From the league's inception in 2008 there have always been team changes in the Kontinental Hockey League between seasons, as some new teams have joined the league or others have left it. There is no promotion/relegation system with the VHL in place like there was with the Superleague and Vysshaya Liga. The number of teams in the league stayed at 24 throughout the first two seasons. In the third season the number of teams was reduced to 23 because Budivelnyk, a team that planned to join the league, dropped out before the start of the season. Initially, Lev Poprad replaced Budivelnyk to retain the number of teams at 24. However, Lev was excluded by the KHL before the start of that season, but would be accepted into the league for 2011–12. The league plans to expand this number for future seasons.
The inaugural season of KHL included all 20 teams of the 2007–08 Russian Superleague. Non–Russian teams Barys Astana, Dinamo Riga and Dinamo Minsk also joined the newly formed league. Likewise, the recreated team of Khimik Voskresensk, the champion of the 2007–08 season of the Major League, joined. Thus the initial number of teams was 24.
Team changes by season
SeasonTeams left the leagueFate of the team Teams joined the leagueWhenceNumber of teams in the leagueinaugural season of competition242009–10 KhimikJoined VHL AvtomobilistVHL242010–11 LadaJoined VHL UHC DynamoNewly created team by merger of Dynamo and MVD23 Dynamo MMerged with MVD to form UHC Dynamo YugraVHL MVDMerged with Dynamo to form UHC Dynamo 2011–12 LokomotivScratched from season due to plane crash Lev PopradNewly created team232012–13 Lev PopradDisbanded SlovanSlovak Extraliga26 DonbassVHL LokomotivReturned to KHL after plane tragedy Lev PrahaNewly created team2013–14 AdmiralNewly created team28 MedveščakAustrian EBEL2014–15 DonbassJoined the Ukrainian Hockey Extra League prior to the 2015–16 season, after one year of inactivity. Lada TogliattiReturned to the league28 Lev PrahaDisbanded JokeritLiiga Spartak Moscow Took one year off due to financial issues HC SochiNewly created team2015–16 AtlantFolded due to financial issues. Spartak Moscow Returned to the league282016–17 HC Kunlun Red StarNewly created team292017–18 MedveščakReturned to Austrian EBEL 27 Metallurg NovokuznetskJoined VHL2018–19 LadaRejoined VHL 25 YugraJoined VHL2019–20 SlovanLeft league due to financial issues to attempt to rejoin Slovak Extraliga 242020–21 AdmiralTook hiatus due to financial issues 232021–22 Dinamo Riga Jokerit Left the league due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine AdmiralReturn to league after COVID-19 break22no changes222023–24 LadaReturned to the league232024–25 VityazDisbanded 22 HC Kunlun Red StarRelocation Shanghai DragonsRelocation22
Division lineup changes SeasonDivisionsBobrovTarasovKharlamovChernyshevJoined divisionLeft divisionJoined divisionLeft divisionJoined divisionLeft divisionJoined divisionLeft division2008–09(initial composition) Atlant Dinamo Mn Metallurg Nk Salavat Yulaev Severstal Spartak CSKA Khimik Metallurg Mg HC MVD SKA Traktor Amur Avangard Dinamo R Lada Lokomotiv Sibir Ak Bars Barys Dynamo M Neftekhimik Torpedo Vityaz2009–10(geographical realignment) CSKA Dinamo R Dynamo M SKA Atlant Metallurg Nk Salavat Yulaev Severstal Atlant Lokomotiv Severstal Torpedo Vityaz CSKA Khimik Metallurg Mg SKA Traktor Ak Bars Avtomobilist Metallurg Mg Neftekhimik Traktor Amur Avangard Dinamo R Lokomotiv Sibir Amur Avangard Metallurg Nk Salavat Yulaev Sibir Ak Bars Dynamo M Neftekhimik Torpedo Vityaz2010–11 UHC Dynamo Dinamo Mn Dynamo M Dinamo Mn HC MVD Yugra Lada2011–12 Lev Poprad Lokomotiv2012–13 Donbass Lev Praha Slovan Vityaz CSKA Lev Poprad Spartak CSKA Lokomotiv Spartak Vityaz2013–14 CSKA Dinamo Mn Medveščak Donbass Dynamo M Vityaz Donbass Dynamo M Vityaz CSKA Dinamo Mn Torpedo Torpedo Admiral2014–15 Atlant Jokerit CSKA Lev Praha CSKA HC Sochi Torpedo Atlant Donbass Spartak Moscow Lada Torpedo2015–16 Spartak M Atlant2016–17 HC Red Star Kunlun2017–18 Medveščak Metallurg Nk2018–19 Dynamo M Severstal Dinamo Mn Slovan Dinamo Mn Slovan Torpedo Dynamo M Severstal Torpedo Lada Yugra2019–20 Torpedo Slovan Sibir Torpedo Sibir2020–21 HC Sochi Vityaz Dinamo R Dynamo M Dinamo R Dynamo M HC Sochi Torpedo Vityaz Torpedo Sibir Sibir Admiral2021–22 Torpedo Severstal Severstal HC Red Star Kunlun Torpedo Admiral HC Red Star Kunlun
References