KHL vs Oberliga

KHL

The KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) is the top professional ice hockey league in Russia.

Oberliga

Oberliga is the third highest tier of ice hockey in all of Germany, with clubs carrying a mix of talented locals and veteran imports.

Location: Primarily Russia + Belarus, Kazakstan, & China

Location: Germany

Skill Level in KHL (Kontinental Hockey League)

The KHL is not only the top league in Russia, but it is widely considered to be one of the best leagues in the world after the NHL. The leagues clubs roster best in class Russian players as well as some of the most elite import players from around the globe.

Skill Level in Oberliga

Oberliga is Germany’s third highest tier hockey league with a couple dozen teams spread across the country. Most clubs roster a bulk of talented local players and a small subset of experienced imports.

Player Perspective: KHL (Kontinental Hockey League)

"The travel schedule in season is demanding and long, especially in the heart of winter. Until you're here, I don't think most people realize how long it takes to fly from one side of Russia to the other. The level of hockey is top notch. You hear varied perspectives from players who've spent time there, but my personal time as an import in the KHL was positive all around. Our team treated us well in my full season there."

Player Perspective: Oberliga

"Oberliga is a great league to play in and the level of hockey is good.Playing in front of a few thousand fans each night is exactly what you want as an import who's playing overseas."

Number of Teams in KHL (Kontinental Hockey League): 23

Number of Teams in Oberliga: 28

Caliber of Players and Imports in KHL

The caliber of players in the KHL is set at a high bar. Many consider the KHL the 2nd or 3rd strongest leagues in the world following the National Hockey League. Due to this, the level of players matches this and only the most elite of Russian players ever make it to the K and stick for a duration. In terms of imports who play here, most every import here possesses strong resumes with either a few cups of coffee in the NHL, notable time in the AHL/ECHL where they were a top player there, or strong experience in another one of Europe's top leagues prior to transitioning here.