After the NHL cut business relations with Russia recently, they’ve taken things even further in a memo sent to teams yesterday. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff was first to report that the league has cut ties with the KHL following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, telling teams to cease contact and suspending the memorandum of understanding between the two leagues.
Bill Daly told clubs in the memo that they will now “have only limited contractual information regarding players who are currently or last played in the KHL.” Teams will now have to go through the Central Registry to request contract information on a player’s contractual status and produce “independent written evidence” that shows a player is entirely free of KHL obligations, before signing them for the 2022-23 season.
Previously the two leagues did not operate under a transfer agreement but had an MOU indicating that they would respect contract terms. According to Seravalli, the NHL has told the KHL that it will continue to respect existing and future contracts, though communication will now be cut off.
This will certainly complicate not only free agency but the upcoming draft, which was already a point of discussion given the possibility that young Russian athletes would be denied work visas to enter Canada and the United States. Danila Yurov, for instance, was expected to go near the top of the 2022 draft but is still under contract with Magnitogorsk for the 2022-23 season at least. Without continued communication, it’s hard to know whether an NHL team that drafts him will be able to even speak with the young forward, though the memo does indicate that teams are still allowed to work with North American-based agents.
There are also several pending KHL free agents like Andrei Kuzmenko who were expected to sign after the KHL playoffs are completed. Kuzmenko was drawing the attention of many NHL teams around the league after an outstanding season, where he scored 20 goals and 53 points in 45 games. It is now completely unclear whether his immediate future lies in North America or if he will re-sign in Russia and stay with SKA.
So the Rangers have to pull there kid out of Russia
Rather than being smart, this has proven to be one the biggest blunders in history.
He can’t win this war, so he instead will throw hissy fits and break stuff to pretend he can.
With that in mind, I think it’s a very real possibility (maybe even a likelihood) that he doesn’t allow Russian players to return to the NHL next season and revokes their visas.
Were you the only person with an “im with her” bumper sticker to not throw a hissy fit in 16??? I would say youre callin the kettle somethin but dont want to get flagged…
You mean you’re talking about the Mussolini of Mar-a-Lago
Did something trigger you or did you have an aneurysm while you typed this…?
just making it harder for the players…
The KHL and Russian national teams are probably loving this. It’s why I don’t get why the CHL is thinking about banning them in the import draft. That’s exactly what the heads of those hockey federations would want.
They should be banned. Russians need to stay in Russia until they figure out how to get rid of Putin. Hockey careers aren’t important when civilians are being slaughtered.
@JD, what does the national team matter? They’re banned from international play.
Poile get Askarov outta there now!
It’s all too late now to get anyone out of there! Anyone there you might as well write off. No way anyone from Russia will be allowed to leave.
i really wish that sports wouldn’t get involved into politics, all this is doing is hurting players that are trying to make it to the big stage.