The KHL & Other Leagues Respond to the Coronavirus Outbreak (Updated)

Shougang Arena, Beijing, home of the KHL’s Kunlun Red Star. (Image Source)

Much news this week about the outbreak of a coronavirus in China, particularly in the central province of Hubei. It is unclear yet how serious the outbreak is, and how worried we should all be, but the Chinese government has restricted travel to, from, and within the worst-hit areas. And the four Russian-based hockey leagues that include at least one Chinese team have also taken note of the situation, with one eye on the possible necessity of relocating some games. Read on, for a quick run-down of what steps the various the KHL, ZhHL, VHL, and MHL have taken so far, and what they might do if the coronavirus situation does not improve.

Most recent updates on January 29th.

KHL: The KHL faces only a minor scheduling issue, since its lone Chinese member, Kunlun Red Star Beijing, has just two regular-season home games remaining. And one of those, the February 2nd meeting with CSKA Moscow, had already been switched to the Russian capital due to a scheduling conflict arising from Chinese New Year celebrations. The other home game is KRS’s last match of the regular season, against Dinamo Riga on February 24th, and the Chinese club is reportedly already on the hunt for an alternative venue even though the KHL itself has not yet ordered that step; Novosibirsk has been mentioned as a possibility (KRS will be in Siberia in mid-February for a road trip, and Dinamo Riga were to travel to Novosibirsk to face Sibir right after playing in Beijing, so that venue makes a lot of sense).

Kunlun Red Star are looking fairly likely to make the playoffs at this point, which may require further re-locations should the coronavirus emergency ongoing in late February and into early March. No real point in speculating about the details of that just yet, although the thought occurs that Chelyabinsk, where local team Traktor are unlikely to qualify for the post-season, is a possible temporary destination should one be needed.

Update, January 29th: It is now confirmed that the February 24th game between KRS and Dinamo Riga will be held in Novosibirsk.

ZhHL: In the Women’s Hockey League, KRS Vanke Rays Shenzhen have finished their home schedule for the 2019-20 regular season, so no games need to be rescheduled until the playoffs begin at the end of February. Vanke Rays have clinched a playoff berth and home-ice advantage in the best-of-three first round, and simplest solution — again, if one is still required by that time — may be to simply have them play all games of the best-of-three series at their opponent’s rink.

VHL: The second-highest men’s pro league in Russia has three Chinese teams, and is the only league so far to take league-wide official action. The VHL announced today that all three of KRS-BSU Beijing, ORG Beijing, and Cheng Tou Jilin City will play their remaining home schedules in alternate venues. The will require considerable reorganization of the next month or so of action; KRS-BSU and Cheng Tou have four remaining home dates each, while ORG have five. The saving grace is that none of the three teams plays at home again in January, so the VHL does have a week or so to make alternate arrangements. No word yet on the details, although Lada Togliatti have indicated a willingness to make their arena available.

None of the three Chinese VHL teams looks at all likely to make the post-season (Cheng Tou have already been mathematically eliminated), so the league will likely not have to worry about relocating playoff games.

Update, January 29th: Penza, Samara, and Togliatti will host the remaining home games for the three Chinese teams, per a league announcement. Furthermore, the medical staff at Cheng Tou Jilin City has sent all five of the club’s Chinese players back to their home country, after one of those players was diagnosed with a respiratory virus.

MHL: No scheduling worries at all for the MHL (Russia’s top-level men’s junior league), whose lone Chinese team ORG Junior Beijing is actually playing its home schedule this season in Dmitrov, just north of Moscow. ORG Junior, who have been long eliminated from playoff contention, have six remaining home games, but those will go ahead in Dmitrov as normal.

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The only IIHF World Championship tournament that China is scheduled to host this year is the men’s U18 tournament for Division IIB, which is slated for Tianjin in late March (China, Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Netherlands, and Spain will make up the field). No word yet on the fate of that tournament (and no reason for a decision to be made just yet, given that the competition is still two months away), but it is worth recalling that the IIHF did cancel the top division Women’s Worlds in 2003 over the SARS outbreak. We’ll see what happens.

Update, January 29th: The IIHF has announced that the Div. IIB U18 Men’s Worlds will be relocated to one of the other countries in the group. The exact destination has not been determined.

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Updates will be posted here as need be! Thank you for reading, and a here’s wishing my readers in China a very Happy New Year, and sending them all good thoughts at this time! 新年快樂!