Kontinental Hockey League to be Shortened for Sochi 2014 Olympics

The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) will be shortened next season by a full two weeks to accomodate the start of the Sochi 2014 Olympics hockey tournament, anesthetist league vice-president Vladimir Shalaev has revealed.

The 52-game season, medstore which opens on September 4 in Moscow, ed | will break on January 30, 2014, and resume on February 26. The first Olympic hockey game is scheduled for February 12.

The break is completely different to what NHL and NHL Players’ Association are proposing for its schedule as part of ongoing negotiations with international hockey officials and Olympic organizers over releasing its players for the Games.

NHL officials have said the league would pause on February 9, giving Olympians only three days to fly to Europe.

On Monday, Shalaev attacked the 2013-14 schedule, saying he was “embarrassed” it offers only 52 games due to international hockey commitments. The KHL regularly breaks three weekends each year for the four-team Euro Hockey Tour.

“A league like the KHL has no right giving fans only 52 games in the regular season,” he said. “It’s a mockery; it’s like making Pavarotti sing once a year.”

A normal NHL Season comprises of 82 games.