The Continental Hockey League (KHL) is an open international league that unites clubs from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Latvia and Finland. There are currently 24 teams in the league, which are divided into Western and Eastern conferences and 4 divisions based on geography.
During the regular season, teams play 62 games, after which the playoffs begin. The top 8 teams from each conference qualify for the KHL playoffs. The main trophy of the league is the Gagarin Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the playoffs.
The idea of creating a Euro-Asian Hockey League originated in the mid-2000s. For the first time it was voiced in public by Vyacheslav Fetisov in October 2005. The idea of creating a league that would be independent of national federations and become commercially successful was liked by many hockey officials from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
As a result, the KHL was created on the basis of the Russian Hockey Super League. The first championship took place in the 2008/2009 season, in which 21 out of 24 clubs were Russian. Subsequently, the league was replenished with teams from Ukraine, Slovakia, Finland, and Croatia, but in the last few years, the KHL management, on the contrary, has been reducing the number of teams.
Features of betting on the KHL
Clear superiority of several clubs
Western Conference clubs have greater financial resources than Eastern Conference clubs. First of all, CSKA and SKA stand out, which in recent years have significantly surpassed the others KHL clubs. The St. Petersburg and Moscow “army men” have more balanced lineups, as a result of which bookmakers rate them as favorites in almost every match.
Home match factor
This factor is especially important in the playoffs, where the value of home games matters most. According to statistics, the team that plays at home often wins. It is worth noting that in regular season games KHL bets for home matches when playing with opponents from another region can bring significant gains, since long-distance flights do not always have a positive effect on the performance of hockey players.
Underdogs can beat favorites
As the regular season progresses, surprises often occur in KHL matches. So, the underdog can easily beat the team that is leading in the conference. This happens especially often at the end of the season, when the leaders have already secured their place in the playoffs and are deprived of proper motivation.
How to choose a bet on the KHL
Everyone is taking bets on KHL matches. The page above provides all the information necessary for betting on the KHL: standings, game schedules and the best odds for the upcoming matches. Also, everyone has access to free forecasts from experts and cappers of the Legalbet website.
The page for each match contains the current team lineups, match results, statistics of past games and more.
The analysts of our resource take an individual approach to each confrontation that takes place in the Kontinental Hockey League. Experts predict absolutely every match, which passes into KHL. To do this, you need to be aware of not only the tournament prospects of each team, but also understand the form of any team, injuries, disqualifications and other nuances that will affect final result duels. Express bets on the KHL will help you significantly increase your bankroll with minimal risks.
You can see the performance and success of our analysts’ actions in your forecasts by going to the section.
Forecasts and bets on the KHL
Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) - the most popular hockey tournament on the territory of Russia and neighboring countries. Along with the great popularity of the KHL, the demand for forecasts for this tournament is also growing. We have assembled a team of professionals who make forecasts for the KHL every day and, absolutely, for all matches of the regular season and playoffs.
Forecasts for regular KHL season
The KHL regular season starts in August and ends in February. The accuracy of forecasts increases with every week. If at the beginning of the season we only rely on the teams' pre-season matches, then after a few weeks we can see their form. Our KHL experts are divided into two groups. Each group is responsible for its own conference: West (Bobrova division and Tarasov division) and East (Kharlamov division and Chernyshev division). This allows you to predict match results with maximum accuracy.
Despite large number games, we predict all matches with great accuracy.
Predictions for the KHL playoffs
The KHL playoffs start in February and already in April we know the name of the new champion. Experts lead teams from their conferences all the way to the finals.
Features of forecasts for the KHL
Forecast KHL tournament difficult, but possible. Over the years, we have already proven our understanding of the peculiarities of this league.
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is an international hockey league that unites hockey clubs from eight European countries. The league was created on the basis of the Russian Hockey Super League. The KHL has been successfully held and developed since 2008, increasing the number of participants, the level of teams, the fan audience and international prestige with each season. Every season, teams compete for the main trophy of the league - the Gagarin Cup, awarded to the league champion.
Teams in the KHL
In the debut season of 2008/2009, 24 clubs took part in the Kontinental Hockey League. Gradually, the number of participating teams increased every year, and currently 29 clubs from eight European countries (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Finland, Croatia, Slovakia, Latvia) compete in the KHL. In the future, it is planned to expand the number of participants to 32 teams.
Season structure in the KHL
All teams in the Kontinental Hockey League are divided geographically into the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. Each conference, in turn, is divided into two divisions: in the east - the Bobrov Division and the Tarasov Division, in the west - the Kharlamov Division and the Chernyshev Division.
| Eastern Conference1 | Western Conference | ||
| Kharlamov Division | Chernyshev Division | Bobrov Division | Tarasov Division |
KHL regular season
The first phase of the KHL is a regular season in which each team plays 4 matches with opponents from its division, 2 matches with teams from another division of its conference, and one meeting with clubs from another conference. Also, each team holds four more meetings with opponents from its division, and the matches are compiled with the aim of maximizing the intrigue in the championship. In total, during the Regular Season, teams play 60 matches, determining the winners of divisions and conferences, as well as forming pairs for the next stage of the season - the playoffs.
