The KHL is shrinking its ice surface to be much closer to what NHL teams are using. Beginning next season, all except two arenas will have ice surfaces of either 200 feet long by 92 feet wide or 200 feet long by 85 feet wide. The current size for NHL teams is 200 feet long by 85 feet wide.
Since it's inception, the KHL has used ice surfaces much closer to the Olympic size of 200 feet long by 98.4 feet wide. According to KHL reporter Gillian Kemmerer, the changes are being implemented mostly due to the International Ice Hockey Federation moving more towards NHL-sized ice surfaces for World Championship and World Junior Championship tournaments.
Two of the KHL's 24 clubs are being given a bit of reprieve before implementing the changes. Kunlun Red Star and Dinamo Riga are being given time to either get new arenas or make major renovations before using the new size ice surface. Both will be required to comply by 2021-22.
It will be interesting to see how these changes are accepted by the fans of the league. The larger ice surface has always been something that set the KHL apart from the NHL and made it unique.
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