FeedA Glimpse Into The KHL
January 13, 2011 in A glimpse into the KHL, International Hockey, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators Tags: Alexei Yashin, KHL, Kontinental Hockey League, Russian hockey, St. Petersburg SKA, Vityas Chekhov
My old friend Denis Brel, in St. Petersburg, Russia, was at a Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) game recently between the hometown, first-place SKA (in blue) and visiting basement-dwellars Vityaz Chekhov, a game in which Chekhov upset the big shots 5-4 in a shootout.
Denis has sent along some nice photos.
The player dropping the puck (name unknown) in the middle picture is from the gold medal-winning Russian junior squad, now back with his SKA team.
In the third photo, one of St. Petersburg’s biggest stars, Alexei Yashin, whom we all know from his time in Ottawa and Long Island, is one of the featured players on the scoreboard. It also seems, from the fourth picture, that Russian fans don’t like sitting behind the net.
Ticket prices at SKA games range from 100 rubles to 500, about three to fifteen dollars. Denis reports that 100 rubles is the price of three beer, four metro tickets, one toothbrush, or the cost of one month of slow internet.
Denis also says the SKA cheerleaders are mini-celebrities around the city and many fans know their names.
This is part one, with parts two and three coming shortly.
January 13th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Thank you for this very interesting glimpse into the world of the KHL, Dennis and Denis.
Is the league having problems with attendance? Because it sure doesn’t look like a sellout crowd judging by the pictures.
January 13th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Danno, Denis said attendance was 14,000 that night, about double what they’ve been getting. They pay their players great dough so it has to come from oil money etc. It’s not from ticket sales – three bucks to seventeen for a ticket.
January 13th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
excellent feature………………. what are the names of the cheerleaders?
January 13th, 2011 at 5:57 pm
Hobo, I’ll ask Denis and get back to you.
January 13th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Interesting Dennis and thanks to you and Denis 2.0 for sharing. I’m tired after a 14 hour drive but have nonetheless come up with two completely irrelevant thoughts. 1 – This photo makes Alexei look like a psycho serial killer. 2 – That’s either some truly cheap, horrible beer or one hoity toity toothbrush.
January 13th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Beer’s always been a good deal over there, Tyg. But I guess toothbrushes aren’t. Did you have a good time in Montreal and did you have to drive in bad weather?
January 13th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Hey Dennis,Looks like a game in Atlanta or Phoenix, lots of empty seats eh.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:04 am
Derry, it seems like they don’t like to sit behind the goals. I was at games years ago in the old Russian league before the KHL and seats were empty behind the nets then too. They got 14,000 for this game, but they also pay millions to their stars so they’re getting their money from elsewhere, not ticket sales, that’s for sure.
January 14th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Dennis the report on the first leg of my trip to Montreal has been posted. I did have some nasty weather to contend with during the trip back, but as I am typing a reply it stands to reason I’m thankfully not dead in a ditch somewhere. Had an awesome time in Montreal. Next time you should come also.