KHL Playoffs
The top 8 teams from each conference continue to fight for the Gagarin Cup, playing elimination series up to four wins. Each conference determines the best team through matches according to the playoff system (1/4 finals, 1/2 finals and final), after which the two best teams in the league play the final series, also up to four wins, in which the Gagarin Cup is played.
KHL winners
Over eight seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League, 5 teams won the Gagarin Cup. Ak Bars (2009, 2010), Dynamo Moscow (2012, 2013), Metallurg Magnitogorsk (2014, 2016) have two victories each, and Salavat Yulaev (2011) and SKA ( 2015).
The playoffs of the 2017-2018 season have begun in the KHL.
The 2017-2018 KHL season will be a milestone one. For the tenth time, the teams will compete for the main prize - the Gagarin Cup.
Let us remind you that the 16 best teams from Russia, Europe and China participate in the playoffs (or knockout competition). They are selected among the winners of games in the “Western” and “Eastern” conferences. 8 of each best clubs advance to the playoffs of the tournament. Quarter, semi and finalists are selected from each conference. They fight for the Gagarin Cup one at a time best team from the "East" and "West".
Participants of the KHL championship of the 2017-2018 season
IN qualifying tournaments 27 teams played. Foreign representatives of the league included hockey clubs from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Finland, Slovakia and China.
Schedule of KHL playoff matches 2017-2018 season
The first matches of the 2017-2018 playoffs will be held on March 3.
Who is SKA's opponent in the KHL playoffs 2017-2018
This year the St. Petersburg club SKA will play four matches with Severstal from Cherepovets. Ice battles will take place on March 4, 5, 7 and 8 in " Ice Palace"Based on the results, additional days may be assigned.
The regulations of hockey competitions have some features that were formed in their homeland popular game. There is no need to explain what the playoffs in hockey are to the residents of Canada and the United States, everyone knows it there. And with the establishment of the Continental sports organization The basic organizational principles of the NHL were adopted as a proven experience in holding large tournament competitions over many years.
How does a hockey tournament work in the KHL?
In order to answer the question “What are the playoffs in hockey?”, you need to understand the system by which competitions for the KHL championship title are held every year. The annual championship draw of the Kontinental Hockey League consists of two parts. The game calendar is drawn up in such a way that all teams in the league have the opportunity to meet each other on their own field and on the opponent’s field. This is the first part of the championship - the regular season. In the first years after its creation hockey organization all teams had the opportunity to find out the relationship among themselves. Then their number increased, and the Continental hockey league had to be divided into two conferences - Western and Eastern. Based on the results of the regular season, the standings are compiled. And then the answer to the question of what the playoffs in hockey is becomes relevant. To put it very briefly, this is the second, final part KHL championship.
From the rules of the game of hockey - playoff games
Let's take a closer look at the features of the regulations of the second part hockey championship. Only those teams that took the first sixteen places in the playoffs qualify for the playoffs. standings, eight in each of the two conferences. These teams split into pairs and continue to sort things out among themselves. Games are played separately in the Western and Eastern conferences. The team that takes first place plays against the eighth in the table, the second against the seventh, the third against the sixth, and the fourth against the fifth. This is the first stage - the quarterfinals.
Teams meet each other until one of them achieves four victories. IN next stage, semi-final, only winners advance. There are only four of them left. This principle is the answer to the question “What are the playoffs in hockey?” This is followed by the conference finals and the super final, a series of games between the strongest teams in the West and East. There will only be one winner.
Features of playoff games
To achieve a clean result in playoff games, such an element of hockey as shootouts is excluded. In the regular part of the championship, they are thrown at the opponent’s goal to overcome a draw when it is not possible to sort things out in regular and extra time of the match. And in the playoffs, the game continues until the winning goal of one of the teams, no matter how many additional periods, the so-called “overtimes,” are required for this. Often the game becomes protracted and lasts for a very long time. This is due to the fact that everyone is afraid to make a mistake and give the enemy a chance.
Is this principle justified?
During the playoffs, attention to hockey increases sharply. The result begins to interest everyone, even people who are indifferent to big sport. Both news releases and newspaper pages begin to be full of headlines: “Big hockey, KHL, playoffs...”. But hockey was played in Soviet times for decades, and somehow they managed to get by without the American word “playoffs.” Some people still doubt whether this principle of play should have been adopted from the NHL. But elimination games, or playoffs, give hockey a special dynamism, sharpness and entertainment. And only for this reason the answer to the question about the advisability of such competitions can be given unequivocally positive.
