Junior Hockey League (Russia)

The Junior Hockey League (MHL) (), sometimes translated as the Minor or Youth Hockey League, is a major junior ice hockey league in Eurasia, founded in 2009. It currently consists of 33 teams from 4 countries. Currently, all teams but one are subsidiaries (feeder teams) for their respective KHL or VHL professional counterparts. A player's age cannot be older than 20.https://conwaysrussianhockey.wordpress.com/2015/05/13/changes-coming-in-russian-junior-hockey/ The Kharlamov Cup, named after star ice hockey player Valeri Kharlamov, is awarded annually as the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia's official Junior Championship,http://en.khl.ru/news/2009/7/2/13693.html following a 16-team playoff at the end of the regular season.
==Teams in 2017–18==
Junior Hockey League 	Junior Hockey League	Junior Hockey League 	Junior Hockey League 	Junior Hockey League	Junior Hockey League
Western Conference 	Western Conference 	Western Conference 	Western Conference 	Western Conference 	Western Conference
Team 	City 	Arena 	Affiliate Team 	Founded 	Joined league
Almaz 	Cherepovets 	Ice Palace 	Severstal Cherepovets (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Amurskie Tigry 	Khabarovsk 	Platinum Arena 	Amur Khabarovsk (KHL) 	2010 	2010
Atlanty 	Mytishchi 	Mytishchi Arena 	Spartak Moscow (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Chaika 	Nizhny Novgorod 	Trade Union Sport Palace 	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Dinamo Saint Petersburg	Saint Petersburg 	Yubileyny Sports Palace 	Dinamo Saint Petersburg (VHL) 	2013 	2013
MHC Dynamo Moscow 	Moscow 	Balashikha Arena 	Dynamo Moscow (KHL) 	2009 	2009
HC Riga 	Riga 	Inbox.lv ledus halle 	Dinamo Riga (KHL) 	2010 	2010
JHC Krylya Sovetov 	Moscow 	Soviet Wings Sport Palace 	None 	1947 	2009/2016
Kapitan Stupino 	Stupino 	Bobrov Ice Palace 	HC Sochi (KHL) 	1999 	2011/2017
Krasnaya Armiya 	Moscow 	CSKA Ice Palace 	CSKA Moscow (KHL) 	2009 	2009
KRS Heilongjiang
 The team (along with its parent club Kunlun Red Star) is based in Beijing, although its games are played in Harbin. Hockey City Arena and Yubileiny Arena in Saint Petersburg are also listed as alternate arenas.	Beijing 	Harbin Sport University Arena (in Harbin)	HC Kunlun Red Star (KHL) 	2017 	2017
Loko Yaroslavl 	Yaroslavl 	Arena 2000 	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Russkie Vityazi 	Chekhov 	Ice Hockey Center 2004 	Vityaz Podolsk (KHL) 	2009 	2009
SKA-1946 	Saint Petersburg 	Yubileyny 	SKA Saint Petersburg (KHL) 	2009 	2009
SKA-Serebryanye Lvy 	Saint Petersburg 	Spartak Ice Palace 	SKA Saint Petersburg (KHL) 	2010 	2010
Spartak 	Moscow 	Sokolniki Arena 	Spartak Moscow (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Taifun 	Ussuriysk 	Ice Arena 	Admiral Vladivostok (KHL) 	2016 	2016
Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference
Team 	City 	Arena 	Affiliate Team 	Founded 	Joined league
Altay 	Ust-Kamenogorsk 	Boris Alexandrov Sports Palace 	Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk (VHL) 	2015 	2016
Avto 	Yekaterinburg 	Yekaterinburg Sports Palace 	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL)	2009 	2009
Belye Medvedi 	Chelyabinsk 	Traktor Sport Palace 	Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Irbis 	Kazan 	TatNeft Arena 	Ak Bars Kazan (KHL) 	2011 	2011
Kuznetskie Medvedi 	Novokuznetsk 	Kuznetsk Metallurgists Sports Palace 	Metallurg Novokuznetsk (VHL) 	2009 	2009
Ladya 	Tolyatti 	Volgar Sports Palace 	Lada Togliatti (KHL) 	2009 	2009/2013
Mamonty Yugry 	Khanty-Mansiysk 	Arena Ugra 	Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (KHL) 	2011 	2011
Omskie Yastreby 	Omsk 	Omsk Arena 	Avangard Omsk (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Reaktor 	Nizhnekamsk 	SCC Neftekhimik 	Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Sarmaty 	Orenburg 	Zvezdny Ice Palace 	Yuzhny Ural (VHL) 	2015 	2015
