MEDVEDEV: HC LEV IS ONLY BEGINNING

President of KHL Alexandr Medvedev comments on the inclusion of the Slovak HC Lev of Poprad to KHL season-2010/11.


"Well, the introduction of a club from Slovakia is an event for our league," said Medvedev. "We have worked a lot on this question and faced much resistance from different sides but nevertheless we managed to achieve the goal."

"I am sure after the Slovaks we will see clubs from other countries in the near future – if not in the Kontinental League itself than at least in the competitions among leading European clubs. So it is only beginning."

"At first we planned that HC Lev as a member of KHL is to be based in Czech Republic. And everything was ready to this but the Czech Hockey Federation did not allow Lev to participate in KHL."

"We could have started legal proceedings but we agreed with the Slovak Federation and I am thankful to them for their understanding."

"Those people saw what many others do not see – the way of development for hockey. Without integration European ice hockey is doomed to wretched existence."

... but nothing matches the thrill and challenge of having money on the line!

KHL Roundup

A brief roundup of some of the KHL news this Summer
by Rob McGregor
prohockeynews.com


MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Like much of the rest of the hockey world the Summer is proving to be a busy time for the KHL and its teams with changes to playing staff, prospective new teams and exciting new initiatives.


The KHL announced two pre-season exhibition games against NHL clubs in October. SKA St Petersburg host Carolina Hurricanes on October 4th, whilst Phoenix Coyotes travel to Latvia to face Dinamo Riga. This will be the first time Russian top flight clubs have faced an NHL opponent since 1990, when Montreal and Minnesota North Stars played eight games against teams from the old USSR Championship.

But unsurprisingly the big news of the summer has been on the playing front, with KHL clubs looking to strengthen their rosters. Thus far the two biggest moves have come in goal, where SKA St Petersburg have signed former San Jose netminder Evgeni Nabokov, whilst Spartak Moscow have opted to sign 45 year old Dominik Hasek!

Hasek, who has twice retired only to return to the game, had a successful season in his native Czech Republic last year and assured fans of the Moscow club he is feeling good going in to the new season.

More recently reports that Slovak star Pavol Demitra will be leaving Vancouver for the KHL have surfaced, joining Yaroslavl on a 1 year deal, whilst SKA St Petersburg are still hopeful their mega deal will attract hockey superstar Ilya Kovalchuk back to his homeland.

The next generation of KHL stars were selected in June at the KHL draft. Sibir selected former Slavia Praha juniors forward Dmitry Yashkin as the 1st overall pick, with teams hoping this year’s group of new youngsters can help propel their teams to a Gagarin Cup in the future.

The league is also making a big drive this season to reinforce the importance of top quality medical treatment and facilities for clubs and players. Moscow hosted a ‘Medical Support for the Major Hockey Leagues’ seminar recently, with the head of the KHL medical center, Nikolai Durmanov saying “Unfortunately, at many clubs the leadership has underestimated the role of medical support in modern sport, and this is a big problem. Hockey teams are built on players, and a player’s health is his biggest asset. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that we elevate medicine to its rightful place among the main priorities in a hockey club’s core activities.”

There has often been criticism of the standards of medical care available at some top flight Russian games, and the initiative aims to bring levels up to what Durmanov decribed as ‘international standards’.

It matters more when there's money on it!

HC Lev do will play in 2010-11 KHL Championship

The Kontinental Hockey League, having earlier received HC Lev’s application, and having implemented a full inspection of the club’s infrastructure, and rendered help to the club in solving problems regarding financing and technical matters, officially announced that HK Lev (Hradec Králové) do will now appear in the KHL season 2010-11.

“We know how many Czech players were eager to play for the Lev team and appear in the Kontinental Hockey League. We know too how Czech hockey fans supported the idea of having a club in our League and hoped to see their team play live against clubs from the KHL, and see their legendary compatriots Jagomir Jagr and Dominik Hasek", have once said KHL President Alevander Medvedev.

Well, they are welcomed now!

