The KHL explained how Russia’s admission to the world Cup will affect the playoffs
CAS obliged IIHF to allow the Russians to the world Cup-2027, the timing of which coincides with the decisive matches of the Gagarin Cup. Vice-President of the KHL said that there is an option to reduce the “regular” and playoff series, as well as the transfer of the final
The KHL can reduce the regular championship or playoff series in the case of the participation of the Russian team in the world championship, told Sport-Express vice-president of the league Sergey Dobrokhvalov.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered the international federation to admit Russians. The World Cup will be held on May 13-30 in Germany, which has already refused to host the tournament, and a number of European teams threatened to boycott the Russian team. The KHL playoffs are scheduled from March 23 to May 23.
As Dobrokhvalov noted, options for changing the calendar “on the surface”: “Reducing the regular season, holding the first playoff series to three wins, not four.” The first two rounds should be enough, as we thought. Suspension and final after the World Cup.
According to him, there are many scenarios and they have yet to be discussed with the Russian Ice Hockey Federation.
If the national team is formed including NHL players, then the need for KHL players will be less. That's one of the scenarios. Only the final matches of the Gagarin Cup fall on the World Cup. If we make a logical conclusion that the best hockey players of the KHL play in the final, then their absence in the national team can also affect, Dobrokhvalov added.
