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"Donbass" enters the KHL

19-05-12 01:02:32

Until the end of May it will be known how many clubs will participate in the KHL Championship, season - 2012/13 - 26 or 24... About this, late in the evening on Wednesday, said the President of the league Aleksandr Medvedev.

- According to reports over the results of the inspection commissions which have been in Prague, Bratislava and Donetsk, the decision made: three of the club - "Lev", "Slovan" and "Donbass" were allowed to play in the KHL. Now they will definitely be playing in the next Open Championship of Russia.

- Team from Poprad will be no more in the League?

- No. They were unable to provide the necessary financial guarantees. In the Czech "Lev", I shall note, has not closed the question with the home arena, yet. Plans for the club to act in the spacious palace in Prague, seventeen thousand O2, are under threat. But they have a backup plan, a good arena, where they played, I think, "Slavia".

Doubts did not arise, that the Czech "Lev", sponsored by the oil and gas oligarchs and the Slovakia "Slovan", which is supervised by the highest state authorities, will join the League. But Medvedev's message about "Donbass" sounded sensational. But only at first glance. At first, the rumors about the prospects of a large hockey project of Ukraine, to join the KHL, went on throughout the last few days. At second, the spring recruiting company of the Donetsk team went clearly beyond the speech of participation in Russia's "highest league". As the head coach was appointed specialist of top-class - Július Šupler; were signed contracts were players with a level close to the star - Podgradski, Pilarzh, Obshut, Laco.

Thus, the number of participants in the upcoming KHL championship will be determined after it becomes known the fate of "Vityaz" and "Avtomobilist". - I spoke with the new Governor of the Sverdlovsk region - Medvedev said. - He has agreed that in the region should be the team, acting at the highest level. He promised to do everything necessary, to meet with representatives of the League and the union, to pay off debts to the old team. Together, we will not let Ekaterinburg to remain without the ice hockey.

The deadline till which chehovtsy and uraltsy should be defined about their future - the last days of May.

Andrei Kuznetsov, "Sport Express"
from Stockholm