The KHL continues to evolve. When the Board of Governors of the KHL meet next week, they will dicuss the introduction of a Western and Eastern Conference. If implemented, the KHL will take another step in the direction of the way the NHL is organized.

On their meeting two days ago, the club directors of the KHL recommended to the Board of Governors that as of next season, the KHL be divided into a Western and Eastern Conference.

The proposal is widely modelled on the NHL: while the four divisions (Tarasov, Kharlamov, Chernyshev and Bobrov) will continue to exist, the KHL will be divided into a Western and Eastern Conference. As in the NHL, 8 teams of each conference will qualify for the playoffs. Last season, the 16 highest ranking teams qualified for the playoffs irrespective of geographical location.

The introduction of Conferences will, if the proposal is adopted, lead to a shuffling of teams inbetween the various divisions (see list below). Also, the KHL will be expanded to 25 teamsa as the KHL's budget commission has recommended that Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg enter the KHL next season. This recommendation has yet to be adopted by the Board of Governors who are also to make a final decision on whether Khimik Voskresensk's and MVD's KHL licenses should renewed. Khimik and MVD have yet to settled some unfinished business with salaries and player bonuses of last season.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

TARASOV DIVISION
Dynamo,  Moscow
Dynamo, Minsk
Dinamo, Riga
Spartak, Moscow
SKA, St. Petersburg
CSKA, Moscow
Khimik, Voskresensk

TARASOV DIVISION
Atlant ,Mytischy
MVD Balashikha
Lokomotiv, Yaroslavl
Torpedo, Nizhny-Novgorod
Severstal, Cherepovets
Vityaz, Chekhov

EASTERN CONFERENCE

KHARLAMOV DIVISION
Ak Bars, Kazan
Lada, Togliatti
Neftekhimik, Nizhnekamsk
Metallurg, Magnitogorsk
Traktor Chelyabinsk
Avtomobilist, Yekaterinburg (newcomer)

CHERNYSHEV DIVISION
Avangard, Omsk
Metallurg, Novokuznetsk
Sibir, Novosibirsk
Amur, Khabarovsk
Barys Astana
Salavat Yulaev, Ufa