NHL seeks pact with Russians

A new league is looking to lure top players back to Europe.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The NHL has opened negotiations with a new Russian-based professional hockey league to establish a temporary agreement to prevent either league from signing players under contract.

But until such a deal is reached, Continental Hockey League founder Alexander Medvedev has no problem with his teams using lucrative offers in an attempt to poach NHL stars, such as Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin.

“I believe the clubs have a free hand to do whatever they want,” Medvedev told The Associated Press Tuesday. “Legally, they have the full right to do so, because we have suffered in the past. We can’t say, ‘Look boys, it’s morally not good without having an agreement. Don’t do it.’ ”

Medvedev, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation council, described the NHL proposal he received Tuesday as a start and will consider accepting it.

However, it fell well short of the deal he said he’s ultimately seeking from the NHL: a long-term transfer agreement, which would establish terms of compensation for teams that lose players to another league.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly described the submitted proposal as a draft of a short-term understanding in which both leagues would agree to honor the contracts of their respective players.

Daly added the NHL did agree with Medvedev to consider discussing a more detailed player transfer agreement, while noting such negotiations would depend upon the involvement of the NHL Players’ Association.

Daly, however, contradicted Medvedev’s view in regards to CHL teams currently being free to sign NHL players under contract. Daly said, “Mr. Medvedev, on behalf of the KHL, has already agreed to respect the valid and binding contractual obligations of players to NHL clubs.”

The CHL, which goes by “KHL” in Russia, created a stir last week when it was revealed that several Russian teams intended to offer Malkin a multi-year contract worth at least $12.5 million per season. Malkin has one year left on his contract with the Penguins.

Malkin’s agent, J.P. Barry, confirmed his client received a lucrative “back-channel” offer to play in Russia, but stressed it was a deal Malkin had no intention of accepting.

IIHF president Ren Fasel has ruled leagues are required to honor player contracts even in the absence of a transfer agreement. He also threatened disciplinary action — including disqualification from Olympic play — against players switching leagues while under contract. The IIHF, however, has no disciplinary authority over teams and their leagues.

The NHL no longer pays a $200,000 transfer fee for signing a European free agent after its agreement with the IIHF expired earlier this month. Russia had pulled out of that system three years ago.

Medvedev called the $200,000 in compensation as too little, and he wants a new deal that would also prevent players under 21 from switching leagues.