The Two-Line Pass

До тех пор, suckers!

Around mid-afternoon yesterday, it was announced that the NHL and the new Kontinental Hockey League (the expanded former Russian Super League) would both “respect” the other league’s contracts and agree not to poach players from one league or the other.

The NHL had grown increasingly concerned with several Russian clubs’ desire to lure the dynamic Evgeni Malkin back to his homeland with big, tax-free contracts. There hasn’t been a transfer agreement between the leagues in three years, but that’s all been sorted out now, and everyone’s just fine with the agreement.

“Everyone in the room agreed that for the foreseeable future everyone will respect everybody’s contracts,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said.

Players’ union director Paul Kelly said all parties recognized the need for “clear respect between leagues.”

…

“There is no sense to make a war,” IIHF president Rene Fasel said. “Everyone agrees we could make a war very easily, but with no winner. The loser will be the game.

“Even if we don’t have a transfer agreement today we have a very good understanding of each other.”

But then later in the night, word got out that Predators forward Alexander Radulov had signed a deal with Russian team Ufa despite still being under contract in Nashville. Here are some highlights from an interview with the Russian paper Sport Express (click only if you can read Cyrillic moon writing).

“I have told them several times that I have an offer from Ufa and a great desire to play in Russia. I told them that what Ufa offered was much better than there in Nashville. They listened to me and said they would call back. Up until now I have received no call. Looks like they did not want to keep me that much, or maybe thought I would not dare take such a step.”

Or MAYBE it’s because you’re still currently under contract with them and they couldn’t just renegotiate a new contract in the middle of an existing one, and certainly not one that could come close to matching the $13 million over three years in tax-free cash the Russian team offered.

The IIHF has since demanded that the Ufa contract be voided, but KHL president Alexander Medvedev has since said that the transfer agreement doesn’t take effect until July 14, so no big deal (again, moon language).

Frankly this all seems a little fishy to me. If you take a look at his player history, Radulov has been committed to the North American development process since being drafted, playing full seasons for the QMJHL’s Quebec Ramparts and then even playing in the AHL for Milwaukee, the concept of which causes so many players to balk and head back to Mother Russia rather than face the indignity of playing hockey in Iowa.

If Radulov is forced to come back, that will be the most awkward moment in the NHL since Mark Messier met Gary Coleman.

If Snoop Dogg still wants to watch his buddy Ray Emery play hockey, he’ll have to go a little farther than Ottawa.

The (shall we say) troubled netminder has signed a one-year, $2 million contract with Atlant Mytishchi of Russia’s new Continental Hockey League. Google tells me that Mystishchi is a suburb of Moscow and the second-largest city in Russia. Emery, who’s had enough problems away from the rink to make an Ohio State football player blush, was bought out by the Senators last week to the surprise of absolutely no one.

Emery’s not a bad goaltender and, in my opinion, was great for the league (everyone loves goalie fights!), but the reason he had absolutely no offers from any NHL teams at all is that, by all accounts he’s a bit of a problem in the locker room.

A perfunctory list of Emery’s misdeeds from the past year or so:

• Was involved in a traffic accident while speeding to the airport because he was late for the team flight after sleeping through several wake-up calls from team officials and other players
• Was fined for showing up late to practice at the end of January, an increasingly common problem in the weeks prior
• Allgedly threatened to kill an Ottawa retiree that cut him off on the freeway while headed to Scotiabank Place. Said elderly man, Jean Therien, said that Emery blocked the road with his Hummer and then lost a “war of words.”
• Was pulled over numerous times by Ottawa area police, and got into a verbal confrontation with one officer because he felt he was being “targeted” after getting nabbed for aggressive driving. “I wasn’t given a warning for anything, I will say that,” Emery said at the time. “He pulled me over for no reason. I question why I get pulled over for so much here.”
• Was the subject of many rumors in Ottawa, some circulated or perpetuated by the vague reporting and hints of The Universal Cynic’s great freelance writer Erin Nicks, suggest Emery has a bit of an off-ice problem that has nothing to do with his anger issues, if you follow. Google it if you don’t.

Emery’s agent, J.P. Barry, says that’s all a misunderstanding and, even if it wasn’t, it’s all behind Emery now.

“Unfortunately, it’s only been a short time since the buyout and there isn’t anybody willing to give (Emery) a second chance at this time,” said … Barry to the Sun Media. “I think if people knew the things that he’s done over the last little while to turn the corner, there might be more interest out there.

Does it occur to anyone else that Emery will have just as much of a problem in Russia, where the locals tend to be a little, ummm, pro-white. This is the same country, you’ll remember, that saw its fans throw bananas at Anson Carter when he went there for a few exhibition games during the lockout.

This might be it for Emery. Too bad.