This is interesting article. Sorry if this was posted already. Here is link
Continental Hockey League to Compete with NHL
Gazprom, a company with a market value of $304 billion, has taken the first official steps toward creating a rival to the National Hockey League:
"Alexander Medvedev, Gazprom's deputy chief executive officer, and Russian Hockey Federation President Vladislav Tretiak signed an accord in Moscow to create the Continental Hockey League by April 15, the federation said on its Web site today.
Medvedev is a member of the organizational committee of the Open Hockey League, which is working with the Russian Hockey Federation to form the new league.
"This is the evolution of the Russian Super League,'' Russian Hockey Federation spokesman Vladimir Gerasimov said in a telephone interview after the signing. ``We need to take another step and secure investment from state corporations.''
While the idea of creating this league is not news, it previously faced some obstacles, with the Russian Hockey League against the idea just a short while ago.
"Meanwhile, the head of the Russian Hockey Federation, Vladislav Tretyak, is against the idea.
"There are a number of problems at the moment. The clubs are worried because they don't know whether there'll be 16, 18 or 20 clubs in the new league. I get the feeling, the Open Russian Hockey League doesn't know what they want," he said."
It was also reported that in total, six state-run companies including billionaire Oleg Deripaska's Ingosstrakh insurer will each invest $6 M in the league that will try and stop the hemorrhaging of Russian talent to America.
"The four other companies are oil-pipeline monopoly OAO Transneft, the VTB Group and Vnesheconombank banks and the insurance company Rosgosstrakh, Sovietsky Sport said.
The league will have 20 Russian clubs and an undetermined number of foreign ones, Gerasimov said.
"We can't rush,'' he said. "We need to make sure it won't interfere with the national team and the youth league.''
The NHL's all-time winningest coach, Scott Bowman, and former NHLPA's top figure Bob Goodenow are reportedly involved in the creation of this competitor to the NHL.
Second article link
http://www.bizofhockey.com/?option=c...d=131&Itemid=1
Russia’s fledgling Continental Hockey League, which is being touted as a competitor to the NHL, will launch in September with 24 teams, according to league president Alexander Medvedev. It will, however, look like a retooled version of the Russian Super League as 20 of those teams will be within the CHL. As reported by the Globe and Mail:
In an interview yesterday from Montreal, where he was elected to the International Ice Hockey Federation council, Medvedev said the league will adopt international rules and intends to hold a draft that could include NHL players.
"We are planning to draft players from around the world, including the NHL," he said.
The 24 teams will play for the Gagarin Cup, named for cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. The top two teams will then compete in a Europe-wide championship.
Already, the CHL appears to siphoning off NHL talent. As reported by Newsday, former Islanders enforcer Chris Simon has signed on with the CHL.