AIK grabs the last straw

After a very turbulent season, almost an understatement considering all that has happened, AIK grabbed the opportunity presented to them by promotion contenders Leksand and Rögle to take the second qualification spot to Elitserien. They 'only' had to beat Växjö in the last game to secure their advancement, but as always in Kvalserien, the 'onlys' quickly becomes knuckle-biting 'possiblys'. 

AIK managed to secure the win (2-0) in a tightly fought contest, with both goals scored in the dying minutes of the game in a packed out Johanneshov, thereby securing vital income to the beleaguered club. This was arguably the last chance for survival for the club with the economy being in tatters. And they took it! Puckin' Hell wants to congratulate AIK and their prominent blogger Black Boris for a job well done.

Let the Battle Commence

Several big games are coming up before the end of the normal season this coming Sunday, and it all kicks off tonight with a couple of interesting matches. At the top end of the table we see Almtuna hosting Växjö - a game that will most likely play a major factor in the outcome for which team will have to go through play offs to Kvalserien. Växjö supportrs have in fact arranged buses for the game. That they could only fill up a couple of mini-buses is pathetic, not surprising seeing that they are said to be more tight-arsed than the Scots, but at least it is a start.

 

Once again, there will be more players than fans representing the Lakers

AIK take on Mora in the other game concerning the three fighting for two automatic qualification spots. AIK has a good record against Mora at home over the last couple of seasons and will be hoping to take all three points. With Mora severely out of form at the moment, this looks likely, but the players will have to be more focused than they were in the loss against lowly Sundsvall last game. Even more interestingly we have an internal AIK battle to look out for as well. The AIK football team is playing a pre season friendly against Syrianska FC at the same time as the ice hockey is happening. Which team will draw in more people? Sadly enough, I suspect a non-competitive game of football is higher rated than an important hockey game in the Swedish capital. Philestines!

HockeyAllsvenskan - The Good and The Bad

We are reaching the end of the normal season and Hockeyallsvenskan will be divided in qualification leagues at either end of the table. Even though there are still a few games to go with some very important matches to be played, I'll take a look at the surprises and disappointments of the league.

The Biggest Surprises

1. Bofors IK
   The team has really improved over the last few seasons. For first making themselves known as the most boring/negative team in the country who were  only surviving because of the loan players from Färjestad, Bofors has become an attractive team to watch and still being very hard to break down. A fantastic start of the season has bee cancelled out by the inevitable 'blip'. A small squad that is very sensitive to injuries has been their undoing. If they can keep the prominent players in the team for next season and add some width, they will be very strong indeed.
2. Almtuna IS
   Another team that has been working hard, just away from the spotlight of the bigger teams. Jonas Rönnqvist and Bert Robertsson has worked purposefully with the team and have every player and every unit working for each other. And it's working well. Automatic qualification to Kvalserien is a real prossibility.
3. AIK
   Some might be surprised I am putting AIK, who had a fantastic season last year on my surprises list. Well, I disagree - and this page is my universe, so I can do what I want. AIK did have a fantastic season last year, but I suspected they would be exposed  after the great season they had last year. Their success was built on a solid defence but with Dick Tärnström getting one year older (read 'one year slower'),  and their new signings looking distinctly average, I thought their time would be up. I was right. 'Dicken' is one year slower, and the signings have not been as successful as some would have thought. What has happened is that the other team members have stepped up. A lot. Players like Bång, Sandberg and Gynge are now undoubtedly among the best in the division and would arguably be an asset to any team in elitserien. However, I don't think it will be enough to get promoted, especially since the team still mixes great performances with outright embarrassing ones, but in Kvalserien anything can happen.
   
   
   

This is the way to do it Rönnqvist style. Amazingly it seems to work...

