The All-Russian Hockey League B or VHL-B (, Pervenstvo Vserossiyskoy hokkeynoy ligi), formerly known as Supreme Hockey League B (, Pervenstvo Vysshey hokkeynoy ligi) and Russian Hockey League (, Rossiyskaya hokkeynaya liga), was an ice hockey league in Russia. It stood at the third-tier of the Russian ice hockey pyramid, below the second-level VHL and the top-tier KHL. Its final season was 2022/23, and its four surviving teams (Dynamo-Altay, CSK VVS, HC Chelny and Kristall Saratov) joined the VHL.
History Since 1992, it was the First League of the Russian Ice Hockey Championship. During the 2010–11 season, it was known as the Championship of Russia between the club teams of regions (, Pervenstvo Rossii sredi klubnykh komand regionov), which was considered a feeder league to both the KHL and the VHL. A majority of the teams were simply junior versions of their professional counterparts. During the era of the Soviet Championship League, it was referred to as "Class B"
The league in 2010–11 featured clubs from the 2009–10 season of the Pervaya Liga and also clubs from the 2009–10 season of the Vysshaya Liga that were not accepted into the VHL for 2010–11.
On August 23, 2011, the FHR announced the creation of the Russian Hockey League that replaced the Pervaya Liga. The league had 2 divisions. The West Division featured teams from both the Central and Povolzhie divisions of the Pervaya Liga. The East Division featured teams from the Ural and West Siberia division as well as teams from the Siberian and Far East division. The Russian Hockey League was also the same name of the organization responsible for organizing the top-tier hockey league of Russia at the time that existed from 1996 and 2008, when it was rebranded and reorganized as the Kontinental Hockey League.
Prior to the beginning of the 2014–15 season, there was a big decrease in league members (with seven teams either leaving to join a different league or disbanding altogether). In connection with this number of losses, FHR officials who ran the league were forced to combine the two territorial divisions into one league table.
After the 2014–15 season and prior to the 2015–16 season, the FHR transferred the organization of the RHL (which had seen its membership numbers plummet from 24 teams in 2011/12 to nine in 2014/15) to the Supreme Hockey League, with the hope of developing a better third-tier competition with an eventual promotion/relegation system with the second-level league thus creating the Supreme Hockey League Championship.
The 2022-23 season ended up the league's final. Before it started, the league, which shrunk to 5 teams at this point, was renamed from "Supreme" to "All-Russian" to match the VHL. During the season, HC Feniks Kazan ran out of funding and folded mid-season. The remaining four teams (Dynamo-Altay, CSK VVS, HC Chelny and Kristall Saratov) played out the season, then joined the VHL. CSK VVS Samara was the league's last champion.
Prospects for expansion It was planned to replenish the league from the following sources: VHL teams, for financial reasons, leaving the league. Foreign clubs. For example, interest to the league has been shown by representatives of Latvia. Teams from different cities of Russia. Independent teams of the MHL and/or the NMHL who left due to reorganization.
Teams for 2022–2023 Team City Arena Capacity Founded Joined league Dinamo-Altay Barnaul Titov Sports Palace 3,800 2006 2011 CSK VVS Samara Samara Vladimir Vysotsky Sport Palace 5,000 1993 2022 Feniks Kazan Sport Palace 3,345 2022 2022 HC Chelny Naberezhnye Chelny Ice Palace Naberezhny Chelny 1,500 2004 2016 Kristall Saratov Ice Sports Palace Saratov 5,000 1946 2017
