Beijing got an early Christmas present this week when the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League confirmed the Chinese capital has been awarded an expansion franchise in the world's second largest professional circuit.

With its inaugural season set to open next September, the as-yet-unnamed Beijing team will play 30 home games at the 18,000-seat MasterCard Center, home of the China Basketball Association's Beijing Ducks.

The KHL, second only to North America's 30-team NHL, currently has 28 clubs in seven countries: Russia (22), Belarus, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Slovakia, Finland and Croatia (one each).