The Kontinental Hockey League is a European Elite hockey league that has operated since the 2008-09 season. The KHL replaced the former Russian Championship League, which was the top professional hockey league in Russia.
The league is primarily based in Russia and former Soviet countries such as Latvia, Belarus, and Ukraine, however it branched out to other Eastern European countries such as Slovakia (2011-12), Czech Republic (2012-13), and Croatia (2013-14). The KHL expanded in Europe in 2014-15, with Jokerit [Helsinki, Finland] entering the league. Starting with the 2016-17 season, the KHL included a team in China, the Kunlun Red Star.