Professional Hockey League The Professional Hockey League ( PHL ) ( , " tr : Profesional ' na khokeina liha " ) is an ice hockey league in Ukraine , founded in 2011 . The country ' s national title , the Ukrainian Championship , is awarded annually to the league champion following an 4 - team , 2 - round playoff at the end of the 41 - game regular season . Runners - up receive silver and bronze medals . The winner of the Ukrainian Championship is also guaranteed qualification into the Champions Hockey League season . Work is currently under way with the First National TV channel to broadcast 20 - 25 regular season games , and the entirety of the playoffs . 90 % of the PHL ' s games will be broadcast online . The league was formed on July 25 , 2011 , in Kiev , Ukraine , to reflect its fully professional status , apart from its predecessor organization , the Major League ( , " Vyscha Liha " ) , which was controlled and operated by the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine ( FHU ) as part of the Ukrainian Hockey Championship , inaugurated in 1992 . In obtaining the rights to the Championship , the FHU will maintain a supervisory role , and reserves the right to intervene in league matters . Naturally , Ukrainians constitute a large majority of the players in the PHL . Expatriates account for 25 % of the league ' s players , most of which come from Russia and Belarus , but also Lithuania , Latvia , the Czech Republic , and the United States . History . Following the collapse of the Soviet Union , subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Championship League , and Ukrainian independence , the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine established the country ' s first national league , the Ukrainian Hockey Championship , in 1992 . The league was known as the Major League ( , " Vyscha Liha " ) until 2009 - 10 , when it reverted back to its traditional name of the Ukrainian Championship . Following the 2010 - 11 season , the league dissolved . The top division , Division A ( also known as the Central Division ) , became the PHL ; Division B ( the Western Division ) became the Western Ukrainian Hockey League , an amateur league . Uniforms . League uniforms consist of a jersey , short pants , socks , gloves , and a helmet . Most PHL jerseys display the team ' s primary logo in the centre of the chest , while some also display secondary logos on the shoulders . Each player in a team ' s lineup for a game must have a different number displayed on the back of their jersey , as well as the player ' s surname above their number on the back of their jersey , which according to league regulations must be written in the Ukrainian language . Bilyi Bars and Kompanion - Naftogaz drew criticism during the 2011 - 12 season for violating this rule and using the Russian language instead . While not required , teams typically place their numbers on each upper arm as well . Team captains and alternate captains wear the letters " K " ( ) and " A " respectively on the front of their jerseys . Teams . History . The PHL was founded with 8 professional teams from across Ukraine . Prior to its inaugural season , the league was initially slated to ice 9 teams , while considering 11 applicants , and could increase to 12 teams in the future . The league currently hopes to expand to Sumy , Dnipropetrovsk , Luhansk , Kherson , Severodonetsk , Ivano - Frankivsk , and Zakarpattia . Of the league ' s original 8 teams , 4 are based within the Kiev region . Sokil Kyiv is the only team in the PHL to have iced a team in every prior Ukrainian league season since its beginnings in 1992 . Five of the league ' s original 8 teams competed in the final Major League season . Names . PHL team names reflect the general culture of European ice hockey naming conventions . Club names may reflect historical , geographical , cultural , or political affiliations — or simply be the brand name of a club ' s primary sponsor . Because of the prevalence of the Russian language in Ukraine , some teams present their club name and logo solely in the Russian language . A club ' s name is usually composed of the prefix " Hockey Club " to describe the team ' s organizational status and its associated sport . The suffix is generally a proper name or mascot in either in the singular or plural form ( " White Leopard " or " Lions " ) , a geographical indicator ( Donbas ) , or team sponsor ( " Companion " , " Naftogaz " ) . Team names have also taken on the North America n form of following the city name with a mascot ( " Kharkiv Sharks " ) In both Ukrainian and Russian leagues , misconceptions about the official name of a club are often present following English translation , whereby the " HC " prefix is dropped and the city name is added as a suffix ( i . e . HC Sokil is often written as Sokil Kyiv ) . Ukrainian Championship . The Ukrainian Hockey Championship is an annual ice hockey award and national title , bestowed to the ice hockey organization judged to have the best performing team in Ukraine , founded in 1992 . Prior to the formation of the PHL , the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine ( FHU ) administered and handed out the award , allowing both amateur and professional teams to compete in an annual regular season , then playoff for the title . On July 25 , 2011 , the FHU transferred the rights of the event to the PHL . The championship is currently awarded in the PHL following an 4 - team playoff at the end of the 41 - game regular season . The playoffs are decided in a best - of - seven series . Teams that miss the finals will enter into a best - of - five format playoff to determine final positioning . In addition to the title , winning team is given a cash prize by the league , $ 1 , 000 , 000 USD , shared by all of the players . National finalists receive silver and bronze medals . The winner of the Ukrainian Championship is also guaranteed qualification into the Champions Hockey League season .