ïðîøëîì ñåçîíå â ñóïåðëèãå èãðàëè 19 êîìàíä. Ïî ôèíàíñîâûì ïðè÷èíàì îò ó÷àñòèÿ â ÷åìïèîíàòå-2006/2007 âûíóæäåí áûë îòêàçàòüñÿ ìîñêîâñêèé "Ñïàðòàê". Òåïåðü êîìàíäà îáðåëà õîçÿèíà, è åùå â äåêàáðå 2006 ãîäà ñîâåò ñóïåðëèãè ðåøèë âåðíóòü "Ñïàðòàê" â ýëèòíûé äèâèçèîí.
À åùå õîäÿò óïîðíûå ñëóõè, ÷òî íåãîäîâàíèå ðóêîâîäèòåëåé áîëüøèíñòâà êëóáîâ ïî ïîâîäó ñîáñòâåííîãî áåñïðàâèÿ ìîæåò äîéòè äî òî÷êè êèïåíèÿ. È ÷òî óæå ÷åðåç ãîä êîàëèöèÿ ïðåçèäåíòîâ áîãàòûõ êëóáîâ ïîïûòàåòñÿ îòîáðàòü ó ïðåçèäåíòà Ôåäåðàöèè õîêêåÿ Ðîññèè (ÔÕÐ) Âëàäèñëàâà Òðåòüÿêà áðàçäû ïðàâëåíèÿ ÷åìïèîíàòîì.
×òî êàñàåòñÿ ÷èñòî õîêêåéíûõ íîâîñòåé èç ñàìèõ êëóáîâ, òî äåéñòâóþùèé ÷åìïèîí Ðîññèè ìàãíèòîãîðñêèé "Ìåòàëëóðã" íà÷àë ïîëóãîäîâîé ìàðàôîí äîìàøíèì ìàò÷åì ñ ïîäìîñêîâíûì "Õèìèêîì". À ïåðåä âñòðå÷åé êëóá îðãàíèçîâàë îôèöèàëüíûå ïðîâîäû 39-ëåòíåãî Åâãåíèÿ Êîðåøêîâà, çàâåðøèâøåãî êàðüåðó õîêêåèñòà è ïðèñòóïèâøåãî ê òðåíåðñêîé ðàáîòå â ìàãíèòîãîðñêîì ôàðì-êëóáå.
Çà òèòóë ÷åìïèîíîâ ñòðàíû íàðÿäó ñ "Ìàãíèòêîé" áóäåò áîðîòüñÿ öåëûé ðÿä êîìàíä.  ìåæñåçîíüå íåêîòîðûå êëóáû çàêëþ÷èëè ãðîìêèå ñäåëêè. ßðîñëàâñêèé "Ëîêîìîòèâ" ïîäïèñàë êîíòðàêò ñ íàïàäàþùèì Àëåêñååì ßøèíûì, êîòîðûé äî ýòîãî âûñòóïàë çà êëóá Íàöèîíàëüíîé õîêêåéíîé ëèãè "Íüþ-Éîðê Àéëåíäåðñ".  "Ñàëàâàò Þëàåâ" èç "Ëîñ-Àíäæåëåñ Êèíãç" ïåðåáðàëñÿ çàùèòíèê Îëåã Òâåðäîâñêèé. Íàïàäàþùèé Äåíèñ Àðõèïîâ â íîâîì ñåçîíå áóäåò èãðàòü çà "Àê Áàðñ", êóäà îí ïåðåøåë èç "×èêàãî Áëýê Õîóêñ".
Ó ñåìè êîìàíä ñìåíèëèñü ãëàâíûå òðåíåðû. ÕÊ ÌÂÄ âîçãëàâèë Àíäðåé Õîìóòîâ. Åâãåíèé Ïîïèõèí ñòàë ãëàâíûì òðåíåðîì äðóãîé ïîäìîñêîâíîé êîìàíäû - "Õèìèêà". Áûâøèé õîêêåéíûé "ïîëèöåéñêèé" Àíäðåé Íàçàðîâ äåáþòèðîâàë â êà÷åñòâå íàñòàâíèêà â ÷åëÿáèíñêîì "Òðàêòîðå". Êñòàòè, 33-ëåòíèé Íàçàðîâ - ñàìûé ìîëîäîé òðåíåð â ñóïåðëèãå. Ïèòåðñêèé ÑÊÀ âîçãëàâèë àìåðèêàíñêèé ñïåöèàëèñò Áàððè Ñìèò. Ãåííàäèé Öûãóðîâ çàíÿë ïîñò ãëàâíîãî òðåíåðà â "Íåôòåõèìèêå", Þðèé Íîâèêîâ - â "Ëàäå", à Ìèñõàò Ôàõðóòäèíîâ âîçãëàâèë "Âèòÿçü".
ÐÅÃËÀÌÅÍÒ
Êîìàíäû ïðîâåäóò 57 òóðîâ â ðåãóëÿðíîì ÷åìïèîíàòå, êîòîðûé ïðîéäåò â äâà ýòàïà. Ïåðâûé çàâåðøèòñÿ 26 äåêàáðÿ, à âòîðîé ñòàðòóåò 4 ÿíâàðÿ.  ìàðòå 2008 ãîäà 16 ñèëüíåéøèõ êîìàíä ïðèìóò ó÷àñòèå â ñåðèè ïëåé-îôô. Ìàò÷è 1/8 ôèíàëà ñòàðòóþò 4-ãî ìàðòà, à çàâåðøàòñÿ 10-ãî. Ïîáåäèòåëè ñûãðàþò â ÷åòâåðòüôèíàëå ÷åìïèîíàòà Ðîññèè (13 - 19 ìàðòà). Ïîëóôèíàëû ïðîéäóò ñ 22 ïî 31 ìàðòà, ïðè÷åì îáå ïàðû ïðîâåäóò ñâîè ìàò÷è â ðàçíûå äíè. Ôèíàëüíûå èãðû çàïëàíèðîâàíû íà íà÷àëî àïðåëÿ. Ñåðèÿ äî òðåõ ïîáåä ïðîéäåò ñ 3 ïî 11 àïðåëÿ.
ÎÍÈ ÁÓÄÓÒ ÁÈÒÜÑß ÇÀ "ÇÎËÎÒÎ"
"Ìåòàëëóðã" (Ìàãíèòîãîðñê), "Àê Áàðñ" (Êàçàíü), "Àâàíãàðä" (Îìñê), ÖÑÊÀ (Ìîñêâà), "Ñàëàâàò Þëàåâ" (Óôà), "Ñèáèðü" (Íîâîñèáèðñê), "Ëîêîìîòèâ" (ßðîñëàâëü), "Õèìèê" (Ìîñêîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü), "Ñåâåðñòàëü" (×åðåïîâåö), "Äèíàìî" (Ìîñêâà), "Ëàäà" (Òîëüÿòòè), "Íåôòåõèìèê" (Íèæíåêàìñê), ÕÊ ÌÂÄ (Ìîñêîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü), ÑÊÀ (Ñàíêò-Ïåòåðáóðã), "Âèòÿçü" (×åõîâ), "Ìåòàëëóðã" (Íîâîêóçíåöê), "Òðàêòîð" (×åëÿáèíñê), "Àìóð"(Õàáàðîâñê), "Ñïàðòàê" (Ìîñêâà), "Òîðïåäî" (Íèæíèé Íîâãîðîä).
