NHL, IIHF agree in principle on new deal: Russians Reject it!

[Drury77]

"We have an agreement in principle," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Saturday, after meetings with IIHF members. "Everybody knows that Russian participation has been an issue in our last agreement and we are certainly hopeful the Russians will see fit to participate in this agreement."

Russia Ice Hockey Federation president and Hall of Fame goaltender Vladislav Tretiak, who will have to convince member teams to agree to the pact, was not present at Saturday's meeting.

TSN : NHL - Canada's Sports Leader

It's about time the the Russians agree to a deal with the NHL, it benefits them as much as it does the NHL. They are stupid if they think that they wont' continue to lose players to North America, if they don't agree to a deal. I mean look at what they went through with Ovechkin.

[Drury77]

there looks like we could have a chink in this armor, russians are already crying foul:

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia is unhappy with a new four-year player agreement regulating transfers from Europe to the NHL.

Russian hockey federation president Vladislav Tretiak said Tuesday that 80 per cent of his nation's clubs were dissatisfied with the terms.

"We are not yet happy," he said. "We are in negotiations."

The International Ice Hockey Federation's national associations have until midnight Tuesday to ratify the latest agreement between the IIHF and the NHL.

About 30 per cent of the NHL's players come from Europe. The NHL annually signs 45 to 60 players from European countries.

The IIHF and the NHL have had agreements in place for the last 12 years. The most recent two-year agreement did not include Russia because it wants the NHL to honour its league contracts.

NHL clubs are forbidden from acquiring players already under contract in Russia, but can take free agents without paying compensation. However, Russian players can still easily break their contracts, freeing them to sign with an NHL team.

"Russia would like a friendship with the NHL," Tretiak said at the IIHF World Hockey Championship. "Today it's very simple to take hockey players. Two weeks and each guy can go. The NHL every year gets Russian players. If the players want to go to the NHL then OK, after their contract (ends)."

The proposed agreement would run until the 2010-11 season, and would include an annual development fee paid by the NHL to the IIHF. The money would then be distributed by the IIHF to the national associations and their clubs. The Russian federation could lose players for nothing by refusing to sign.

"Russia has a lot of money," Tretiak said with a shrug.

The agreement also includes a deadline for NHL clubs to sign players during the off-season.

The IIHF was close to getting Russia to agree to a deal last year but was turned down by owners of elite Russian league clubs, who demanded millions of dollars in compensation for losing top players such as Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Evgeni Malkin.

The lack of an agreement has resulted in several court cases on both sides of the Atlantic.

TSN : NHL - Canada's Sports Leader

[Drury77]

MOSCOW (CP) - Russian teams would rather lose players to the NHL for nothing than sign a contract that pays them what they consider a disrespectful amount of money, according to Russian Hockey Federation President Vladislav Tretiak.

As a result, Russia has once again decided not to sign the International Ice Hockey Federation's player transfer deal with the NHL.


TSN : NHL - Canada's Sports Leader

[bedir than average]

What does Russia gain by ignoring the problem?

[Drury77]

Not really sure, seeing all they are gaurantees themselves more court battles, over players trying to leave Russia to get to the North American league.

Certainly doesn't make their players happy either