Sibirskie Snaipery 	Novosibirsk 	CSC Sibir 	Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Snezhnye Barsy 	Astana 	Kazakhstan Sports Palace 	Barys Astana (KHL) 	2011 	2011
Sputnik 	Almetyevsk 	Yubileyny Sports Palace 	Neftyanik Almetyevsk (VHL) 	2011 	2016
Stalnye Lisy 	Magnitogorsk 	Magnitogorsk Arena 	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Tolpar 	Ufa 	Ice Palace/Ufa Arena 	Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL) 	2009 	2009
Tyumensky Legion 	Tyumen 	Sports Palace Tyumen 	Rubin Tyumen (VHL) 	2010 	2010
==History==
===Seasons overview===
Season 	Kharlamov Cup Winner 	Kharlamov Cup finalist	Final score	Eastern Conference winner 	Western conference winner 	Regular season winner
2009–10	Stalnye Lisy 	Kuznetskie Medvedi 	3–1 	Stalnye Lisy (54 games, 135 points) 	Krylya Sovetov (66 games, 119 points)	Stalnye Lisy (41-4-4-5)
2010–11	Krasnaya Armiya 	Stalnye Lisy 	4–0 	Tolpar Ufa (53 games, 121 points) 	MHC Khimik (56 games, 107 points) 	Tolpar Ufa (37-1-8-7)
2011–12	Omskie Yastreby 	Krasnaya Armiya 	4–1 	Omskie Yastreby (60 games, 114 points)	Almaz (60 games, 128 points) 	Almaz (40-2-2-14)
2012–13	Omskie Yastreby 	MHC Spartak 	4–3 	Omskie Yastreby (61 games, 151 points)	Atlanty (64 games, 135 points) 	Omskie Yastreby (43-10-2-6)
2013–14	MHC Spartak 	Krasnaya Armiya 	4–3 	MHC Bars (56 games, 135 points) 	Loko Yaroslavl (56 games, 136 points)	Loko Yaroslavl (39-8-3-6)
2014–15	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod	SKA-1946 	4–1 	Belye Medvedi (54 games, 124 points) 	Loko Yaroslavl (56 games, 122 points)	Belye Medvedi (36-7-2-9)
2015–16	Loko Yaroslavl 	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod	4–1 	Omskie Yastreby (44 games, 93 points) 	Loko Yaroslavl (42 games, 92 points) 	Omskie Yastreby (26-6-3-9)
2016–17	Krasnaya Armiya 	Reaktor 	4–0 	Reaktor (60 games, 123 points) 	SKA-1946 (60 games, 121 points) 	Reaktor (36-4-7-13)
2017–18	Loko Jaroslavl 	SKA-1946 	4–2 	Loko (64 games, 162 points) 	SKA-1946 (64 games, 155 points) 	Loko (47-9-3-5)
===2009–10 season===
In the first MHL season, 22 teams participated, all from Russia. The MHL opened its doors on September 4, 2009 in Moscow, when the first ever MHL game was played between MHC Dynamo (then the junior team of Dynamo Moscow) and CSKA-Red Army (the junior team of CSKA Moscow) with Dynamo picking up the historic 6–2 victory.
The 2010 Challenge Cup (), the all-star game of the MHL, was played on February 6 in the Ice Palace in Saint Petersburg. The Western Conference team defeated the Eastern Conference team 6–4. The last matches of the regular season were played on March 8, 2010. Steel Foxes (the junior team of Metallurg Magnitogorsk) won the Eastern Conference regular season and the overall MHL regular season with 135 points in 54 games. Soviet Wings won the Western Conference regular season with 119 points in 66 games.
The playoffs started on March 13, 2010. No teams of the Western Conference made it past the round of 16 of the playoffs. Steel Foxes and Kuznetskie Medvedi (the junior team of Metallurg Novokuznetsk) reached the playoff finals for the Kharlamov Cup. The first game of the best-of-five series between these two clubs was played on April 21, 2010. Steel Foxes won the first ever Kharlamov Cup after defeating Kuznetsk Bears 3–2 on April 26, 2010 and winning the series 3–1. Belye Medvedi (the junior team of Traktor Chelyabinsk) and Tolpar (the junior team of Salavat Yulaev Ufa) lost the semi-finals series of the playoffs and played in a two-legged tie for the third place. The first match of the tie was played on April 20, 2010 on Belye Medvedi's home ice and the second leg on April 24 on Tolpar's home ice. Tolpar won both games, first 4–2, second 5–2 and clinched third place of the first season of the MHL.
