Facts: KHL players to SHL
Players who last season played in the KHL who have switched to the SHL.
Brynäs: Anders Lindbäck (Jokerit), Hannes Björninen (Jokerit), Niklas Friman (Jokerit), David Sklenicka (Jokerit).
Frölunda: Lars Johansson (SKA St. Petersburg), Petteri Lindbohm (Jokerit).
Ferjestad: Theodor Lennström (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, joined in February but was released from his contract before this season), Ville Pokka (Avangard Omsk).
HV71: Joni Ortio (Barys Nur-Sultan), Eric Martinsson (Barys Nur-Sultan), Andy Miele (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod), Joonas Nättinen (Severstal Tjerepovets), Mattias Tedenby (Dinamo Minsk), André Petersson (Dynamo Moscow).
Oskarshamn: –
Leksand: Olle Alsing (Barys Nur-Sultan), Anton Lindholm (Dinamo Minsk).
Linköping: Oscar Fantenberg (SKA St. Petersburg), Linus Hultström (Metallurg Magnitogorsk).
Luleå: Leo Komarov (SKA St. Petersburg)
Malmö: –
Rögle: Daniel Zaar (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, joined in February but was released from his contract ahead of this season)
Skellefteå: Pär Lindholm (Ak Bars Kazan).
Timrå: Jakob Stenqvist (Severstal Tjerepovets), Emil Pettersson (Spartak Moscow), Anton Wedin (Dynamo Moscow).
Växjö: Lukas Bengtsson (Dinamo Minsk), Dan Sexton (Neftechimik Nizjnekamsk).
Örebro: Philip Holm (Jokerit).
Footnote: Some of the players played last season both in the KHL and in another league.
Source: Elite Prospects.
When the KHL was formed in 2008, it quickly became the second best league after the North American NHL. With fat salary envelopes, a year ago the highest paid players were said to earn over ten million kroner per season, many stars were attracted to, for example, CSKA Moscow, Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Vladimir Putin’s favorite club SKA St. Petersburg.
But after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, playing in the KHL is unthinkable for many Swedish players. The Swedish Ice Hockey Federation has also marked by banning KHL players in Tre Kronor.
Admittedly, several players, especially many Canadians, have signed contracts with KHL clubs even after the outbreak of war. But among European players, there are significantly fewer and, for example, 39 Swedish players from last season have become seven.
Instead, many players’ eyes are directed towards Switzerland and Sweden. The Swiss top league NLA increased the number of import places in each team from four to six players and many big names have applied there.
But this also applies to Sweden, where players have connected on an assembly line.
“There has been a big difference, I have to say that,” says HV71’s sports manager Kent Norberg.
Recruited to two clubs
Norberg has been in a special position. As Timrå’s sporting director, he strengthened the team with the returnees Anton Wedin, Anton Lander and Emil Pettersson.
In May, he took over as sports manager for HV71 and has then helped to build the team by, among other things, bringing home star forwards Mattias Tedenby and André Petersson from the KHL.
Kent Norberg, here in the meantime as sports director in Timrå. Archive image.
— Above all, there are more names than before. I think there were around 130 foreigners in the KHL last year and there are many Finnish and Swedish players who have not chosen to go back. It is clear that players will then be available on the market, says Norberg.
Another team that has benefited is Linköping, which among other things has brought in two star backs in the Olympic duo Linus Hultström and Oscar Fantenberg.
Would they and other players have joined if it wasn’t for the Russian invasion? It is not completely certain.
“In terms of players, it is clear that there are a number of names that have come to the league who had definitely looked at playing in the KHL,” says Linköping’s general manager Niklas Persson and continues:
— It’s fun for us that they come home, there’s no talk of it. You can only be happy that they choose our league based on the competition that exists, especially the one from Switzerland, which is an attractive league if you don’t play in North America.
Competition from Switzerland
Both Kent Norberg and Niklas Persson talk about Switzerland as a major competitor, above all in terms of wages.
— It is economically advantageous to go to Switzerland because it is net money too. It is a very difficult opponent given the exchange rate and it means that it is really well paid, says Norberg.
“In terms of wages, we definitely cannot compare with Switzerland,” says Persson.
Niklas Persson. Archive image.
But the SHL, like the Swiss NLA, has brought in a lot of stars to the league.
— It is the best and most even SHL in many years. It is difficult to compare past and present, but if you look at the last seven, eight years, it will be the best edition of the SHL. These players increase the quality, says Norberg.
“Switzerland and Sweden – red-hot”
Agent Martin Nilsson at Alterno Management, who works with around 25 SHL players, experienced early on that many players reasoned in a similar way.
— From the players we represent, I experienced quite quickly that their feeling was that Russia is not relevant. I think it’s just how we Swedes reason about the whole situation, he says.
He continues:
— We are quite convinced that things will continue to go that way. What has become is that Switzerland and Sweden are red-hot, above all for Europeans.
Right now, seven Swedes play in the KHL. Martin Nilsson says he would never encourage anyone to go to that league.
— I think it is misconduct as an agent to advise your client to play in the KHL under the current circumstances. I stand for that and I think that many in the corps think the same, although I have not spoken to that many. Having said that, you never know where the world will go next. But here and now there is no reason to advise your player to play in Russia, says Nilsson.