16 replies to this topic

[ArcticWing]

Another Russian prospect bails to KHL. Seems like Radulov have opened the flood gates. The burning question is, does these kinds of things influence negatively on the number of Russian born players being drafted at first/second round?

The Moscow Dynamo website reports that Montreal Canadiens blueline prospect Pavel Valentenko has signed a three-year deal with the KHL club. The news comes just after Valentenko's AHL team - the Hamilton Bulldogs - gave the 21-year-old an indefinite leave to attend to family matters back in Russia. A Canadiens spokesman said the team was unaware of the signing.

http://www.tsn.ca/nh...s=headlines_nhl

[egroen]

Ouch. I can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth from Montreal even from here.

[ben_usmc]

s***ty thing is he told the Canadians he needed to go home because of family reasons, a few days later he signs a contract; what an honorable man....

[rage]

That's too funny.

Seems to be the trend these days!

[sagnam]

s***ty thing is he told the Canadians he needed to go home because of family reasons, a few days later he signs a contract; what an honorable man....

Honorable? What are you talking about? Do you even know how the Wings got Federov?

[GordieSid&Ted]

s***ty thing is he told the Canadians he needed to go home because of family reasons, a few days later he signs a contract; what an honorable man....

Considering you don't know any of the circumstances maybe you should find out a little more before completely condemning the guy.

I mean, for all you know he went home to be with his dying mother and she asked him to stay here and let her see him play during her last days on Earth.

Unlikely sure, but you don't know for sure.

[egroen]

Maybe that is what Ovechkin is planning while in Russia to see his "sick" grandpa.... he was at a KHL game...

[egroen]

Fedorov was locked behind the iron curtain and did not want to play there, as opposed to Valentenko who voluntarily joined the draft, voluntarily signed a contract and voluntarily came over to the North America to play. Not the best comparison.

That said, I do have some sympathy for the kid:

http://tsn.ca/nhl/st...=headlines_main

Hedges said Valentenko did not want to return to Russia, but he supports his entire family on his hockey earnings and was unable to do that on an AHL salary.

With his signing bonus plus a salary of $62,500, he was earning about $150,000 per season with Hamilton, before taxes. Without revealing a salary figure, Hedges said he would earn "substantially more" and with no taxes in Russia.

"His goal was to play in the NHL, but financially, playing in the AHL wasn't cutting it," said Hedges. "He was very upset at doing this.

"He came over here to make the NHL. He didn't just run home. He had to do it. He knows he shouldn't have done what he did contractually, but he had to. It's not a Radulov situation."

Hedges said Valentenko has been supporting his family since he was 15, and took a pay cut to pursue his NHL dream when he signed with Montreal before the 2007-08 season.

After playing all of last season and the first four games of this season with Hamilton, he was given permission to return to Russia to attend to a family matter. He said the signing was not premeditated.

"His intention was to go home to see his parents and see what he could do," said Hedges. "When he got home, his father already had the deal done (with Dynamo).

"And if you saw the size of the deal, you'd see why."

The six-foot-two, 220-pound Valentenko, a fifth round draft pick in 2006, is a physical but low-scoring defenceman despite his booming shot. In 61 games for Hamilton, he had one goal and 17 assists.

The friendly 21-year-old had learned to speak good English and seemed to be adjusting well to North America.

Edited by egroen, 31 October 2008 - 02:09 PM.

[Gordie Howe hat trick]

I wonder what Grapes has been saying about all of this...including Radulov I mean.

[rage]

I wonder what Grapes has been saying about all of this...including Radulov I mean.

Oh I am pretty sure we know what he is saying about this.

I bet it really makes him happy. Maybe opens up another spot for a Canadian player on the Habs roster.

[PROBIE4PREZ]

the KHL is goin to mess with the way teams draft russian born players now.. Personally I'd pass on drafting a top 10 player if hes russian .. even though the draft is like a lottery and u cant predict if they are busts or not anyway but still seems like a potential waste

[BeeRYCE]

I never seen this guy play... But judging by his size and lack of offensive input, is he another Anton Volchenkov?

[up2here]

I wonder what Grapes has been saying about all of this...including Radulov I mean.

Here what Grapes said:
-One less European!!Great news!
-Kids dont wear short hockey gloves
-Bobby Orr is the best

[Crymson]

Honorable? What are you talking about? Do you even know how the Wings got Federov?

Surely you mean Fedorov.

How did we get Fedorov? We arranged for him to defect from his country, a brutal dictatorship from which he would not have been allowed to leave of his own will---a nation whose government, indeed, would have taken serious punitive action against Larionov's family (by his own testimony) had he followed in Fedorov's footsteps.

[sibiriak]

Surely you mean Fedorov.

How did we get Fedorov? We arranged for him to defect from his country, a brutal dictatorship from which he would not have been allowed to leave of his own will---a nation whose government, indeed, would have taken serious punitive action against Larionov's family (by his own testimony) had he followed in Fedorov's footsteps.

Your point would be very valid, if you were talking about USSR circa 1975.

In 1990, the situation was very different. Perestroika was at its peak, and Fedorov knew very well that neither he nor his family had much to worry about. If he waited 8 months or so, he could have left normally just like dozens of other Soviet hockey players.
He was impatient, and he didn't want to go through complicated bureaucratic procedures and psychological pressures.
I respect the heck out of Fetisov and Larionov for bulling through the Soviet sports bureaucracy and leaving honorably and legally, although it cost them a lot of money and nerves. They opened the gates for the younger players.
Fedorov went along the path of least resistance. Just like Radulov, and now Valentenko. I may sympathise with their desire to "strike iron while its hot", but that doesn't make them heroes or villans. It's just a business decision.

[ben_usmc]

Considering you don't know any of the circumstances maybe you should find out a little more before completely condemning the guy.

I mean, for all you know he went home to be with his dying mother and she asked him to stay here and let her see him play during her last days on Earth.

Unlikely sure, but you don't know for sure.

They were talking about it yesterday on the NHL radio network, and talked about how he asked if he could go home and tend to personal family problems, and then he signed with the KHL.

With your "what if" scenario are you telling me that if he told the Canadians the situation they wouldn't have allowed him time to spend with his family, it's not like he was playing for them he was in the minors.

Please tell me how you can justify his actions.

[dcd]

i wish i had $150000/yr to support a family.