...and the disappointments

1. Björklöven
   The club is once again dragged into the relegation battle. The name, the history and the budget is for a team fighting at the other end of the table, but something has gone seriously wrong in Umeå. Should the club manage to stay in Allsvenskan at the end of the season, I expect to see some major changes with more than a few heads rolling. But at the moment that is a big 'should' that needs to be resolved before thinking about anything else.
2. Västerås IK
   Again a club that were not only looking to challenge for Kvalserien, but to get there as a top 3 team. Nothing has been wrong with the budget or the resources - there can really be no excuses for the failure. As the results have improved over the last few weeks, will it be enough to secure coaches Claes Lindbom's and Fredik Nilsson's contract for next year. I seriously doubt it.
3. Leksands IF
   It's hard to argue this case with the club looking at its third consecutive top spot finish in AS, but I think there are some major issues in the club this season compared to before. The team largely consists of a top division squad, but the public has been treated to division 3 hockey. The lack of ability to kill off a game and to dominate teams seem odd considering the large budget. Will it be enough to go to Elitserien? Not until they learn to beat teams like Borås anyway.

AIK Denied Move

The Swedish Hockey Association has finally had their meeting to discuss AIK's motion for a move to KHL. As predicted, the Asssociation denied AIK this with the motivation that 'A united domestic ice hockey movement is in the best interest of Swedish hockey and its development'. They also point to the benefits of international collaborations and competitions but state that international cups would be the best way to achieve this.

The Trans-Siberian railway track will not be extended to Stockholm.

Would AIK make the move [they have stated they will not go against the decision of the Association, and IIHF would most likely not allow the Russians to take in a Swedish team without SHF approving it - so in effect this will not be happening], SHF states that the club would have to start from the bottom tier should they want to rejoin the Swedish league. This in combination that there was no proviso that this decision would possibly change would other teams come up with a similar plan, is a right kick in the nuts for Loob and the Nordic Trophy teams, who are looking into joining KHL/starting a 'Nordic' conference of the Russian league. Basically, the Swedish Association will not allow them. At long last, someone is standing up to the 'big five'.

How Not to do Marketing

The clubs in Allsvenskan were rewarded with a better TV deal than ever when they signed with Viasat before the start of this season. The clubs are rumoured to recieve something in the region of SEK 1-1.2 million for the rights to broadcast the games.

Viasat in turn has an agreement with the Schibstedt Concern, who among other publications owns Aftonbladet, the biggest tabloid in the country (the paper is also the most visited website in Sweden). Schibstedt has also a fairly new online pay-per-view sports channel in S24.se, the Viasat agreement allows S24 to broadcast a number of games from Allsvenskan on their portal. Viasat has their own PPV service with viasatondemand.se, this unlike S24 is however geographically resticted to Sweden (and possibly Finland - but I am unsure of this).

This has worked well, or at least as well as expected from live online TV broadcasting.

However, last week S24 announced that, due to the economical difficulties faced by AIK, they would donate SEK 10 per ticket bought by AIK fans to view the away game against Bofors IK (AIK won 5-2).

For a media company they do surprisingly not seem to understand the impact of this action - they probably thought they'd come across as nice and helpful with this token gesture. Bofors was of course incensed by this move. AIK supporters who might have come to watch the game are now told they will help the club economically by watching it on the web, hence Borfors losing money from the gate and sale of refreshments. Other clubs and fans are asking how a company supposed to cover the games unbiased are allowed to sponsor one team and not the others.

Supporters from Växjö has rallied around calling for a boycott of the channel, and as Växjö fans are apparently buying most tickets for the online games, this can have unwanted implications for S24.

A supposed representative for S24 has posted a message on different boards explaining their decision. The amusing thing is that some of the claims in the message do not add up.

1. This is part of an ongoing drive to help all individual clubs.
2. Other teams are occasionally given five free codes to offer fans.
3. Other teams has been offered this type of arrangement before, but none have as yet been inclined to accept.

Blahblahblah. Corporate bullshit at its worst! Let's look a bit closer. 

1. That sounds all good, but uncharacteristically  charitable for a profit making company. But hey, each to their own! 

2. It is a slightly different matter to give consumers a freebie than to pay money into the account of the club they support. The clubs provide S24 with a good channel in which to directly source customers. I can't see the clubs rejecting this (unless they are hosting the game and might lose money on people staying in) and it increases the awareness of the company as far as S24 would be concerned. This 'cost' would fall under marketing - this is a known and tried formula they use. Normal marketing - no problem. 

3. This is where it sounds odd. Are they asking people to believe any club would have turned down the prospect of getting free money? I can bet you both my balls and a bluberry pie that this has never happened. I make a good blueberry pie by the way.

