The Kontinental Hockey League has appointed a new Chairman of the Board of Directors, and the man chosen for the role is SKA Saint Petersburg President and Chairman, Gennady Timchenko.

“I’m sincerely gladdened that I will be able to serve Russian hockey in my new post,” said Mr. Timchenko. “In its five years of existence the KHL has achieved huge success and attracted to its ranks not only Russian teams, but also clubs from other nations, and their number is growing.

Today our main aim is to create effective programs for development, from junior and grass-roots sport to club infrastructure and hockey arenas. We will strive to make the game more entertaining and attractive for our main target audience – the faithful fans across Russia and all over the world, especially the younger generation. I strongly believe that it is our duty to reach these goals and achieve new triumphs.

I hope that my considerable experience in business, my dedication and my professional attitude toward hockey will help raise the KHL and Russian hockey to an even higher level of performance,” said the new Chairman.