Potential Kontinental Hockey League expansion The potential of including addition franchises to the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) has been an ongoing topic since the league ' s inception . It has been reported that the league seeks to expand to 30 teams . Proposed pan - European league . In 2009 , KHL proposed merging itself into a new league ( called United Hockey Europe ) , to play across Europe starting in 2011 . Central Europe . The Czech Republic ' s HC Energie Karlovy Vary has signed letters of intent with the KHL . Barring budget and payroll issues , they would have been able to compete for the 2009 - 10 season . However , they had to annul plans to join the league for the time being , due to the financial crisis of 2007 – 2010 . The club intended to continue its operations in the Czech Extraleague , while creating an expansion franchise consisting of top Czech players to play in the KHL . Representatives of Hradec Králové hockey club have been negotiating with their KHL counterparts in Moscow in December , 2009 about a possible future participation in the KHL of the Hradec Králové team . The team would be named Hradecký Lev ( ) . A protocol of intentions was signed between the club ' s management and representatives of the KHL on March 5 , 2010 . The Czech Ice Hockey Association however refused to give the permission to the club to play in the KHL . The team ' s management decided to move the team to Poprad , Slovakia . Lev Poprad was accepted into the league for 2010 – 11 season . Later however the KHL excluded the team from the league for 2010 – 11 . German teams Eisbären Berlin and Kölner Haie have been approached by the KHL but are currently not considering joining the league . The KHL also wants to expand to Austria by affiliating EC Red Bull Salzburg . SKA Saint Petersburg General manager Barry Smith said that an affiliation may be possible in three or four years . Red Bull and team owner Dietrich Mateschitz , however , favours playing in the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga . . Northern Europe . On 28 April 2009 , it was reported that the Swedish teams HV 71 , Linköpings HC , Färjestads BK , Frölunda HC and Djurgårdens IF ( of which Färjestad and Frölunda have had offers previously from the KHL ) broke their contracts with Elitserien ' s club association . This caused speculation as to whether they want to join the KHL or create a new league as an expansion of the Nordic Trophy . None of the clubs have officially said that they want to stop playing in Elitserien , although the seven remaining clubs have drawn such conclusions . The quarrel was at least temporarily resolved on 9 June 2009 , when all clubs agreed to continue their operation in Elitserien through the 2010 – 2011 season . According to " Russia Today News " , Finland ' s Kärpät is also interested . In November 2009 , the KHL and AIK Hockey from Stockholm , Sweden signed a document announcing the invitation from KHL to AIK Hockey club to become a member of the KHL , and join the League ’ s Championship beginning from the 2010 – 11 season provided AIK observes all the terms and conditions , and meets all KHL admission criteria . However , in the end AIK chose to not to join after the plan was rejected by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association . It is possible to see a new team in Vilnius , Lithuania . In Autumn 2009 , KHL ' s SKA and Bars Kazan played a exhibition game there , with more such games likely in the future . The main hurdles to be overcome for bringing a team there is funding , as well the fact that basketball is very popular in the region . The team will be called Vėtra Vilnius , and will be an expansion of the Sports Association Vėtra . Eastern Europe . The Belarus Ice Hockey Federation has announced that it plans to include up to four Belarussian teams in the KHL , with league VP Vladimir Shalaev confirming the prospect of adding a second Belarussian KHL team for the 2009 - 10 season . Of these , Yunost Minsk , along with HC Homiel ( which may relocate to Babruysk due to arena complications ) of the Belarusian Extraleague , are actively taking steps to join the KHL . Ukraine ' s Sokol Kiev is attempting to join , but financial issues have delayed a bid . They have a new 12 , 000 seat arena due in 2012 and are currently in negotiation with the KHL to join for the 2010 - 11 season . President of the Hockey Federation of Ukraine , Anatoly Brezvin , stated " I can not say under what brand it will be [ . . . ] Sokol , HK Kiev or some other . But there is some agreement that the next season will be [ a ] team from Ukraine , with Ukrainian players in the KHL . " Also from Kiev , the expansion HC Budivelnyk has signed letters of intent and concurrently plans on joining the league next season . HC Donbass of Donetsk are currently in the process of building a KHL regulation arena and developing its infrastructure so that it may make a pitch to join the league as soon as possible . Krylya Sovetov has declared interest to join the league for the 2010 - 11 season . Another potential candidate city for expansion is Sochi . The 2014 Winter Olympics will result in huge amounts of investment in the city , with one result being the construction of the Bolshoi Palace arena . It is possible that the city may see a new team or relocated team there by the start of the Olympics . North Asia . Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg replaced Khimik Voskresensk for the 2009 - 10 season . Gazovik Tyumen may join the league in coming years , whereas Vityaz Chekhov may leave the league . Of the Russian Major League , Yugra Khanty - Mansiysk has expressed interest in joining in the future , with ownership hoping to ascend by 2013 or beyond . By the end of 2008 they planned to have a 5 , 500 capacity arena completed to meet KHL specifications . The low population of this area , however , makes it highly unlikely a team will ever garner enough interest to warrant such an investment . The Island of Sakhalin in the Russian Far East might receive a team in the future . HC Rys ' , of the Russian Major League , is in negotiations to relocate the team there . Yuzhno - Sakhalinsk , the largest city on the island , has a population of almost 200 , 000 . Plans are in the works to build a new arena in the city by 2011 . Kazzinc - Torpedo , currently playing in the Russian Major League , has been in negotiations to join the KHL . The club , formerly known as Torpedo Ust - Kamenogorsk , used to play in the highest division during the Soviet era . Torpedo has typically been the most dominant developmental club in Kazakhstan . Most Kazakh players who have reached the NHL trace their roots to Torpedo .