The facts are very simple. S24 are not making money and need to sell more than they have so far. AIK has many fans (that few care about ice hockey is another issue) and as so few go to watch the games, S24 simply see this as an untapped part of the market that they want in on. The general idea was most likely that they would get some publicity through this move - at least Aftonbladet ran with it (surprise!) and AIK fans knowing the club is needing all the money they can get, might just start watching the games online - and hopefully more than just this once. I can't see that this move put more than a few hundred in the AIK coffers, why this is in practical terms means that S24 just shat in their own handbag for no good reason.

The clubs have sold the TV rights and should not be expecting any more money than they have already received. But maybe due to the ill thought out move by S24, they might be in line for a small additional contribution as they will be forced to do this for the other teams as well. Thank you!

What's in a Kiss?

What's in a kiss
Have you ever wondered just what it is
More perhaps than just a moment of bliss
Tell me what's in a kiss.
What's in a dream
Is it all the things you'd like to have been
All the places that you haven't yet seen
Tell me what's in a dream.
I know it's really rather stupid of me
But I honestly don't know
Every time I try to find a solution
I'm surprised at how quickly I become so slow.
What's in a kiss
Have you ever wondered just what it is
More perhaps than just one moment of bliss
Tell me what's in a kiss.

And any time you need a light refreshment
Baby you can count on me
I am your very own delicatessen
Well equipped to supply you with your every need.
Well what's in a kiss
Have you ever wondered just what it is
More perhaps than just one moment of bliss
Tell me what's in a kiss.

Gilbert O'Sullivan

Correct answer: 10 minutes in the cooling box

Lovebirds

Note: After Pelle Prestberg scored, he threw a kiss towards his old coach, Roger Melin, now in AIK. The referee(s) assumed it was aimed at the AIK bench and the forward was sent to rest for 10 minutes. Melin acknowledged after the game that there was part of ongoing banter between the two of them and that there was no malicious intent.

Cursing the... game...

Leksand beat AIK in a very tight game 6-5 in a highly anticipated battle between the two top teams of the second tier in Swedish ice hockey. None of the teams on display would, by the evidence of tonight's game, deserve a place in the top league (OK, the bottom is fairly crap in the Swedish Elite League, Elitserien, but would still be having a good time against these two sides).

Ok, your teams are worse than my outfit. So, shut up.

[The section below has been rewritten the morning after the game. Must learn not to drink and blog]

There has been talk of the Curse of AIK with Leksand only beating their counterparts twice over the last couple of seasons. Despite the win, it would be stretching it to say the ghost was completely exorcised - but at least for the time being the bragging rights are held at the southern shores of lake Siljan.

Notable is that seven of the eleven goals came in powerplay (5 for LIF, 2 for AIK). A lethal powerplay is today very important to win games, but equally important is to have a solid boxplay - take note Melin! On the other hand, there is now just over a month for LIF coach Strömberg to get the 5-on-5 play working, starting with play in defensive zone and how to pass a puck. Both outfits will indeed have their next few practice sessions planned out.

There were however some very good individual displays yesterday. On his evidence of his performance, Christian Sandberg, should be able to walk into any team - at least you're welcome back to Dalarna on a more permanent basis. Tony Virta/Jussi Pesonen has started showing why they were brought in and should prove valuable for the team in the coming two months..

On the Solna Sunset

The demise of AIK is continuing, now more apparent on the rink as well as through the news coming from the boardroom. Leksand is hosting the club tonight and it is not unlikely we will see them cash in their third consecutive loss. The recent results mean they find themselves dragged into the battle to avoid the play off games to qualify for Kvalserien. With Malmö showing superb form - 8 straight wins recorded - and both Växjö Lakers and Almtuna breathing down their necks, AIK will have to regain their composure to ensure an automatic qualification spot.

False advertising - it's always cloudy in Solna

Personally I think they will struggle. It must be hard to play in the environment created by the off-ice issues at the club. When the board states the club is unlikely to survive unless they are allowed to play in KHL next season, there are more then a few implications for the players. If you're not even good enough to play in the Swedish top league, how could you cut it in KHL? If the club is denied the move, you're most likely either having you pay cut and/or having to find yourself a new club. Talk about job-satisfaction being on an all-time high!

