All-Russian Hockey League B


The All-Russian Hockey League B or VHL-B, formerly known as Supreme Hockey League B and Russian Hockey League, was an ice hockey league in Russia. It stood at the third-tier of the Russian ice hockey pyramid, below the second-level VHL and the top-tier KHL. Its final season was 2022/23, and its four surviving teams joined the VHL.

History

Since 1992, it was the First League of the Russian Ice Hockey Championship. During the 2010–11 season, it was known as the Championship of Russia between the club teams of regions, which was considered a feeder league to both the KHL and the VHL. A majority of the teams were simply junior versions of their professional counterparts. During the era of the Soviet Championship League, it was referred to as "Class B"
The league in 2010–11 featured clubs from the 2009–10 season of the Pervaya Liga and also clubs from the 2009–10 season of the Vysshaya Liga that were not accepted into the VHL for 2010–11.
On August 23, 2011, the FHR announced the creation of the Russian Hockey League that replaced the Pervaya Liga. The league had 2 divisions. The West Division featured teams from both the Central and Povolzhie divisions of the Pervaya Liga. The East Division featured teams from the Ural and West Siberia division as well as teams from the Siberian and Far East division. The Russian Hockey League was also the same name of the organization responsible for organizing the top-tier hockey league of Russia at the time that existed from 1996 and 2008, when it was rebranded and reorganized as the Kontinental Hockey League.
Prior to the beginning of the 2014–15 season, there was a big decrease in league members. In connection with this number of losses, FHR officials who ran the league were forced to combine the two territorial divisions into one league table.
After the 2014–15 season and prior to the 2015–16 season, the FHR transferred the organization of the RHL to the Supreme Hockey League, with the hope of developing a better third-tier competition with an eventual promotion/relegation system with the second-level league thus creating the Supreme Hockey League Championship.
The 2022-23 season ended up the league's final. Before it started, the league, which shrunk to 5 teams at this point, was renamed from "Supreme" to "All-Russian" to match the VHL. During the season, HC Feniks Kazan ran out of funding and folded mid-season. The remaining four teams played out the season, then joined the VHL. CSK VVS Samara was the league's last champion.

Prospects for expansion

It was planned to replenish the league from the following sources:
  • VHL teams, for financial reasons, leaving the league.
  • Foreign clubs. For example, interest to the league has been shown by representatives of Latvia.
  • Teams from different cities of Russia.
  • Independent teams of the MHL and/or the National [Junior Hockey League|NMHL] who left due to reorganization.

Champions