: the resignations and appointments of coaches, the emergence of new teams, high-profile organizational decisions and unexpected transfer transitions hockey players in the VHL. The closer September approaches, the more often new information about the upcoming season will appear!