Evengi Malkin, the 20-year-old Russian Hockey phenom, drafted #2 overall in 2005 by the Pittsburgh Penguins, has surfaced in Los Angeles. Here's a link to the story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette : Malkin's second guess led to his flight to the U.S..

There are several complex issues regarding this situation. First of all, the covert manner in which Mr. Malkin and his agents arranged the departure from Finland raises a myriad of questions. How did he manage to obtain a visa so quickly? Was there a payment/bribery involved? Why was Malkin's team holding his passport? Why did he go to Los Angeles, and not directly to Pittsburgh?

Secondly, this is obviously not the first time a Russian superstar has bolted to the U.S. Other players, such as Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Mogilny have done the same. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation is contending that the $200,000 transfer fee to the NHL is a pittance, and I'm inclined to agree. Gone are the days of the Soviet Union, where they hockey players would receive compensation of a small allowance and a decent apartment. They now are paid handsomely...not as much as they would make in the NHL, but still more than most people in this country would see in their lifetimes.

However, if the Russian Federation had initially agreed to allow Mr. Malkin to leave his contract in Russia, only to renege on their promise, that puts them in a bad light as well. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has this transfer agreement in place. From what I understand, the Russian League is not a member of the International Federation, but still competes in international play.

In the future, if the Russian League doesn't wish to comply with the rules of the IIHF, then I believe they shouldn't be allowed to participate in international tournaments, such as the World Cup of Hockey and the Winter Olympic Games. It may sound harsh, but the Russian League needs to play the same game everyone else does. Should the IIHF modify their transfer agreement? Absolutely...$200,000 is a slap in the face. But until that happens, play the hand that's given to you, or leave the table.

Finally, the most troubling issue is the alleged "psychological pressure" that was applied to Mr. Malkin. Malkin contends that Metallurg Magnitogorsk general director Gennady Vilichkin never implied any threats of physical harm, but browbeat him into signing a contract extension. According to Malkin, team officials stopped by his parents' home two weeks ago at 3 a.m. They forced him to sign a one-year extension after "non-stop pressure".

I hope the situation resolves itself without much more drama. Nevertheless, I pray the NHL will be forced to renegotiate its transfer agreement to avoid another black eye on the sport. G-d knows they don't need to look like a winger that's just gone toe-to-toe with Marty McSorley.

[ August 19, 2006, 08:09 AM: Message edited by: Falconpride ]

Oops....retraction: Apparently, the Russian Hockey League IS a member of the IIHF. I regret this error.

From an article at philly.com:

Methinks the Russian GM needs to get a grip.