ruxpin Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Fetisov wants to ban young KHLers from NHLhttp://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/report-fetisov-wants-to-stall-khlers-from-joining-nhl/ LUKE FOX MAY 22, 2015, 10:44 AM Viacheslav Fetisov’s effort to leave Russia to chase a Stanley Cup in the late 1980s was met with harsh resistance from the Soviet government, yet the great defenceman’s persistence proved instrumental in breaking the barrier that prevented Russians from joining the NHL.Now Fetisov, the founder and chairman of the KHL’s board of directors, is proposing to restrict players in the Kontinental Hockey League from hopping to the NHL until they turn 28 years old, according to R-Sport.The aim is to keep “our most talented guys, the ones who the people come to see,” Fetisov told the outlet (translated by the Associated Press).Senator Fetisov's comments arrive on the heels of KHLers Evgeni Medvedev, 32, and Aaron Palushaj, 25, signing with the Philadelphia Flyers this week and a report that Alexander Burmistrov, 23, plans to return to the NHL as well.Before getting into politics, Fetisov, one of the greatest defencemen to play the game, played 13 seasons for CSKA Moscow. Although originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1978, he did not make his NHL debut until 1989, with the New Jersey Devils.Fetisov, 57, won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings.So, the little punk hypocrite, who fought bitterly to get out of Russia to come to the NHL to make money and to compete for the Stanley Cup now wants to turn around and prevent kids from his country from doing the same. What a hypocritical jerk. Say "hi" to Stalin, punk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 This is....disappointing on Slava Fetisov's part.Really. It is. I GET what the idea is behind what he is trying to do, but in the grand scheme of things, all he REALLY would be doing is telling young 20-somethings "No, we will NOT allow you to follow your hearts/dreams/desires to go play for the NHL until you are X years old". I know Russia is no longer communist, but is there any difference between what Fetisov is trying to do and what the Soviet Union did those years ago?Not a whole lot of difference if you ask me. I understand the home country KHL is in financial hardship.I realize many talented Russian players either leave for North America or are actively recruited by NHL and AHL scouts...but there HAS to be a better way to convince strong willed, determined young athletes to stay "home" besides TELLING them they can't leave...or else.... Taking positive steps to improve the financial situation of the KHL would be a start.I always felt the K had been making good strides in closing the gap of competitive play between them and the NHL...to the point where some NHL players actually have chosen to go over there to play. This restriction on young players to not be allowed to leave just reeks of asking for more trouble than I think the Russians are anticipating. And I won't even get all into the whole 'man behind the idea' (Fetisov) because it's well documented what he did to break away from the very thing he looks to re-instate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 http://www.puckrant.com/index.php/component/k2/item/1596-the-ruble-and-the-damage-done Excellant article on the decline of the Ruble and how it is affecting the KHL. Quite frankly I don't give a rat's behind about Fetisov. He garnered his success from the NHL and to prevent other young players from following their dreams is pure BS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Yeah this is pretty sad. The KHL is a failure that almost no good players want to play in, so punish your young russians for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Seems only months ago there was discussion about NHLers fleeing to the K....now they want to raise the Iron Curtain once again to keep them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 @ruxpin As the topic title suggests this isn't only about keeping Russian players in Russia, it is about keeping all KHL players in Russia. I believe Finland has one or two KHL teams as well. https://twitter.com/IgorKleyner/status/601800389512531969/photo/1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 @ruxpin As the topic title suggests this isn't only about keeping Russian players in Russia, it is about keeping all KHL players in Russia. I believe Finland has one or two KHL teams as well. https://twitter.com/IgorKleyner/status/601800389512531969/photo/1 Actually, it's worse. There are KHL teams in Belarus, Croatia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and Slovakia. I've suspected for a while that the KHL wants to turn itself into somewhat of a European superleague. If they do that, and they're successful in this attempt, it could have a big impact on the sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted May 24, 2015 Author Share Posted May 24, 2015 With current political and economic conditions, the KHL will not succeed as a league in an open free market playing field. The ruble is far too week and sanctions are taking their toll. That situation is not going to change in the foreseeable future. The authoritarian Bolshevik-style policies Fetisov is clamoring for will not be successful in imprisoning non-Russian nationals and ultimately will hinder rather than help the growth of a super-European league. What we're actually seeing is the death of that concept. It's just astounding the 360° self - centered turn. He and other politburo members will ultimately kill the Gulag Hockey League. I'm okay with that. The venom in my original post was for Fetisov specifically. Someone who championed free movement and determination turning around and being the cossack. It was clearly never about right and wrong or freedom for Fetisov. It was always simply about his own pockets and selfish motives. Screw him. Long live Trotsky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Ironically from Eklund's blog: I talked at length the other day with an NHL scout about what is going on with clubs suddenly in HUGE competition to sign players away from the KHL while the Russian economy is struggling. The scout said, "This isn't going to end anytime soon because money is going to be tight in the KHL next year. There are still quite a few Russian players who have offers in from multiple NHL teams. [Artemi] Panarin and [Evegeni] Medvedev are the tip of the iceberg." If anyone was wondering why Philadelphia paid $3M for next season to the 32-year-old Medvedev, it's because they were in a bidding war with four other NHL teams and they had to pay the player almost as if he was on the NHL unrestricted free agent market. There were other teams interested, too, but the price tag scared them off in the end. Two other players that are drawing a lot of interest from assorted NHL teams: Viktor Tikhonov and Nikita Zaitsev. The scout also told me to look for NHL teams to be much more willing to draft Russian prospects in this year's NHL draft than they have in the recent past out of fear of the "signability factor" due to the KHL. LOL So instead of contracting the KHL to increase the competitiveness of the league they alienate everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podein25 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 At the risk of posting on topic for once, people should check out the documentary "Red Army" which is all about Fetisov and his fight with the Politburo to leave the USSR.I saw it in an old theater in Fargo, ND recently. It's really good.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Army_%28film%29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 @Podein25 That's actually a terrific movie. It's actually what has me calling him a hypocrite. I knew his story so I probably would have anyway, but I saw this not long ago so the irony/hypocrisy is particularly poignant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podein25 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 @Podein25 That's actually a terrific movie. It's actually what has me calling him a hypocrite. I knew his story so I probably would have anyway, but I saw this not long ago so the irony/hypocrisy is particularly poignant.Yeah I can see that. I had similar feelings when I saw it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 @ruxpin @Podein25 I guess right now that's not what's paying. Money talks, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 @ruxpin @Podein25 I guess right now that's not what's paying. Money talks, eh?Ding #winning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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