League eyes more teams in Asia-Pacific

In an interview with one of Russia’s leading sports publications, Alexander Medvedev, a member of the KHL’s council of directors, discussed the first-year success of Kunlun Red Star and the possibility of the league pursuing expansion into the Asia-Pacific region.

“The success of Kunlun Red Star proves once again that money isn’t all that important,” Medvedev told Sport Express in Moscow last week.

“Even though Kunlun has one of the smallest budgets in the league, (head coach Vladimir) Yurzinov has put together an ambitious roster where players from different countries have demonstrated that within a year they can build a competitive team.

“I’m sure Kunlun will be a tough opponent for any team in the playoffs.”

As for the chances of the KHL placing another team in China, Medvedev said: “I’m sure that in time we will see more than one Chinese team in our league. We might even see a Korean club.

“There is an idea about setting up a Pacific Ocean division, featuring teams from Russia and abroad. I think that would be interesting. As we’ve seen in China, even though there isn’t a natural audience for hockey, the crowds have steadily improved.

“We’re seeing more people at games in Beijing than we did in Shanghai, and with proper marketing efforts we will soon see full houses for KHL games in China.”