Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), the premier professional ice hockey league in Europe and Asia, is reportedly set to officially include a Chinese club in its competitions next season, recent reports said.

Fox Sports indicated that the KHL is aiming to compete with the United States' National Hockey League (NHL) when it comes to saturating the Asian markets and so having a team from China would certainly boost their presence in the said continent.

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According to the report, the Beijing-based Chinese ice hockey squad is set to be officially called "HC Kunlun Red Star" and will be coached by Russian mentor Vladimir Yurzinov Jr. The team is said to be set to being approved by the league's board to compete in the KHL when it opens its new season this August and will have their home stadium at the LeSports Center in Beijing.

"At the current time legal procedures are continuing related to the process of Kunlun Red Star competing in the KHL, and also the formation of the roster and plans for pre-season training," an official statement from the league said, CBC Sports reported.

The formal welcome and contract ceremony by the KHL to the Kunlun Red Star franchise will be held this Saturday, July 2, in China.

Ex-New Jersey Devils star wing man Ilya Kovalchuk is rumored to be among the Russian players who will suit up for the debutant squad in their inaugural season with the league.

The KHL is considered as the second highest professional ice hockey league in the world behind the NHL. It is currently comprised of 28 teams, 29 when the Beijing squad is officially admitted on Saturday, coming from different countries in Europe and Asia, such as Belarus, Croatia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Russia, and Slovakia.

The league is said to be planning to expand in more countries in the future as they rival the NHL for global popularity.

Meanwhile, Kunlun Red Star's first signing was done on Monday, acquiring Finnish defenseman Janne Jalasvaara from Dynamo Moscow.

TagsChina sports, China sports news 2016, China ice hockey, Kontinental Hockey League, HC Kunlun Red Star