The NHL lockout is to last until December and perhaps longer, the president of the rival Russia-based KHL predicted in comments to R-Sport on Monday.
The NHL declared its second lockout in eight years earlier this month after owners and players failed to agree a new collective contract in time for the new season.
The last lockout wiped out the entire 2004-05 season.
With the NHL suspended, stars from the North American league have flooded into the KHL, including famous names such as last season’s MVP Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk and Alex Ovechkin.
“I think that the difference between the negotiating positions is still big,” KHL president Alexander Medvedev said of the NHL talks.
“My opinion is that if they don’t agree in the next week, the lockout will continue until December at a minimum and that means that more than 60 percent of the matches in the KHL championship will be played with NHLers taking part.”
“If that happens, of course we will be satisfied.”
The KHL is in its fifth season and contains 26 teams from seven countries this year, a league record.