===2010–11 season===
The number of teams was expanded from 22 in the inaugural season to 29 in the second season. 8 new teams joined the league while Dynamo Moscow's junior team left the league. Sheriff, the junior team of HC MVD in the inaugural season, was moved to Tver and would serve as the junior team of UHC Dynamo in the second season. Phoenix was renamed to MHC Khimik. MHC Krylya Sovetov was reunited with PHC Krylya Sovetov (playing in the VHL) and the MHL team of the newly reunited club was moved to Dmitrov. Among the new teams were teams from Belarus (Minskie Zubry (then the junior team of Dinamo Minsk) and MHC Yunost (the junior team of Yunost Minsk)) and Latvia (HC Riga (the junior team of Dinamo Riga)), thus making the league international. Both conferences were divided into 2 divisions each.
The regular season started on 4 September 2010 in Magnitogorsk with a match for the Opening Cup between last year's Kharlamov Cup playoff finalists Steel Foxes and Kuznetskie Medvedi. Steel Foxes won the match with 8 goals to 1. The 2011 Challenge Cup took place in Ufa on 12 February 2011. As in 2010, the match pitted the best players of the Western Conference on one side against the best players of the Eastern Conference on the other side. In the West, MHC Khimik won the regular season, while in the East, Tolpar Ufa was the winner.
The playoffs were for the first time separate in each conference, with the two winners meeting in the Kharlamov Cup final. In the final, the Red Army team from Moscow defeated the Steel Foxes from Magnitogorsk with a 4–0 sweep.
===2011–12 season===
For the 2011–12 season, a second division named MHL-B was established, which features mostly junior teams of VHL teams. A relegation and promotion system is in place between the MHL and MHL-B. The number of MHL teams was expanded from 29 to 32. One team, Krylya Sovetov, left the league, while 4 new teams joined: Tatranskí Vlci from Spišská Nová Ves, Slovakia (the junior team of Lev Poprad), Kapitan Stupino from Stupino, Snezhnye Barsy from Astana, Kazakhstan (the junior team of Barys Astana) and Mamonty Yugry from Khanty-Mansiysk (the junior team of Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk). Minskie Zubry were renamed to Dinamo-Shinnik and moved to Babruysk. Sheriff was renamed to MHC MVD and moved from Tver to Balashikha.
The 2012 Challenge Cup took place in Magnitogorsk on 11 February 2012. The first ever Future Cup () took place in Chelyabinsk on 13 March 2012 and featured the best under-18 players (not born before 1 January 1994) of both the MHL and the MHL-B division.
The regular season winners were the Omsk Hawks (the junior team of Avangard Omsk) in the East and Almaz Cherepovets (the junior team of Severstal Cherepovets) in the West. Omsk Hawks also made it to the Kharlamov Cup final, where they defeated the Red Army team from Moscow with a 4–1 series win.
===2012–13 season===
For their fourth season, the MHL expanded to Czech Republic and Hungary, with the junior team of HC Energie Karlovy Vary and Patriot Budapest joining. The two Russian teams Kristall Berdsk and HC Oktan Perm were promoted from MHL-B, while Ladya Togliatti (the junior team of Lada Togliatti) and HC Olimpiya Kirovo-Chepetsk were relegated. Slovak team Tatranskí Vlci withdrew from the league. These changes brought the number of teams up to 33, representing 6 countries.
The Omsk Hawks once again made it to the Kharlamov Cup final, where this time they defeated MHC Spartak (the junior team of Spartak Moscow) from Moscow in 7 games, winning the seventh game in overtime thanks to Kirill Rasskazov. Omsk Hawks also became the first team ever to not only win 2 Kharlamov Cups, but also the first team to ever repeat as Kharlamov Cup champions.
===2013–14 season===
For the fifth season, the league expanded to 40 teams, divided into two conferences with two divisions each. New teams are the junior team of EC Red Bull Salzburg from Austria, Molodaya Gvardia from Ukraine (the junior team of HC Donbass) and Dinamo Saint Petersburg. Ladya Togliatti, Olimpiya Kirovo-Chepetsk, Junior Kurgan (the junior team of Zauralie Kurgan) and HC Chelny were promoted from MHL-B. Oktan Perm was renamed to "Molot". In September, after the season had already started, Patriot from Hungary withdrew from the league, leaving only 39 teams to play the season.
