Picking a KHL team

I don’t think we are going to see the NHL until 2014. Something good happened for the Wild this offseason, so something very bad is bound to happen, and a two year lockout definitely fits. If you want to follow some professional hockey with NHL caliber talent, you need to look at Russia (as well as the 6 other countries that have KHL teams). I’m hear to help you work through which team you should be cheering for. 

–  Don’t cheer for Penguins or other assholes that you didn’t like in the NHL. Metallurg Magnitagorsk is definitely out, CSKA and Dynamo Moscow for me. Sorry Yaroslavl, I still feel deeply pained by the tragedy you experienced last year, but if Semyon Varlamov is on your team, I’m out. Also, Lev Praha: Gone.

– It’s the small market fan in me, but I’m also not cheering for anyone from Moscow or St. Petersburg. That eliminates Spartak, Atlant and SKA.

– Just like the NHL has a few teams in Canada, the KHL has a few teams outside of Russia. I won’t cheer for a team from Canada, and I won’t cheer for a team from Slovakia. Slovan Bratislava, Donbass, Dinamo Riga, Dinamo Minsk, and HC Barys are out.

– No way I am cheering for English sounding words either. Too many people will be joining me on that bandwagon, and I’m kind of a loner. My team is MY team. I’m dropping Torpedo, Traktor, Bars (with some regret) and Avtomobilist.

– With that said, I’m also axing teams with names I can’t pronounce. So long, Neftekhimit and Mettalurg Novokuznetsk.

– If you have “Ice” anywhere in your arena’s name, I am kicking you off the list. Have some creativity. And for heavens sake, speak Russian. Vityaz, Severstal and Sibir are off the list.

 I am down, now to 4 teams, Yugra, Amur, Avangard Omsk and Salavat Yulaev. It’s going to boil down to team colors for me, since I know nothing about either team. I want something unique and different. What do we have?
Yugra: Blue, Green and White. Reminiscent of the Whalers.
Amur: Blue and White: Reminiscent of Finland.
Avangard Omsk: Red, Black and White. They are even nicknamed the Hawks. So, you know, they are like the Blackhawks. Even though they are unique, I can’t go for that.
Salavat Yulaev: Blue, Green and White, also reminiscent of the Whalers. 

So, despite Avangard being the only team that stands on it’s own, without Blue in their team colors, I think I have to pull for Amur, for deciding against Green this year. Viva Khabarovsk!