- Minor Hockey League
-
This article is about a Russian ice hockey league. For a list of minor league ice hockey leagues elsewhere, see List of ice hockey leagues. For ice hockey played by children, see Minor ice hockey.
Minor Hockey League 
Sport Ice Hockey Founded 2009 Motto Лига Сильных (Liga Silnykh, The League of the Strong)[1][2] No. of teams 32 Country(ies) 
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Russia
SlovakiaMost recent champion(s) Krasnaya Armiya Most titles Stalnye Lisy (1)
Krasnaya Armiya(1)TV partner(s) KHL-TV (Russia (as part of the NTV Plus package), International (through KHL's website))[3]
LTV7 (Latvia)Related competitions Kontinental Hockey League
VHL
MHL-BOfficial website MHL.KHL.ru The Minor Hockey League (MHL)[4] (Russian: Молодежная Хоккейная Лига (МХЛ), Molodezhnaya Khokkeinaya Liga (MHL)), sometimes called the Youth Hockey League (YHL),[5] is a major junior ice hockey league in Russia, founded in 2009. It consists of 29 teams.[6][7][8] Some of these teams are subsidiaries (feeder teams) for their respective Kontinental Hockey League professional counterparts, other teams are subsidiaries of teams of other leagues (VHL, BEL) and some teams don't have an affiliated team (e.g. Silver Lions). Players are aged 17–21. The Kharlamov Cup, named after star ice hockey player Valeri Kharlamov, is awarded annually as the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia's official Junior Championship,[9] following a 16-team playoff at the end of the regular season.
Contents
History
2009–10 season
Main article: 2009–10 MHL seasonRegular Season
The MHL opened its doors on September 4, 2009 in Moscow. The first ever MHL game was played that night between MHC Dynamo and CSKA-Red Army with Dynamo picking up the historic 6–2 victory.
The 2010 Challenge Cup (Russian: Кубок Вызова, Kubok Vyzova), the all-star game of the MHL, was played on February 6 in the Ice Palace Saint Petersburg. Western Conference Team defeated Eastern Conference Team 6 – 4.
The last matches of regular season were played on March 8, 2010.
Steel Foxes won the Eastern Conference regular season and the overall MHL regular season with 135 points in 54 games. Soviet Wings won the Western Conference regular season with 119 points in 66 games.
Playoffs
The playoffs started on March 13, 2010. The 5th and the last possible game of the best-of-five playoff finals series for the Kharlamov Cup is to be played on April 29, 2010. No teams of the Western Conference made it past the round of 16 of the playoffs.
Steel Foxes and Kuznetsk Bears reached the playoffs finals for the Kharlamov Cup. The first game of the Kharlamov Cup playoffs finals best-of-five series between these two clubs was played on April 21, 2010. Steel Foxes won the first ever Kharlamov Cup after defeating Kuznetsk Bears 3 – 2 on April 26, 2010 and winning the series 3–1.
Polar Bears and Tolpar lost the semi-finals series of the playoffs and played in a two-legged tie for the third place. The first match of the tie was played on April 20, 2010 on Polar Bears' home ice and the second leg on April 24 on Tolpar's home ice. Tolpar won both games, first 4 – 2, second 5 – 2 and clinched third place of the first season of the MHL.
2010–11 season
Main article: 2010–11 MHL seasonPreseason
The number of teams was expanded from 22 in the inaugural season to 29 in the second season. 8 new teams joined the league while Dynamo Moscow's junior team left the league. Sheriff, the junior team of HC MVD in the inaugural season, was moved to Tver and would serve as the junior team of UHC Dynamo in the second season. Feniks was renamed to MHC Khimik. MHC Krylya Sovetov was reunited with PHC Krylya Sovetov (playing in the VHL) and the MHL team of the newly reunited club was moved to Dmitrov. Among the new teams were teams from Belarus and Latvia, thus making the league international. Both conferences were divided into 2 divisions for a total of 4 divisions.[6]
During the regular season teams from division "Povolzhye"[10] and "Ural–Siberia"[10] are to play 53 matches each, while division "Northwest"[10] teams are to play 56 matches and division "Center"[10] teams are to play 54 matches. Best 4 teams of each division reach the playoffs. Unlike the inaugural season teams from opposite conferences will only meet in the Kharlamov Cup finals and the match for third place because playoffs will consist of conference 1/4-finals, conference 1/2-finals and conference finals, all of which are best-of-5 series. The Kharlamov Cup finals between the Western conference playoffs winner and Eastern conference playoffs winner will be a best-of-7 series. The match for third place a two-legged tie.[6]
Regular Season
The regular season started on 4 September 2010 in Magnitogorsk with a match for the Opening Cup between last year's Kharlamov Cup playoffs finalists Stalnye Lisy and Kuznetskie Medvedi.[11] Stalnye Lisy defeated Kuznetskie Medvedi in the match 8 goals to 1.