A reminder: Lion, a club from Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, wanted to join the KHL for the upcoming 2010-2011 season, however the Czech Ice Hockey Association refused to let them, after that the team's management moved the club to Poprad, Slovakia. So the Lions will officially represents Poprad, Slovakia but their games will be played in Czech Republic at "Zimní stadion Hradec Králové" in Hradec Kralove.

BYKOV OFFERED TO STAY IN NATIONAL TEAM

The head coach of Salavat Yulaev and the Russian national ice hockey team Vyacheslav Bykov eyes his future in the team.


"Igor Zakharkin’s and my contracts are expiring in the middle of August," said Bykov. "But we have already received offers from the Russian Hockey Federation to continue our work with the national team."

"But it is formed now only generally. I presume that in the middle of July we will start our negotiations. The offer I got is on the one hand covers the entire Olympic cycle on the other hand it does not."

"I understand that this sounds rather vague but the nuances are to be discussed later during the official talks."

BURMISTROV: KHL – LEAGUE FOR GAFFERS

The newcomer of Atlanta, first Russian on the NHL June draft, Alexandr Burmistrov gave an interview to sport press.


Atlanta Thrashers start a new life – the team changed general manger, coaches and players. They have charted a course towards rejuvenation of the team. The only thing the management decided to retain of the old traditions – is to have one talented Russian in the roster.

Burmistrov is in the public eye at the moment and journalists often ask him about his attitude towards KHL. He put it absolutely clearly and named KHL a League for gaffers. Though there were rumours that these words were only a PR trick of his agent willing to raise his number on the draft.

"I have never told anyone that I hated KHL," wondered the 19-year old player. "You know what, my favourite player is Pavel Datsyuk and I think that I have the same senior moments as he has [during the World Championship Datsyuk avoided unpleasant questions saying that sometimes he has senior moments]."

"And I did not call KHL – league for pensioners. The journalists interpreted me in the wrong way. I just meant that KHL likes to invite players who have performed in NHL for many years and still want to earn money at sunset of their careers. Such players like Jagr."

"And I am a young player and all paths in NHL are unbarred for me and I made up my mind to play in NHL. This is what I tried to convey to the journalists."

"I cannot say that I was very much pressurized but some scouts and agents somehow mistrust Russian players. They are biased towards us as in the stories with Filatov and Radulov they think that any Russian can at once leave this League and return to KHL."

"And I am also leaving for Russia… to visit my parents and relatives. I will be training there and preparing for the season but I am not staying in KHL."

NABOKOV JOINED SKA!

One of the best goalkeepers in the world Evgeniy Nabokov signed a four-year contract with SKA yesterday.

KHL president and chairman of SKA board of directors Alexandr Medvedev commented on Nabokov’s move.

"Nabokov’s move to KHL is great event for SKA and the whole Russian hockey", Medvedev said to sport press. "Our country still remembers his wonderful play at the World Championship in Quebec. I have no doubts that he will be one of the main candidates to position of Russia’s first-choice goalie".

"Our agreement is designed for the whole Olympic cycle – four years, and we hope that Nabokov will play for the Russian team in Sochi".

"I hope that his decision to join us will influence Ilya Kovalchuk".

"We keep an eye on Russian players in NHL, so when it became known that San Jose decided not to extend contract with Nabokov, we informed Evgeniy that we wait for his return to KHL".

SKA INTERESTED IN KOVALCHUK AND NABOKOV

Yesterday it became known that SKA holds talks not only with Ilya Kovalchuk, but with one more NHL superstar Evgeniy Nabokov.


"Nabokov is really one of the candidates to a place of SKA first-choice goalkeeper", SKA general manager Andrey Tochitsky said to sport press. "Of course he has other offers from NHL".

"It’s hard to judge whether talks with Kovalchuk’s agent are close to finish. We discuss terms of the agreement, but it’s hard to say when they finish".

Meanwhile according to sport press information Ilya Kovalchuk is close to signing a contract with SKA.