On top of this, you have the continuing problem of empty seats at their home games. Over the last few games, the average attendance has dropped to under 2000. This is of course not only adding to the already severe economical problems, but obviously unhelpful for the players. Are the fans already looking east, or have they just given up? This is a major problem for the club, and has been for some years. With people going to the games, sponsors would be happy to splash the money and AIK would arguably not be in the position they find themselves today. 

It is truly a sad statement made by the fans [sic.] as you see their football team playing a pre-pre season friendly in front of almost 4000. Outside. In early February. Winter. This, while the hockey section is struggling for survival.

Fuck me!

KHL Chaos - TBC

AIK has had a members meeting to decide if KHL is the way to go or if the club should stay in the Swedish system and fight a losing battle to survive.

The meeting, attended by 200 odd supporters, voted in favour of KHL, but with the proviso that the board should investigate the actualities in more detail before another meeting will take place where the final decision will be made. This meeting will only be scheduled once the Swedish Ice Hockey Association has had a meeting to decide if AIK will be allowed to enter a foreign league.None of these meetings have been officially scheduled yet.

There are some major complications occurring due to this non-decision. KHL wants a final answer be April 1 for entry to the 20010/11 season. Qualification to the Swedish Elite League, through Kvalserien, starts in the later half of March. AIK has already budgeted for participation in this and look like they will qualify for the competition. A representative of the national association has however made a statement saying AIK will have to play in Sweden next year if entering Kvalserien.

So, what did we decide again?

I find it strange that the AIK members have given these I-will-but-I-won't messages to the world. It would have made much more sense to say nothing and await the more detailed study to be made by the board, or a clear Yes or No. This leaves the Swedish Association unable to make a decision in the question as they do not know what AIK's application to KHL would entail, KHL has been clear from the beginning in stating the deadline for an application (oh yes, AIK would have to apply to see if they actually fulfil the criteria set out by KHL, so an application is no guarantee), but are now facing requests from AIK to push back this deadline so the club can try to qualify for the Elite League. Talk about aksing to marry your girlfriend, on the proviso that you can hook up with you ex for a week long shag-fest. If she gets preganant you might go with her instead. Fair enough!

AIK has put themselves in a very precarious position and I am unsure who will make the first move. Something will have to happen before March 21, so story to be continued.

Da? Niet? Whatever...

KHL AIKSupporerts of AIK are heading to the ballots tonight, voting for a possible future in the KHL or if the club should remain in the confines of the Swedish hockey league. It's a hot topic within the Swedish hockey community and has divided the fans opinions, transcending club allegiances. The only main issue is that members seem to be a bit confused as to what they are actually voting for. There are no economical forcasts made public, nor details of how this is supposed to work practically. It seems the AIK board has already adapted to the Russian ways...

It is no secret the KHL wants to expand - it was written in a document as the league was formed - but they have been rejected German and Austrian teams. The only other letter of intent that has ever been signed is by Czech team HC Energie Karlovy Vary. This has however failed to materialise due to the economic downturn. Negotiations are also underway with another Czech team, Hradec Karlove HC.

I'll go with laughing-boy!

But even if AIK's members would vote in favour of joining the Russian league there are several objects in the way to doing so. A big one is that the likelihood of the Swedish Hockey Association allowing them to do so is minimal. To leave the association is unprecedented and possibly impossible as the KHL are affiliated under IIHF and IIHF would most certainly back the national association in this case, leaving KHL forced to refuse AIK entry and abilty to participate in any competition.

Also, KHL have in their statement regarding AIK signing the letter of intent, stated that AIK would be welcome to participate from 2010-2011, provided AIK observes all the terms and conditions, and meets all KHL admission criteria. I have yet to find any information as to what the admission criteria is.

Personally I think this is a bit of a non-event as I can't see how AIK would be allowed to join in the ranks of  KHL teams. I would hope it acts as a wake up call for the Swedish league to sort out its problems and restructure the current system to become more competitive. As for AIK, I can see them wanting to do this to cover their bases in case they fail to advance to Elitserien. The last few seasons has shown the club will face a long, slow death unless they get promoted. However, I don't think they'd fare that much better in a Russian league.

