MOSCOW – The Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) has approved at its General Assembly on Wednesday that the winner of the regular season will be declared KHL champion in the 2009-2010 season regardless of the country the club is located in.

The winner of the playoffs will be declared winner of the Gagarin Cup. The format and rule changes might be announced in mid-May. In the inaugural season, the league was played with 24 clubs including three foreign teams from other former Soviet countries.

The KHL will be the only professional league in Europe, together with Great Britain, where the champion is determined by the regular season.