Minor Hockey League
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| Sport | Ice Hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Motto | Лига Сильных (Liga Silnykh, The League of the Strong)[1][2] |
| No. of teams | 33 |
| Country(ies) |  Belarus Czech Republic Hungary Kazakhstan Latvia Russia |
| Most recent champion(s) | Omskie Yastreby (2nd title) |
| Most titles | Omskie Yastreby (2) |
| 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-B |
| Relegation to | MHL-B (2 worst teams from playout) |
| Official website | [1] |
The Minor Hockey League (MHL)[4] (Russian: Молодежная Хоккейная Лига (МХЛ), Molodezhnaya Khokkeinaya Liga (MHL)), sometimes translated as the Youth Hockey League,[5] currently called Chevrolet Minor Hockey League Championship (Russian: Chevrolet Чемпионат Молодежной хоккейной лиги) due to sponsorship reasons, is a major junior ice hockey league in Eurasia, founded in 2009. It currently consists of 33 teams from 6 countries.[6] 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,[7] following a 16-team playoff at the end of the regular season.
Contents |
Teams in 2012–13 [edit]
History [edit]
Seasons overview [edit]
| Season |  Kharlamov Cup Winner |
 Kharlamov Cup finalist |
Eastern Conference winner | Western conference winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Steel Foxes |
Kuznetsk Bears |
Steel Foxes (54 games, 135 points) |
Soviet Wings (66 games, 119 points) |
| 2010–11 | Red Army |
Steel Foxes |
Tolpar Ufa (53 games, 121 points) |
MHC Khimik (56 games, 107 points) |
| 2011–12 | Omsk Hawks |
Red Army |
Omsk Hawks (60 games, 114 points) |
Diamond (60 games, 128 points) |
| 2012–13 | Omsk Hawks |
MHC Spartak |
Omsk Hawks (61 games, 151 points) |
Atlanty (64 games, 135 points) |
2009–10 season [edit]
In the first MHL season, 22 teams participated, all from Russia. The MHL opened its doors on September 4, 2009 in Moscow, when the first ever MHL game was played 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 Magnitogorsk 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.
The playoffs started on March 13, 2010. No teams of the Western Conference made it past the round of 16 of the playoffs. Steel Foxes and Kuznetsk Bears reached the playoff finals for the Kharlamov Cup. The first game of the 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 [edit]
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 each.[8]
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 Steel Foxes and Kuznetsk Bears.[9] Steel Foxes won the match with 8 goals to 1.The 2011 Challenge Cup took place in Ufa on 12 February 2011. As in 2010 the match pitted the best players of the Western Conference on one side against the best players of the Eastern Conference on the other side.[10] In the West, MHC Khimik won the regular season, while in the East Tolpar Ufa was the winner.
The play-offs were for the first time separate in each conference, with the two winners meeting in the Kharlamov Cup final. In the final, the Red Army team defeated Steel Foxes Magnitogorsk with 4–0 wins.
2011–12 season [edit]
For the 2011–12 season, a second division named MHL-B was established, which features mostly junior teams of VHL teams. A relegation and promotion system is in place between the MHL and MHL-B. The number of MHL teams was expanded from 29 to 32. One 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.
The 2012 Challenge Cup took place in Magnitogorsk on 11 February 2012. The first ever Future Cup (Russian: Кубок Будущего, Kubok Budushchego) took place in Chelyabinsk on 13 March 2012 and featured the best under-18 players (not born before 1 January 1994) of both the MHL and MHL B division.
The regular season winners were Omsk Hawks in the East and Diamond Cherepovets in the West. Omsk Hawks also made it to Kharlamov Cup final, where they defeated the Red Army team from Moscow with 4–1 wins.
2012–13 season [edit]
For their fourth season, the MHL expands to Czech Republic and Hungary, with the junior team of HC Energie Karlovy Vary and Patriot Budapest joining. The two Russian teams Kristall Berdsk and HC Oktan Perm were promoted from MHL-B, while Ladia Tolyatti and Olympia Kirovo-Chepetsk were relegated. Slovak team Tatranskí Vlci withdrew from the league. These changes bring the number of teams up to 33, representing 6 different countries.