Laraque wants to return to AIK

Montreal Canadiens' Georges Laraque has been told he can leave the NHL outfit. The physical forward has had a torrid time over the last few seasons, only scoring 20 points in 129 games the last four seasons. Laraque spent  part of the lock-out season 2004/05 in AIK and became somewhat of a cult player as he helped the club advance from division 1 to Allsvenskan, scoring 17 points in the 13 games while at the club.

As AIK's economical issues are well published - although the immediate threat of bankruptcy has been death with - there seems the club will not have the money required to pay him. Laraque however has said he'd be willing to return to the club and play for free, leaving AIK to take care of his expenses. This should be well within their reach and I expect to see Laraque make a move to Solna before the close of the transfer window.

Laraque doing what he does best

Many fans have sated they'd be looking forward to the possibility of seeing two heavyweights in Leksand's Jan-Luc Grand-Pierre and Laraque squaring up to each other in Kvalserien. Even though it is a possibility, I'd suggest it is only a remote one as the two are cousins.

Meanwhile Södertälje SK, at the bottom of Elitserien, has made a coup and strengthened their squad by signing Finnish goaltender Riku Hellenius from Tampa Bay. This might prove a very important signing come the battle to stay in the top league.

Big night in Stockholm

Tonight is a big night in the Swedish capital. I know the national opera is putting on The Barber of Seville, but it's not the reason for the importance of this evening. Nor is it the much awaited appearance of Brit post-punk band The XX. It's not even the much acclaimed exhibition of Pre Revolutionary Film Poster Art in Iran that is setting the capital alight. Strangely enough it is the visit of a mediocre hockey team from the deep forests of Dalarna that is making people leave the comfort of their sofas in Stockholm, this city of cities - centre of the known Universe and epicentre of Culture and Refinement etc etc.

Missed the Film? Don't worry - the poster is better.

Johanneshov is once again going to have a bumper crowd. when Leksand comes to visit. This will bring much needed money into the coffers of AIK - and if the tradition from the last couple of years is to be upheld, three points to the team. One can only wonder why AIK only manages to be 8th(!) in the attendance table when the team is challenging for a place in the top league. It is rather shameful when you see Bofors drawing bigger crowds than AIK.

The Solna outfit has this year a disappointing attendance average of 2.343. The biggest game of the year so far has been the earlier game versus Leksand where 6.028 came to watch. Compare this to 1.036 (Oskarshamn) and 1.054 (Almtuna) which are their lowest figures, you see this is in fact an important night in Stockholm.

Reasons listed for not going to watch the games has been as many as the empty seats in section A3. The most prevalent being '...but there is sooo much to do in Stockholm.' Yes, of course, you can't miss the exhilarating 'Tvättstugan' exhibition or go to see 'Kimono Fusion' to learn about the changing role of this important traditional Japanese costume. With this as competition and with a catchment area covering only an aproximate amount of 1.5 million people, you can see the struggle faced by 'We are everywhere'-AIK.

Seconds after this shot, the crowd went completely mental as AIK scored.

I sadly can't join them, but will once again be seated in front of the computer, spending money on a shit broadcast, listening to some overrated once-managed-to-hit-a-puck expert while watching two - at the best - mediocre teams. But then again, there isn't too much else to do in London tonight.

Rats angered by chicken

The weathered AIK supporters like giving it large, but apparently can not stand it when they get some back. Örebro's new signing, former Djurgården player Markus Kristoffersson proves hockey players do have a sense of humour as he is led to the dressing room. The reaction of the travelling supporters might not be unexpected, but still completely uncalled for. Personally, I think it's a great wind-up. More of this please!

Check the run-up to the incident (immediately) and the incident itself (aprox. 1.25 into the clip).

Rodents close to extinction?

The latest news in the AIK saga is that the sign up for share options is going slower than expected. In a statement to Aftonbladet, chairman Peter Mellqvist said the club needs to bring in SEK 20 million. At the moment, the club has sold shares for less than half of this sum (9.3 million). The signing up period seems to have been extended by one more week to 31/12, but if the club has not received the sum required by then, the likelyhood of the club surviving is slim.