Former teams Team City Arena Capacity Fate of the team Angel Sibiri Tobolsk Crystal Sports Complex UnknownUnknown Avangard-Yugra Kogalym Iceberg Sports Complex UnknownOriginally joined, but ultimately did not participate; possibly disbanded Buran Voronezh Voronezh LDS Jubileiny 3,200Joined the VHL in 2012 Burevestnik Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg KRK Uralets 5,570Withdrew during 2013–14 season; later disbanded due to connection with financial problems Burevestnik-1976 Tomsk Crystal Sport Palace UnknownCurrently, the club performs in the Siberian Student Hockey League HC Belgorod Belgorod Oranzevjy led 1,200Joined the NMHL (then MHL-B) in 2012 due to financial issues HC Bryansk Bryansk Desna Stadium 1,000Joined the NMHL (then MHL-B) in 2014 HC Cheboksary Cheboksary Cheboksary-Arena 7,500Disbanded HC Lipetsk Lipetsk Zvezdny Sports Complex 2,000Joined the VHL in 2013; later withdrew in 2015 HC Rostov Rostov-on-Don Ice Arena 600Joined the VHL in 2019 HC Tambov Tambov Crystal Ice Palace 1,200Joined the VHL in 2018 Junior-Sputnik Nizhny Tagil Sotnikov Ice Sports Palace 4,200Club skips season due to financial problems Kedr Novouralsk Novouralsk Novouralsk Ice Palace 1,200Disbanded Krasnoyarskie Rysi Krasnoyarsk Arena Sever 2,600 Joined the JHL in 2022 Kristall Elektrostal Elektrostal Kristall Sport Palace 3,500Disbanded Kristall-Yugra Beloyarsky Beloyarsky Palace of Sports 450Possibly disbanded Krylya Sovetov Novosibirsk Novosibirsk Unknown -Disbanded Neftyanik Almetyevsk-2 Almetyevsk Yubileyny Sports Palace 2,000Changed name to Sputnik; joined the MHL in 2012 as farm club of Neftyanik (Almetyevsk) (VHL) Progress Glazov Glazov Progress Sports Palace 4,300Joined the NMHL (then MHL-B) in 2014; became farm club of Izhstal (Izhevsk) (VHL) Rubin Tyumen-2 Tyumen Sports Palace Tyumen 3,300Unknown Shakhtyor Prokopyevsk Prokopyevsk Snowflake Sports Complex 3,150Due to financial problems, the club decided to go to the Siberian Student Hockey League in 2013 Slavutych Smolensk Smolensk Ice Palace SGAFKST 1,080Left league in 2017 due to financial problems Sokol Novocheboksarsk Novocheboksarsk LD Sokol 3,000Disbanded Soyuz Zarechny Sports Palace Soyuz UnknownPossibly disbanded THK Tver Tver Ice Palace Yubileyny 1,980Joined the VHL in 2012; later declared bankruptcy and ceased in 2017 Yamal Sterkhi Noyabrsk KSK Fakel UnknownDisbanded Yantar Seversk Seversk SK North UnknownWithdrew from league after 2011–12 season; later disbanded due to financial issues in 2013-14 Yuzhny Ural-Metallurg Orsk Orsk Unknown -Disbanded Zauralje Kurgan-2 Kurgan Ice Sports Palace Mostovik 2,500Changed name to Junior and became a youth team joining the MHL and then the NMHL (then MHL-B) in 2012; currently still member of the league
Champions
Season Champion Finalist SeriesResult Bronze Medalist Regular season winner2011–12 Slavutych Smolensk Buran Voronezh RR THK Tver Buran Voronezh2012–13 Mordovia Saransk Yamal Sterkhi 3–2 Slavutych Smolensk Slavutych Smolensk2013–14 Slavutych Smolensk Mordovia Saransk [NK] Altai Barnaul & Yamal Sterkhi[*] Slavutych Smolensk2014–15 HC Rostov CSK VVS Samara 3–0 Mordovia Saransk & Slavutych Smolensk[*] Slavutych Smolensk2015–16 HC Tambov HC Rostov 4–1 Mordovia Saransk HC Rostov2016–17 HC Rostov Slavutych Smolensk 4–1 Mordovia Saransk HC Rostov 2017-18 HC Tambov HC Cheboksary 4–0 Mordovia Saransk HC Rostov 2018-19 HC Rostov Mordovia Saransk 4–0 HC Cheboksary & Yunior Kurgan [*] HC Rostov 2019-20 HC Chelny[**] HC Cheboksary[**] RR Dynamo-Altay [**] HC Chelny2020-21 Krasnoyarskie Rysi Kristall Saratov 4–0 Dynamo-Altay & HC Cheboksary[*] Dynamo-Altay2021-22 Krasnoyarskie Rysi Kristall Saratov 4–2 Dynamo-Altay & HC Chelny[*] Dynamo-Altay2022-23 CSK VVS Samara Dynamo-Altay 4–1 Kristall Saratov & HC Chelny[*] CSK VVS Samara
[*]: Both losing semifinalists received bronze medals [**]: Playoffs cancelled, placement determined by the regular season [NK]: Result not known
See also Kontinental Hockey League VHL Junior Hockey League NMHL
References
External links VHL-B Official website Inter-Regional Coordinating Council Siberia–Far East, responsible for the Siberia–Far East Division of Pervaya Liga Inter-Regional Coordinating Council Northwest, responsible for the Northwest Division of Pervaya Liga Inter-Regional Coordinating Council Povolzhye, responsible for the Povolzhye Division of Pervaya Liga Inter-Regional Coordinating Council Ural–West Siberia, responsible for the Ural–West Siberia Division of Pervaya Liga Euro Hockey