International matches [edit]
Tour of North America 2010–11 [edit]
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 York |
Army Black Knights | 4–11 | MHL Red Stars |
| 29 December 2010 | Ingalls Rink | New Haven, Connecticut |
Yale Bulldogs | 5–3 | MHL Red Stars |
| 1 January 2011 | Gale Centre |  Niagara Falls, Ontario |
GOJHL Golden Horseshoe Conference all-stars | 4–7 | MHL Red Stars |
| 3 January 2011 | Allman Arena | Stratford, Ontario |
GOJHL Mid-Western Conference all-stars | 3–11 | MHL Red Stars |
| 4 January 2011 | Wellington and District Community Centre | Wellington, Ontario |
Wellington Dukes | 2–5 | MHL Red Stars |
World Junior Club Cup 2011 [edit]
The city of Omsk hosted the inaugural World Junior Club Cup from August 30 to September 3, 2011.
Tour of North America 2011–12 [edit]
As in 2010, the Red Stars (Russian: Красные Звезды, Krasnye Zvezdy), a team made of players who play in the MHL, toured North America. The opponents of the Red Stars were teams from NCAA Division I and NAHL.[11]
| Date | Arena | City | Home team | Score | Visiting team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 December 2011 | Ralph Engelstad Arena | Grand Forks, North Dakota |
North Dakota Fighting Sioux | 5–1 | MHL Red Stars |
| 19 December 2011 | Runestone Community Center | Alexandria, Minnesota |
Alexandria Blizzard | 1–5 | MHL Red Stars |
| 21 December 2011 | V.F.W. Sports Center | Bismarck, North Dakota |
Bismarck Bobcats | 2–1 | MHL Red Stars |
| 27 December 2011 | Gutterson Fieldhouse | Burlington, Vermont |
Vermont Catamounts | 1–6 | MHL Red Stars |
| 28 December 2011 | Ingalls Rink | New Haven, Connecticut |
Yale Bulldogs | 6–4 | MHL Red Stars |
| 30 December 2011 | Berry Events Center | Marquette, Michigan |
Northern Michigan Wildcats | 3–2 | MHL Red Stars |
| 3 January 2012 | Compton Family Ice Arena[12] | Notre Dame, Indiana |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 2–1 | MHL Red Stars |
| 5 January 2012 | Tsongas Center | Lowell, Massachusetts |
UMass Lowell River Hawks | 6–4 | MHL Red Stars |
IIHF U20 Challenge Cup of Asia 2012 [edit]
MHL Red Stars participated in the 2012 IIHF U20 Challenge Cup of Asia, the U20 edition of the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia. Red Stars won all 4 of their games, with a total of 57–0 goals.[13]
Tour of North America 2012–13 [edit]
| Date | Arena | City | Home team | Score | Visiting team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 December 2012 | Bright Hockey Center | Allston |
Atlantic Junior Hockey League | 2–11 | MHL Red Stars |
| 27 December 2012 | Tate Rink | West Point, NY |
Army Black Knights | 2–6 | MHL Red Stars |
| 28 December 2012 | Ingalls Rink | New Haven, CT |
Yale Bulldogs | 10–2 | MHL Red Stars |
| 30 December 2012 | Harbour Station | Saint John, NB |
UNB Varsity Reds | 7-3 | MHL Red Stars |
| 31 December 2012 | Aitken Centre | Fredericton, NB |
UNB Varsity Reds | 5–2 | MHL Red Stars |
| 2 January 2013 | Meehan Auditorium | Providence, RI |
Brown Bears | 7–1 | MHL Red Stars |
References [edit]
- ^ "YHL Calendar September" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ "MHL.KHL.RU header" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
- ^ "Телетрансляции матчей МХЛ – уже с ноября!". KHL.ru. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "KHL Junior Draft Is Over". KHL.ru. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
- ^ "The Future is Now". khl.ru. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
- ^ "О Лиге" (in Russian). mhl.khl.ru. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
- ^ http://en.khl.ru/news/2009/7/2/13693.html
- ^ "Все участники Чемпионата" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. 6 August 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ "Утвержден Календарь Чемпионата МХЛ" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ "Кубок Вызова пройдет в Уфе" (in Russian). Minor Hockey League. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ Youth Hockey League press service (October 6, 2011). ""Красные Звезды" определились с наставниками" (in Russian). Youth Hockey League. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ Svyatozar Ivanov (October 20, 2011). "Америка готовится к приезду "Красных Звезд"" (in Russian). Youth Hockey League. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ "2012 IIHF U20 Challenge Cup of Asia". iihf.com. 2012-06-01.
External links [edit]
- (Russian) Official website
- (English) Official website
- Official YHL YouTube Channel
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