Players are warned they might not get paid for December. 'I hope we can, but there are no guarantees. We struggle to make our payments every month' says Mellqvist. Apparently, goalie Christopher Heino-Lindberg, have not been receiving payments  into his pensions account, as promised by the club, for the last few months.

The climate for rats are apparently better in Alberta

This of course means things are desperate indeed. It would be a sad day for Swedish ice hockey when [most likely]or if [miracles might happen!] the club hits the wall. Regardless of the short-term outcome, both supporters and the members of the board room will have to accept shared responsibility for the situation the club finds itself in. The marketing/sponsorship chasing part of the club has been non-existent over the last few years. And looking at the economical results they have made over the last few seasons, no measures has been taken to adjust the size of the outgoings. The supposedly 'numerous' supporters have stayed away game after game, even though the club has taken major steps forwards over the past couple of seasons. This combination is of course a perfect recipe for economical disaster. I'm no economist, but I know when my arse is above my head!

It seems supporters are more interested in watching football or floorball rather than ice hockey. Philistines!

I truly hope the club will make it, but the future does look dark for the infamous rats of Solna.

AIK Ltd while waiting for the rubels

The saga of AIK goes on. The team yesterday lost at home against promotion hopefuls Malmö at home. Not too surprising, but AIK fans are really letting the team down. Just over 2.500 spectators came to this important game between two of the top teams in the division. AIK has budgeted for 4.000 attending per game, and at the moment the average is a paltry 2.077. For a team with economical problems this is obviously disastrous. Some could even say it's slightly ironic for a team who claims to be the most supported team in Sweden under the slogan 'We're Everywhere'. Everywhere apart from in Johanneshov that is. The club lost SEK 8.000.000 last season and had hoped to break even this season - with falling attendances and a tough sponsoring market, this has now been adjusted to a prediction of of about SEK -8.000.000 again.

The Weekly Echo

Before the game, an announcement was made regarding the future of the club: The hockey section is going public in order to get the funds to meet the rules of not being in debt for two years running. The club is aiming to raise SEK 9.350.000 through issuing and selling shares. The offer is for SEK 12.50 per share for a minimum of 200 shares. This is a  cost of SEK 2.500 per post. Even though this is a substantial sum for most people, it should usually be manageable if you are a big fan. However, people only have 10 days to sign up, and adding to that, the deadline is just before Christmas. If money ever is tight, it is during the jolly season. Or are they hoping for this to be a stocking filler??? The timing could obviously have been better, and the notice period could also have been made a little bit longer. It seems as if they are trying to make things difficult for themselves...

'Are you selling those pesky shares?'

The club, in its statement, reiterates its ambition to join the KHL and somewhat strangely adds that the efforts to join the Swedish top league is not conflicting with their ambition to join the KHL. Ehhh...??? At the same time, Viacheslav Fetisov has been is Stockholm on a crash visit to check out the credentials of AIK. He says KHL would be proud to be welcoming AIK with its long tradition and many (sic!) fans. He also indicates KHL would help AIK sort out its economic issues if needed. That'd be a nice russian bear-hug if anything.

Its obvious AIK is stuck in between the proverbial rock and hard place. There really seem to be only three options for the club:

• Advance to the Swedish top league at the end of this season. Not looking likely the way things are looking on the ice, but not impossible. The extra SEK 28.000.000 in TV money would certainly not hurt.
• Join the KHL. I don't think that is the future, but it certainly beats folding. It is a lifeline, and KHL seem just as desperate as AIK to make this work. I do however think this is likely to be stopped by the Swedish Hockey Association.
  
• Fold and start again from the bottom under a new name. Not an ideal situation, but the club can not keep going as is at the moment.
  

AIK goes KHL?

The news has today revealed that AIK has been approached by KHL to join the league. AIK with a very precarious economic situation is of course interested. So what does KHL want with a team from the second Swedish division? Well the answer is very simple; KHL is desperate to expand its borders and AIK is a well supported team from the Swedish capital (even though they are supposed to be a Solna club, they are actually playing in Stockholm). Sporting-wise they should obviously look towards HV71 and Färjestad - even though I am not excluding these teams from potentially joining (I rather expect it following the faux invstigation currently spear-headed by Färjestad's Håkan Loob regarding the future of Swedish ice hockey - kindly sponsored by KHL), I imagine Medvedev is hoping for the big cities in order to up the profile of the league in the rest of Europe. I imagine Malmö has already been approached.

