The NHL's rival league hopes to expand into Sweden next season.

Russia's KHL, in its second year of operation, announced Thursday it has signed a letter of intent with AIK Stockholm that would see the second-division Swedish club join its league next season.

"The acceptance of the invitation by AIK Hockey Club to join the KHL is very important for us," KHL president Alexander Medvedev said in a news release. "It confirms the positive dynamics in the development of hockey and the good chances to get off the ground the project of setting up the Pan-European Championship."

In September, Medvedev proposed at an IIHF council meeting that club teams from other European leagues join the KHL in future years.

"Yes, I made a presentation during the [IIHF] council meeting in Tunisia with the idea to have a pan-European league, with involvement of Scandinavian and Central European hockey clubs," Medvedev told ESPN.com in an October interview. "I believe it's the only way not to stagnate and to better develop European hockey."

The 24-team KHL currently has teams in Russia, Belarus, Latvia and Kazakhstan. The addition of AIK still requires KHL board approval as well as the approval from the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation, the latter being no small matter.

"We are thrilled by the invitation of the KHL," Peter Mellqvist, chairman of the board at AIK, said in a statement. "It creates new possibilities for AIK Hockey to participate in the KHL. It brings the club to a completely different platform and creates enormous potential for the future. AIK Hockey and its fans and members will have the opportunity to take part in the world's best hockey played on big ice."

AIK has battled financial problems over the last few years and plays to about 2,000 fans a game.

Former NHLers playing in the KHL include Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Yashin, Alexander Radulov, Sergei Zubov, Robert Esche, Jiri Hudler and Josef Vasicek.

Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com.