Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada to compete, with the provision that the Stanley Cup winners were to be recognized as "World's Champions". The phrase was repeatedly engraved on the Cup, and continued to be used, when the NHL began admitting American franchises. When the NHL assumed formal control of the Cup in 1947, the resulting agreement required "that the winners of this trophy shall be the acknowledged World's Professional Hockey Champions" (in contrast to the IIHF's Ice Hockey World Championships, at the time contested only by amateurs). When the World Hockey Association commenced play in the 1970s, they sought to challenge for the Stanley Cup,
Kharlamov Trophy revamped as well. With the 2016 award onward, a shortlist of the 20 best players from the NHL and KHL is compiled. It is then voted on by a selection committee composed of five groups of experts, each consisting of 13 individuals, plus the past award winners. Kharlamov Trophy The Kharlamov Trophy is an ice hockey award given to the best Russian player, of the previous season. The current winner, for the 2017-2018 season is Alexander Ovechkin. The Trophy was established by Sovetsky Sport in 2002, and is named after the legendary Soviet ice hockey player Valeri Kharlamov. Presentation of