When it began in 2008, the Kontinental Hockey League was envisioned as President Vladimir Putin’s ambitious challenge to the NHL, a bid to keep Russian players in Russia by paying them exorbitant sums out of oil coffers.

Now, its survival – especially of its most vulnerable teams – may be at stake.

With oil prices dropping, Western sanctions increasing and the ruble cratering, sponsors have been forced to pull funding to a lot of KHL teams; as a result, many players are getting paid late or not getting paid at all.

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