Russian takes the spotlight in Columbus

Amid complaints by his former team, the 19-year-old made his NHL debut.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Nikolai Zherdev arrived under the cover of darkness and skated right into the spotlight for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Zherdev, the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, made his NHL debut Tuesday night -- 40 seconds into the Blue Jackets' 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.
Zherdev played 10:59 and drew wild applause every time he stepped on the ice.
He had his first shot blocked, and his biggest moment came when he swooped in from the right wing on a two-on-one late in the game.
He waited, waited, waited, but goaltender Martin Gerber stopped the shot.
"He had a couple of scoring chances and he played great," Columbus coach and general manager Doug MacLean said. "I know after the first shift I was pretty excited about what I saw out there. He's got tremendous potential to say the least."
The 19-year-old forward from Ukraine has been the focus of a brewing international incident.
Zherdev arrived secretly in Columbus by private jet on Monday.
Former team complains
At the same time, his former team in Russia alleged some old-fashioned Cold War scheming -- saying the star right wing was spirited out of his native land in defiance of army obligations.
Moscow's CSKA professional team protested that Zherdev was not permitted to leave. The team along with Russia's hockey federation said he must fulfill military obligations and is not available to go to the NHL.
Bill Daly, the NHL's chief legal officer, said Zherdev can play with the Blue Jackets until further notice.
"At this point we've not been provided with sufficient evidence to establish either A, that he has a compulsory military service obligation or B, that he's conscripted in the Russian military," he said.
Columbus officials said they have met every legal, political and financial condition to bring Zherdev to the United States.
"That includes paying the International Ice Hockey Federation and paying transfer fees," Blue Jackets spokesman Todd Sharrock said. "We've done everything we can do to have him here and he wants to be here."
Accompanied by agent
Zherdev was accompanied by his Ottawa-based agent, Alexander "Sasha" Tyjnych at Tuesday's morning skate. Tyjnych also is serving as interpreter for Zherdev, who will stay in a hotel until he gets acclimated to the area, Sharrock said.
Anaheim forward Sergei Fedorov, who moved from Russia at a similar age, said there are many challenges ahead for Zherdev.
"It's pretty tough not being able to speak English," Fedorov said. "It's not going to be easy. Language is going to be an important part -- but hockey language is the most important part."
Negotiations have been ongoing with CSKA and Russian hockey officials since Zherdev was drafted. Several times over the past few months the team thought he was close to joining the Blue Jackets, but each time another impediment came up.
Three-year pact
Zherdev signed a three-year contract with the Blue Jackets in August. Columbus also paid a $100,000 transfer fee to free him from his Russian contract, but he remained in limbo as his agent and Blue Jackets representatives spoke daily with officials in Russia to pry him loose.
He has been playing in the Russian Elite League, and recently was named captain of the Russian team that will compete later this month in the World Junior Championships.
Zherdev played his last game with CSKA on Nov. 24 and flew from Moscow to Toronto on Sunday. He then went with Don Boyd, the Blue Jackets' chief of amateur scouting, to Ottawa where Zherdev was interviewed by the U.S. Consulate there in the final step toward immigration.
CSKA coach, Viktor Tikhonov, told the Russian sports daily Sport-Express, "To begin with, he fled his team and, secondly, he fled from his army obligations."
"We will not let this case go away and we will seek sanctions," said Valeri Gushin, a CSKA vice president.