The 2011 Challenge Cup will take place in Ufa on 12 February 2011. As in 2010 the match will pit the best players of the Western Conference on one side against the best players of the Eastern Conference on the other side.[12]
In December 2010 and January 2011 a team composed of players playing in the MHL named the Red Stars toured North America and played 5 games there with the following results:
Date Arena City Home team Score Visiting team 28 December 2010 Tate Rink 
West Point, New YorkArmy Black Knights 4–11 MHL Red Stars 29 December 2010 Ingalls Rink New Haven, ConnecticutYale Bulldogs 5–3 MHL Red Stars 1 January 2011 Gale Centre 
Niagara Falls, OntarioGOJHL Golden Horseshoe Conference all-stars 4–7 MHL Red Stars 3 January 2011 Allman Arena Stratford, OntarioGOJHL Mid-Western Conference all-stars 3–11 MHL Red Stars 4 January 2011 Wellington and District Community Centre Wellington, OntarioWellington Dukes 2–5 MHL Red Stars 2011–12 season
Main article: 2011–12 MHL seasonPreseason
From 2011–12 season onwards a new division named MHL-B will be established and will mostly feature junior teams of VHL teams.[citation needed] A relegation and promotion system will be in place between the MHL and MHL-B.[citation needed]
The city of Omsk will host the inaugural World Junior Club Cup from August 30 to September 3 2011.
The number of teams was expanded from 29 to 32. 1 team, Krylya Sovetov, left the league, while 4 new joined: Tatranskí Vlci Spišská Nová Ves (the junior team of Lev Poprad), Kapitan Stupino, Snezhnye Barsy Astana (the junior team of Barys Astana) and Mamonty Yugry Khanty-Mansiysk (the junior team of Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk).
Minskie Zubry were renamed to Dinamo-Shinnik and moved to Babruysk. Sherif were renamed to HC MVD and moved from Tver to Balashikha.
Regular Season
As in 2010, the Red Stars (Russian: Красные Звезды, Krasnye Zvezdy), a team made of players who play in the MHL, will tour North America. The opponents of the Red Stars will be teams from NCAA Division I and NAHL.[13]
Date Arena City Home team Score Visiting team 17 December 2011 North Dakota Fighting Sioux – MHL Red Stars 19 December 2011 Alexandria Blizzard – MHL Red Stars 21 December 2011 Bismarck Bobcats – MHL Red Stars 27 December 2011 Vermont Catamounts – MHL Red Stars 28 December 2011 Yale Bulldogs – MHL Red Stars 30 December 2011 Northern Michigan Wildcats – MHL Red Stars 3 January 2012 Compton Family Ice Arena[14] Notre Dame, IndianaNotre Dame Fighting Irish – MHL Red Stars 5 January 2012 UMass Lowell River Hawks – MHL Red Stars Regular Season winners
2009–10 season
There was no single regular season winner because each of the conferences had a different number of teams and thus teams from the East and West played a different number of games during the regular season.
During the 2009–10 regular season the teams from opposite conferences did not meet. Each team played 6 games (3 home and 3 away) against every team from their conference. Thus a total of 54 games for each team of the Eastern Conference and 66 games for every team of the Western Conference. The teams from opposite conferences only met in the playoffs.
2010–11 season
During the 2010–11 regular season the teams from each division played a different number of games[6]:
Conference Division Teams
in
divisionGames against teams from division Total games Northwest[10] Center[10] Povolzhye[10] Ural–Siberia[10] Home Away Home Away Home Away Home Away Western Northwest[10] 8 2 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 56 Center[10] 7 1 1 2 2 1 0 0 1 54 Eastern Povolzhye[10] 7 1 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 53 Ural–Siberia[10] 7 0 1 1 0 1 1 2 2 53 Regular season winner table
Eastern Conference
Season Team Games Points Playoff result 2009–10 Steel Foxes 54 135 Won playoffs finals 2010–11 Tolpar 53 121 TBD Western Conference
Season Team Games Points Playoff result 2009–10 Krylya Sovetov 66 119 Lost playoffs eighth-finals 2010–11 MHC Khimik 56 107 TBD Playoffs winners
Main article: Kharlamov CupTeams in 2010–11
Minor Hockey League Western Conference Division Team Translation City Arena Affiliate Team Joined league Northwest[10] Almaz Diamond CherepovetsIce Palace Severstal Cherepovets 2009 Minskie Zubry Minsk Wisents MinskMinsk Arena Dinamo-Minsk 2010 Loko Loco YaroslavlArena 2000 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 2009 HK Riga Riga RigaRiga Arena Dinamo Riga 2010 Serebryanye Lvy Silver Lions Saint PetersburgSpartak Ice Palace 2010 SKA-1946 Army Sport Club-1946 Saint PetersburgYubileyny SKA Saint Petersburg 2009 MHC Khimik Voskresensk Chemists VoskresenskPodmoskovie Ice Palace 2009 Yunost Youth MinskSports Palace Yunost Minsk 2010 Center[10] Amurskie Tigry Amur Tigers KhabarovskPlatinum Arena Amur Khabarovsk 2010 Krylya Sovetov Wings of the Soviets DmitrovDmitrov Sport Palace Krylya Sovetov Moscow 2009 МHC Spartak Spartacus MoscowSokolniki Arena Spartak Moscow 2009 Mytischenskie Atlanty Mytishchi Atlantes MytischiMytishchi Arena Atlant Moscow Oblast 