АИК?

What I do not understand is why people expect their teams to somehow gain both sporting and economical profits from this move. Let's start with the budgets. Before the 2008/09 season, Dinamo Riga published the budgets for the KHL teams on their website. These were the figures;

1. AK Bars Kazan - $55 mill.
2. Salvat Ulaev Ufa, SKA St. Petersburg, Avangard Omsk - $50 mill.
5. Metallurg Magnitogorsk - $45 mill.
6. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl - $40 mill.
7. Atlant Moscow - $35 mill.
8. Dinamo Maskava, Sibir Novosibirsk - $25 mill.
10. CSKA Moscow - $22 mill.
11. HK MVD Balashikha, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod - $20 mill.
13. Spartak Moscow - $18 mill.
14. Amur Khabarovsk - $17 mill.
15. Dinamo Minsk - $16 mill.
16. Severstal Cherepovets, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk- $15 mill.
18. Metallurg Novokuznetsk, Vityaz Chekhov - $13 mill.
20. Lada Togliatti - $12 mill.
21. Dinamo Rīga, Traktor Chelyabinsk - $11 mill.
23. Barys Astana, Khimik Voskresensk - $10 mill.
source: http://www.dinamoriga.eu/en/news/view/season-budgets-of-khl-clubs-revealed

Looking at Swedish teams we have a slightly different situation. The top Swedish teams would be in the bottom half of this table.

So how are these figures supported by income. Again we'll look at some figures.

The average attendance in KHL and Sweden (as comparison) has over the last few years been as follows;

             KHL       Sweden (Elitserien)
2009     5.142         6.260
2008     5.325         6.288
2007     4.815         6.315
Source: http://www.hockeyarenas.net/

Of course there are major disparities between teams, but it still works well as an income indicator. In the NHL,  roughly half of the income is through ticket sales. This is obviously impossible in the case of KHL looking at the figures above. Or are we expected to pay more than our monthly wages to see AIK v Dinamo Riga? On top of this of course you have merchandising, TV money etc. I have not been able to find figures for any of this in regards to KHL, but suffice to say I very much doubt the income in any of the clubs even remotely equals the costs. I doubt it would even cover the players' salaries. Of course there is the Gazprom money. But to throw yourself into any venture that is unsustainable on its own feet is an obvious recipe for disaster. Something AIK is no stranger to. But in essence, KHL is not a viable business - with or without teams from Sweden. And what happens when the oligarchs get fed up with their expensive toy?

LOOBotomized?

Even if a Swedish team does decide to join in the Russian fun,  what can you expect? Well, for starters, income tax is 13% in Russia. That's right. In Sweden you'd really have to double the wages they pay in Russia to cover taxes, social fees etc. Sweating yet Loob? So this is the simplest reason we will not see Zetterberg returning home earning as much or more that he would in the NHL. I can't really see the teams being able to afford different players than they can today. KHL is not the gold-mine some people seem to imagine. There is talk of Gazprom injecting 5 million Euro into any Swedish team that joins. As if that will help. Actually, it would help AIK - they need to get their hands on 1.8 million Euro or they will hit the wall.

Then what?

It's not like they'd actually survive for long in the Russian winter anyway. Just ask the last guy from Stockholm who tried...

Yeah, they're still shitting on you!

AIK - Cause for concerns?

The financial plight of AIK has been well documented with savings of SEK 18M needed to get the club back into a position where they can clear their debts. One of the debtors is Solna municipality where they have rented training rinks from the council. According to the municipality, they have not paid their rent for the last couple of years and they have now kicked AIK out. Sadly this 'only' affects their youth set up as the men's team is playing and training at Johanneshov in Stockholm.

No black's allowed

The club is keeping stumm about the economical situation and what is done to sort it out. However, if this is anything to go by, they seem pretty shafted. To let unpaid rents kill off their youth set-up is surely ensuring a slow death of the club as a whole. Let's hope they don't end up joining their local rivals Bajen Fans Hockey (ex Hammarby) who had to establish a new club following bankruptcy.

I wish them well, but this is not looking good from where I'm standing.