MHC Spartak achieved redemption this season after falling just short the season before by winning the Kharlamov Cup defeating their rivals, the Red Army team from Moscow, 4–3 in the final.
===2014–15 season===
For the sixth season, the league went through a number of changes, with 2 teams joining the league and 2 teams leaving, each for different reasons. Due to the War in Donbass, the league stated that Molodaya Gvardia would miss this season. JHC Bars (then the junior team of Ak Bars Kazan) left the league to join the Supreme Hockey League (VHL). Their place as Ak Bars Kazan's junior team would be taken by Irbis. New teams joining the league were an expansion team from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk called the Sakhalin Sharks as well as Berkuty Kubani Krasnodar from Krasnodar, who were promoted from MHL-B.
Chaika (the junior team of Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod) won the Kharlamov Cup for the first time after defeating SKA-1946 (one of the junior teams of SKA Saint Petersburg) with a 4–1 final series win.
===2015–16 season===
For the seventh season, the league once again went through some big changes, with both a small number of teams joining the league, but also with a huge number of teams leaving. Those teams leaving included MHC Khimik, who left the league to join the Supreme Hockey League (VHL), the junior team of EC Red Bull Salzburg, the junior team of HC Energie Karlovy Vary, Belye Tigry, Berkuty Kubani Krasnodar, Junior Kurgan, Dinamo-Shinnik and JHC Yunost (the junior team of Yunost Minsk). Meanwhile, new teams joining the league included the Russia U18 squad as well as Sarmaty from Orenburg (the junior team of Yuzhny Ural Orsk) and Dinamo-Raubichi (then the junior team of Dinamo Minsk) from Minsk, Belarus.
Chaika returned to the Kharlamov Cup final, but were not able to repeat as champions, with Loko Yaroslavl (the junior team of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl) winning the series, 4–1.
The first ever (and so far only) Super Cup () took place on 30 April 2016 in Uchaly. It was the trophy awarded to the winner of the game between the winner of the Kharlamov Cup (the MHL champions) and the winner of the Regions Cup (the MHL-B champions) and was won by Loko Yaroslavl 5–1 against Gornyak Uchaly.
===2016–17 season===
For the eighth season, the number of teams in the league was at 31 teams, representing 3 countries (28 from Russia, 2 from Kazakhstan and 1 from Latvia). Teams that left the league were Olimpiya Kirovo-Chepetsk, Dinamo-Raubichi, Russia U18 and the Sakhalin Sharks. Meanwhile, the teams that joined the league were Sputnik Almetyevsk (the junior team of Neftyanik Almetyevsk), expansion club Taifun from Ussuriysk (the junior team of Admiral Vladivostok), Altay Oskemen from Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan (the junior team of Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk) as well as Krylya Sovetov who were returning to the league after being inactive for five years.
While Reaktor (the junior team of Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk) dominated both the regular season and the first three rounds of the playoffs, they were not able to continue their success in the Kharlamov Cup final, with the Red Army team taking the series in a 4–0 sweep, winning their second Kharlamov Cup.
===2017–18 season===
Season nine featured some minor changes with only 2 teams joining the league. Those teams were KRS Junior (the junior team of Kunlun Red Star) from Beijing, China (though they play their home games in Riga, Latvia) and returning Kapitan Stupino (which became the junior team of HC Sochi), thus bringing the number of teams in the league up to 33 once again, this time representing only 4 countries. Meanwhile, MHC MVD was renamed to MHK Dynamo.
==International matches==
===Tour of North America 2010–11===
In December 2010 and January 2011, a team composed of players playing in the MHL named the Red Stars toured North America and played 5 games there with the following results:
Date 	Arena 	City 	Home team 	Score	Visiting team
28 December 2010	Tate Rink 	West Point, New York 	Army Black Knights 	4–11 	MHL Red Stars
29 December 2010	Ingalls Rink 	New Haven, Connecticut	Yale Bulldogs 	5–3 	MHL Red Stars
1 January 2011 	Gale Centre 	Niagara Falls, Ontario	GOJHL Golden Horseshoe Conference all-stars	4–7 	MHL Red Stars
3 January 2011 	Allman Arena 	Stratford, Ontario 	GOJHL Mid-Western Conference all-stars 	3–11 	MHL Red Stars
4 January 2011 	Wellington and District Community Centre	Wellington, Ontario 	Wellington Dukes 	2–5 	MHL Red Stars
===World Junior Club Cup 2011===
The city of Omsk hosted the inaugural Junior Club World Cup from August 30 to September 3, 2011. Krasnaya Armiya won the tournament beating HC Energie Karlovy Vary 7–2 in the final.