2009 Russkie Vityazi Russian Knights PodolskVityaz Ice Palace Vityaz Chekhov 2009 Krasnaya Armiya Red Army MoscowCSKA Ice Palace CSKA Moscow 2009 Sherif Sheriff Tver[15]Yubileyny Sport Palace Tver[15] Dynamo Moscow 2009 Eastern Conference Division Team Translation City Arena KHL/VHL Affiliate Team(s) Joined league Volga[10] Bars Leopard KazanTatneft Arena Ak Bars Kazan 2009 Belye Tigry White Tigers Orenburg2010 Ladia Viking Ship TolyattiVolgar Sports Palace Lada Togliatti 2009 Olympia Olympia Kirovo-Chepetsk2010 Reaktor Reactor NizhnekamskSCC Neftekhimik Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 2009 Tolpar Pegasus UfaUfa Arena Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2009 Chaika Seagull Nizhny NovgorodTrade Union Sport Palace Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 2009 Ural–Siberia[10] Avto Auto YekaterinburgKRK Uralets Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 2009 Belye Medvedi Polar Bears ChelyabinskTraktor Ice Arena Traktor Chelyabinsk 2009 MHC Gazovik Gazworker TyumenSports Palace Rubin Tyumen 2010 Kuznetskie Medvedi Kuznetsk Bears NovokuznetskKuznetsk Metallurgists Sports Palace Metallurg Novokuznetsk 2009 Omskye Yastreby Omsk Hawks OmskArena Omsk Avangard Omsk Region 2009 Sibirskie Snaypery Siberian Snipers NovosibirskCSC Sibir HC Sibir 2009 Stalnye Lisy Steel Foxes MagnitogorskMagnitogorsk Arena Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2009 References
- ^ "YHL Calendar September" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. http://mhl.khl.ru/upload/MHL/YHL_Calendar_September_A4.pdf. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ "MHL.KHL.RU header" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. http://mhl.khl.ru/bitrix/templates/mhl/img/head_bg9.jpg. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
- ^ "Телетрансляции матчей МХЛ – уже с ноября!". KHL.ru. http://mhl.khl.ru/news/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=344. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "KHL Junior Draft Is Over". KHL.ru. http://en.khl.ru/news/2009/6/1/23421.html. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
- ^ "The Future is Now". khl.ru. http://en.khl.ru/news/2009/10/5/23673.html. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
- ^ a b c d "В МХЛ будет четыре дивизиона" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. June 28, 2010. http://mhl.khl.ru/news/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=1940. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
- ^ http://en.khl.ru/news/2009/7/6/13699.html
- ^ "MHL General Meeting". KHL. http://en.khl.ru/news/2009/8/11/13741.html. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
- ^ http://en.khl.ru/news/2009/7/2/13693.html
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Все участники Чемпионата" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. 6 August 2010. http://mhl.khl.ru/news/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=2146&SECTION_ID=. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ "Утвержден Календарь Чемпионата МХЛ" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. 5 August 2010. http://mhl.khl.ru/news/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=2145&SECTION_ID=. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ "Кубок Вызова пройдет в Уфе" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. 5 August 2010. http://mhl.khl.ru/news/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=2144&SECTION_ID=. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ Youth Hockey League press service (October 6, 2011). "«Красные Звезды» определились с наставниками" (in Russian). Youth Hockey League. http://mhl.khl.ru/news/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=8411&SECTION_ID=163. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ Svyatozar Ivanov (October 20, 2011). "Америка готовится к приезду «Красных Звезд»" (in Russian). Youth Hockey League. http://mhl.khl.ru/news/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=8528&SECTION_ID=163. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ a b Press Service of UHC Dynamo (15 July 2010). "Команды МХЛ и ВХЛ будут выступать в Твери" (in Russian). UHC Dynamo website. http://dynamo.ru/newsclub.php?full=13614. Retrieved 16 July 2010.[dead link]
External links
- (Russian) Official website
- Official YHL YouTube Channel
Ice hockey in RussiaIce Hockey Federation of Russia National teams MenMen · U-20 MenWomenWomen · U-18 WomenActive leagues JuniorMinor Hockey League · MHL-BDefunct leagues International Hockey League · Superleague · Major League · Second LeagueStatistics List of Soviet and Russian league champions · List of scoring champions · List of goal scoring championsRelated articles: Soviet League · Soviet national team · MVPs in the Soviet era · IIHF · CHL · Victoria Cup · World Cup of Hockey · Euro Hockey Tour Categories:- Ice hockey leagues in Russia
- Junior ice hockey
- Kontinental Hockey League
- Sports leagues established in 2009
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