Countries Russia Folded 2010 Promotion to Russian Superleague | Founded 1992 No. of teams 27 Relegation to Pervaya Liga | |
The Vysshaya Liga (Russian: Высшая лига чемпионата России по хоккею с шайбой, Supreme League of the Russian Ice Hockey Championship), also referred as Higher League or Major League and commonly abbreviated as RUS-2, was a second level professional ice hockey league in Russia.
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Season structure
The league consisted of two divisions (East and West) before 2008 and three divisions for the last two seasons. During 1997–2000 there was a relegation round where the strongest teams of the league played with the weakest RSL clubs for their place in the top division. In 2001–01 this system was replaced with a final round between the league teams only and starting with 2003–04 the Supreme League ultimately switched to playoffs. Its finalists were promoted to the RSL.
In 2008 when the Superleague became defunct the Supreme League that still was operating under the FHR authority got its own cup.
Champions
Establishment of the VHL
In 2010, it became known that the Vysshaya Liga was to be replaced with the KHL–affiliated Higher Hockey League (VHL) under a new ownership. Most of the Vysshaya Liga clubs re-signed with the new league in the summer of 2010.
In 2010, Supreme Hockey League was also established.