===Tour of North America 2011–12===
As in 2010, the Red Stars (), a team made of players who play in the MHL, toured North America. The opponents of the Red Stars were teams from NCAA Division I and the NAHL.
Date 	Arena 	City 	Home team 	Score	Visiting team
17 December 2011	Ralph Engelstad Arena 	Grand Forks, North Dakota	North Dakota Fighting Sioux	5–1 	MHL Red Stars
19 December 2011	Runestone Community Center	Alexandria, Minnesota 	Alexandria Blizzard 	1–5 	MHL Red Stars
21 December 2011	V.F.W. Sports Center 	Bismarck, North Dakota 	Bismarck Bobcats 	2–1 	MHL Red Stars
27 December 2011	Gutterson Fieldhouse 	Burlington, Vermont 	Vermont Catamounts 	1–6 	MHL Red Stars
28 December 2011	Ingalls Rink 	New Haven, Connecticut 	Yale Bulldogs 	6–4 	MHL Red Stars
30 December 2011	Berry Events Center 	Marquette, Michigan 	Northern Michigan Wildcats 	3–2 	MHL Red Stars
3 January 2012 	Compton Family Ice Arena 	Notre Dame, Indiana 	Notre Dame Fighting Irish 	2–1 	MHL Red Stars
5 January 2012 	Tsongas Center 	Lowell, Massachusetts 	UMass Lowell River Hawks 	6–4 	MHL Red Stars
===IIHF U20 Challenge Cup of Asia 2012===
MHL Red Stars participated in the 2012 IIHF U20 Challenge Cup of Asia, the U20 edition of the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia. Red Stars won all 4 of their games, with a total of 57–0 goals.
===Tour of North America 2012–13===
Date 	Arena 	City 	Home team 	Score	Visiting team
23 December 2012	Bright Hockey Center	Allston, MA 	Atlantic Junior Hockey League	2–11 	MHL Red Stars
27 December 2012	Tate Rink 	West Point, NY 	Army Black Knights 	2–6 	MHL Red Stars
28 December 2012	Ingalls Rink 	New Haven, CT 	Yale Bulldogs 	10–2 	MHL Red Stars
30 December 2012	Harbour Station 	Saint John, NB 	UNB Varsity Reds 	7-3 	MHL Red Stars
31 December 2012	Aitken Centre 	Fredericton, NB	UNB Varsity Reds 	5–2 	MHL Red Stars
2 January 2013 	Meehan Auditorium 	Providence, RI 	Brown Bears 	7–1 	MHL Red Stars
===IIHF U20 Challenge Cup of Asia 2013===
The MHL Red Stars participated in the 2013 IIHF U20 Challenge Cup of Asia. The tournament was held in Khabarovsk. The Red Stars won the game against South Korea but lost against Japan, finishing second in the tournament.
===Tour of North America 2013–14===
Game against the Merrimack Warriors cancelled due to severe weather concerns according to North American sources.http://www.eagletribune.com/sports/x12768168/Merrimack-hockey-game-with-Russian-team-cancelled Game ended 5 goals to 4 after a shootout according to Russian sources.
Date 	Arena 	City 	Home team 	Score 	Visiting team
23 December 2013	Tsongas Arena 	Lowell, MA 	Eastern Hockey League	4–5 	MHL Red Stars
27 December 2013	Ingalls Rink 	New Haven, CT 	Yale Bulldogs 	6–3 	MHL Red Stars
29 December 2013	Bright Hockey Center	Allston, MA 	Harvard Crimson 	9–3http://gocrimson.com/sports/mice/2013-14/releases/20131229tlb3r7 	MHL Red Stars
31 December 2013	Starr Rink 	Hamilton, NY 	Colgate Raiders 	3–2http://gocolgateraiders.com/news/2013/12/31/MHOCKEY_1231135921.aspx?path=mhock	MHL Red Stars
2 January 2014 	Lawler Rink 	North Andover, MA	Merrimack Warriors 	5–4 SO 	MHL Red Stars
3 January 2014 	Lynah Rink 	Ithaca, NY 	Cornell Big Red 	6–0 	MHL Red Stars
==References==
==External links==
* Official website
*Official website
* Official YHL YouTube Channel
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Category:Junior ice hockey in Russia
Category:Established in 2009