| Countries | Russia |
|---|---|
| Federation(s) | IIHF (1996–2006) |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Folded | 2008 (reorganized as KHL) |
| No. of teams | 20 |
| Relegation to | Major League |
| Championship | Russian Championship |
| Associated Title(s) | Cup of Russia |
| Recent Champions | Salavat Yulaev Ufa (2007–08) |
| Most successful club | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (3) |
| Website | www |
The Russian Superleague (Russian: Чемпионат России Суперлига, Russian Championship Superleague), commonly abbreviated as RSL, was the highest division of the main professional ice hockey league in Russia. It was considered the second-best league in the world, after the National Hockey League (NHL) of North America.[1] It was a part of the Russian Pro Hockey League which was composed of three divisions — the Superleague, Major League (Vysshaya Liga), and First League (Pervaya Liga).
The league was rebranded after the 2007/2008 season as the KHL. The KHL absorbed all 20 teams from the previous RSL season, for a total of 24 for its inaugural campaign.