According to The Associated Press, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) wants to expand into China, hoping to use a successful Chinese Winter Olympic bid to conquer the vast market.

Beijing is the front-runner to host the 2022 Olympics and if successful, "will essentially be forced to develop hockey from nothing," KHL president Dmitry Chernyshenko told the Tass agency.

It has been widely accepted that bidding for 2022 Winter Olympics will boost winter sports in China.

Chernyshenko says the "catalyst" of the Olympics would allow the Russia-based KHL to step in.

He also said KHL would like to hold a regular-season game in China next season and add a Chinese club to the league in the longer term.

KHL has hit financial problems this year, with several teams reportedly on the brink of financial collapse. One, Atlant Moscow Region, has already quit the league.

China, with promising bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics, appears to be the breeding ground that KHL looks to expand in.