VHLE - The Forgotten Cities

[Lazarus 62]

         The VHLE has been the talk of the town recently and with that, a lot of discussions are happening for which cities will house a franchise. From Paris to Stockholm, people have submitted some fantastic ideas for the initial 6 teams. However many cities have slid under the radar and have received little to no attention so I felt it necessary to bring light to these cities and how they could make a fantastic home in the VHLE. 

 

 KYIV - With a population of just under three million people, Ukraine’s capital is the 7th largest city in all of Europe and sits in a country that loves its hockey. Ukraine has a professional league called the Ukrainian Hockey League (UHL) and even housed a team in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) named HC Donbass located in Druzhkivka which lasted two seasons before relocating to the UHL. Relating it back to the VHLE, Ukraine has produced many VHL stars. Players such as New York Americans’ defenseman, Kosmo Kramerev @Mongoose87, have represented their country well and more future players are coming into the league. There are currently eight active players who are Ukrainian, five of which are on a VHL or VHLM roster. It seems that Ukraine gets forgotten in all these discussions and has been mentioned a very small amount of times. Kyiv would provide a great market for the VHLE and would add a much-needed team to eastern Europe.

 

Potential Name: Nightingales → National Animal of Ukraine 

 

 

 Copenhagen - When talking about the teams of the VHLE, Nordic countries/cities are often in the discussion. Sweden and Norway are always at the top with cities like Västerås, Stockholm, and Oslo. Furthermore, both Finland and Sweden have a team in the VHL already with the Titans and Nighthawks. We seem to sweep a whole northern nation under the rug, DENMARK. Home to some of the best current and future VHL superstars, Denmark is rapidly growing amongst the community and we keep seeing more and more Danish players. Having a team in Copenhagen would allow fans from around the country to enjoy some great hockey. Denmark is a strong hockey nation, participating in many international tournaments, and also has its own professional league (Metal Ligaen). Copenhagen has gotten some attention from around the VHL, but I feel it should be a serious contender for a team whether that be at the start or further down the road as an expansion. 

 

Potential Name: Northmen → Another name for Vikings which Stockholm already used

 

 Minsk -  Belarus is another country that is a strong competitor when it comes to hockey. Minsk is a city that very few are acknowledging. With a population of almost two million people, Minsk would provide the VHLE with a new market which could lead to more international recognition. Although Belarus isn’t as popular amongst the VHL, adding its capital city would greatly improve the chances of interest among Belarusian players. Minsk already supports a team in the KHL and averaged the second-highest attendance in the league. Out of every country represented in the KHL, Belarus was ranked #1 in average attendance. Belarus loves its hockey, and the VHL should take its talents to the city of Minsk.

 

Potential Name: Bison → National animal of Belarus

 

 

Although there are many good options for the VHLE, I would love to see 6 teams located in countries that are not represented in the VHL already. I feel we are gradually becoming a more international league so establishing teams in unfamiliar places will be significant in the growth of the league. These 3 cities I mentioned would make great fits in the new league whether that be right away or a future expansion.

 

I wanted to highlight a few more unlikely cities that I’d like to see being considered in the future.

 

 Ljubljana 

 Hamburg

 Budapest

 Barcelona

 Brussels 

 

Word Count: 640

Edited June 13, 2021 by Shane Laz

[scoop 3,386]

39 minutes ago, Shane Laz said:

 KYIV

 Copenhagen

I agree with you on these two for sure. I picked Odessa over Kyiv for ease of pronunciation and I just prefer the way it sounds in general, but either of them or Kharkiv would be fine. Copenhagen for sure though.