Vysshaya Liga (ice hockey)


The Vysshaya Liga, also referred as Higher League or Major League and commonly abbreviated as RUS-2, was a second level professional ice hockey league in Russia.

Season structure

The league consisted of two divisions 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

In 2010, it became known that the Vysshaya Liga was to be replaced with the KHL–affiliated Higher Hockey League under a new ownership. Most of the Vysshaya Liga clubs re-signed with the new league in the summer of 2010.
In 2010, the Supreme Hockey League was also established.