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NHLers Going The Other Way
by Paul on 08/23/06 at 04:09 PM ET
Comments (4)
from Pierre LeBrun of the CP via News 1130,
While Evgeni Malkin’s flight to the NHL has incensed Russian hockey officials, some NHL executives are growing hot under the collar at watching their players abandon North America for greener pastures in Russia.
Already the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders have lost three players to Russia this summer. Mark Gandler, the agent who represents those players, says Russia is an attractive option for “young, vibrant talent which is not properly treated (by NHL teams).”
Winger Eugeni Artukhin rejected Tampa’s last offer and has signed on for more money in his native Russia. The same goes for Russian defenceman Denis Grebeshkov and Finnish winger Sean Bergenheim of the Islanders.
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Not properly treated? Give me a break. Artyukhin had 4 goals, (and was in the penalty box for 6, I believe). He was offered a nice raise, one that was commensurate with his role and production. He and his agent decided to play hardballl and lost. The Lightning have put a lot of effort into bringing him along, he would have been in a position to ask for a LOT more money next year had he stayed and played up to his potential. He has totally screwed himself, since the Lightning own his rights thru 09/10. You think he’ll play in the NHL before then? Not bloody likely. Interesting how all 3 of these guys are with the same agent. He is NOT giving them good advice. Playing in the equivalent of the AHL for the next few years is going to do nothing for these guys’ development. Dumb, short-sighted moves on the part of all of them. As one of the guys here at the Lightning board is famous for saying ‘Don’t let the doorknob hit ya where the good lord split ya.’
Posted by nancy on 08/23/06 at 06:04 PM ET
I think Duck prospects Zenon Konopka and Maxim Kondratiev have signed with Russian club Togliatti Lada for next year (ZK for sure, MK I’m not sure technically).
Ilya Bryzgalov might head there also if he doesn’t get a deal done in Anaheim.
Posted by Earl Sleek from Anaheim, CA on 08/23/06 at 07:34 PM ET
Gandler’s an idiot. He’s Yashin’s agent (hey, let’s hold out for an entire year, that’ll help Alexei’s image!) and he loves playing the, “Oh yeah? My player’s going to Russia!” card.
If Gandler was Swiss, he’d have his clients play in the Swiss league, if he was Finnish, they’d play in the Finnish Elite league, etc.
It’s not so much Russia vs. the NHL in this instance as it is Gandler telling his clients, who’re usually developing Russian players, that they really need to play hardball in their contract negotiations—and they need to head to Russia for a year or two because they’re being treated “unfairly.”
By the time they come back to the NHL, the teams usually have moved on.
Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 08/24/06 at 01:08 AM ET
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Not surprising at all. Players like to play, and play in important situations. Oh yeah, and get PAID. new-CBA, you’re still on notice.
Posted by Ninja on 08/23/06 at 05:21 PM ET