Will more NHL players go to Russia

[Comeds]

Shit. First Fetisov, then Bure, then Kovalev, and now Kovalkchuk. Its an exodus!

 

[elocomotive]

Shit. First Fetisov, then Bure, then Kovalev, and now Kovalkchuk. Its an exodus!

Can you blame them, look at this beautiful KHL arena.

It must hold almost 3,000 people!!!

 

[The Q stache]

Then I won't fucking care!!!

Me thinks you still would

 

[elocomotive]

I dunno...with Kovy going, I tend to worry about OV.

Geno's escape from Russia will oddly enough keep him in the US for probably the rest of his career...

 

[elocomotive]

Me thinks you still would

If the Caps win ONE Cup in my lifetime, I'll be fucking happy. Straight up.

If they could win it while my dad is still alive, I'll take no more championships in any pro sport for a team I'd cheer for ever again.

Now if Perreault leaves... that's another story.

 

[esls79]

St Petersburg > Newark

 

[dash]

Sing it Kovy!

 

[elocomotive]

Ukraine is not weak!! Ukraine is strong!!

Kovy didn't actually retire, he wanted to go back to Georgia and people got it twisted.

 

[thedddd]

WHAT in the frig are you guys talking about?!? OV's not going anywhere. I wish you could see the interview with OV's dad where he is talking about how without a Stanley Cup OV would never be satisfied. He's solid.

Besides, the contracts in the KHL are a joke compared to NHL money. We always hear how big they are, but the amounts are always very mysterious. Lot of puffery from the KHL if you ask me.

Never said OV or Malkin or any of them would go just made a comment that only old guys or fringe Euro's would play there if they had a chance. Kovy is the exception not the norm.

Anyway like your bold statement and if you read my other comments I agree with you. I don't see how the league has money and too much scare tactics. Glad to see players see past it and not go over there.

 

[thedddd]

Ukraine is not weak!! Ukraine is strong!!

Kovy didn't actually retire, he wanted to go back to Georgia and people got it twisted.

LOL...Yeah he will literally have a house in Georgia and Georgia....

 

[Nasty_Magician]

I'm not actively wishing for his legs to get broken by Russian mobsters but I also wouldn't mind it.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

lol one player left now all the Russians are leaving

personally dont think its a question thats offside ... question is maybe a little old though

10 years ago 59 russians played in the nhl
last season it was 22

as i posted above ... thanks to sochi, some of the KHL owners will have lots of cash that they want to clean ... err ... i mean ... dole out to star russian players

its a pr thing for the KHL ... they want the big homegrown star to validate their league ... meanwhile the 4th liner over there is getting paid in toilet paper

 

[forty_three]

personally dont think its a question thats offside ... question is maybe a little old though

10 years ago 59 russians played in the nhl
last season it was 22

as i posted above ... thanks to sochi, some of the KHL owners will have lots of cash that they want to clean ... err ... i mean ... dole out to star russian players

its a pr thing for the KHL ... they want the big homegrown star to validate their league ... meanwhile the 4th liner over there is getting paid in toilet paper

I don't blame any players for wanting to play close to home, but I don't think this is going to be a "dam is breaking" kind of thing where all the Russians are going to run off. They came here for a reason, and whatever motivated them to do so should keep them here. But if they want to walk away... let 'em.

Provided that there is adequate caution given towards throwing big contracts around to players who eventually wig out. And that's in no way exclusive to Russians. It's just that the three most notable have all been Russian (Yashin, Burmitrov and not Ilya).

The worry I have is the backlash for young Russians who want to be here. Kids who came to North America as Juniors. There is always going to be that spector hanging over their heads, when a player born in, say Michigan (Timmay) is just as likely to flake out and blow up a contract.



I also wonder what the backlash is going to be for Louie Lams. As more comes out, it is becoming apparent that this was not a complete surprise to him. He let Clarkson walk, and chose to not use a Compliance buyout on a guy he was pretty sure wasn't coming back. Now, I get that a Compliance buyout was going to cost a metric assload more actual dollars, but zero cap penalty. Then he would have been in a position to go after immediate help in free agency. Seems to me he simply failed in his job.

He completely fucked his team when he signed the big deal. He fucked his team by not throwing out a low draft pick as a penalty, and now he's fucked his team by not addressing what he knew was going to be a hole. AND since he didn't throw out the low pick, he's likely to cost his team a top 4 pick.

Usually, you have to be named Bettman to mismanage something that bad.


Kovalchuk is a punk for doing it, but it takes two to tango.

Maybe Gretzky was right

 

[Comeds]

personally dont think its a question thats offside ... question is maybe a little old though

10 years ago 59 russians played in the nhl
last season it was 22

as i posted above ... thanks to sochi, some of the KHL owners will have lots of cash that they want to clean ... err ... i mean ... dole out to star russian players

its a pr thing for the KHL ... they want the big homegrown star to validate their league ... meanwhile the 4th liner over there is getting paid in toilet paper

I would not be suprised to see players go there to play, but I meant more in the terms of players leaving exsisting and sometimes huge contracts to go there and play. Maybe it will happen, I dont know, but I think speculating that the top Russian players are going to do the same thing is a bit premature.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I would not be suprised to see players go there to play, but I meant more in the terms of players leaving exsisting and sometimes huge contracts to go there and play. Maybe it will happen, I dont know, but I think speculating that the top Russian players are going to do the same thing is a bit premature.

the thing is Kovy is leaving an existing and huge contract for what will end up being for BIGGER dollars (esp when you factor in taxes and NHL escrow deducts.)

couldnt you see other big name players* doing the same?


/and by players I should say Russian players ... obviously dont think North american born players would be up for the culture shock even with the big dollars

 

[Comeds]

the thing is Kovy is leaving an existing and huge contract for what will end up being for BIGGER dollars (esp when you factor in taxes and NHL escrow deducts.)

couldnt you see other big name players* doing the same?


/and by players I should say Russian players ... obviously dont think North american born players would be up for the culture shock even with the big dollars

Yeah but the NHL contracts are guaranteed, who knows what the status of the Russian contracts would or could be? Both now and in the next few years. I dont know, I kind of think this will crash and finish that league before there is too much of an exodus from this one.

 

[pixburgher66]

WHAT in the frig are you guys talking about?!? OV's not going anywhere. I wish you could see the interview with OV's dad where he is talking about how without a Stanley Cup OV would never be satisfied. He's solid.

Besides, the contracts in the KHL are a joke compared to NHL money. We always hear how big they are, but the amounts are always very mysterious. Lot of puffery from the KHL if you ask me.

I don't think he'd leave right away, but the guy has talked about it in the past. That's why I'd be worried. I never thought Kovy would leave either. There's probably no one under more pressure to play in Russia than OV.

 

[pixburgher66]

And I don't think that this move will result in a huge exodus, but it's definitely the first BIG name to do this in their prime.

 

[pixburgher66]

Geno got bullied into a KHL contract, has a bad taste about it, etc. That was my point. I'm not saying OV will up and leave tomorrow, merely that he's actually mentioned it in the past. His comments were coming pre-lockout, and probably were empty threats, but hell, I thought most of the threats were empty, but I know Kovy was/is close with both Geno/Alex. OV is probably too competitive to bail, but those comments sound a bit less empty in light of this situation.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

And I don't think that this move will result in a huge exodus, but it's definitely the first BIG name to do this in their prime.

yes it is the first big name but truth be told the russian player exodus has been ongoing and is nothing new

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle 8m Only 18 Russian skaters played 30+ games in NHL last season. Ten years ago, there were 45+ regulars in the league. Slowly fading away.