On 30th August 2016, HC Kunlun Red Star held a news conference in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to announce the club will join the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). HC Kunlun Red Star will puck off with the home opener on 5th September.

The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) along with the National Hockey League(NHL) are the top hockey leagues in the world. With the added participation of HC Kunlun Red Star, there will now be 29 clubs from 8 countries in the KHL. In the 2016/17 season, the teams from China, Russia, Belorussia, Croatia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Latvia and Slovakia will be divided into four divisions. After 60 rounds of the regular season, the play offs begin and will involve the top eight teams from the east and west sections. With four rounds of knock out games, the eventual winners will be crowned league champions.

Hockey games are one of the most important events in winter sports. HC Kunlun Red Star’s accession is an important part of China-Russia sports co-operation and was supported by both governments and associations. 

‍‍Proofread by Sean O Diobhilin‍‍