Original-Six 254 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 (edited) KHL hopes to add Kovalchuk Not good for the NHL. At the same time its not surprising. I guess come this summer we will find out if its money or a cup he wants. VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The president of the KHL confirmed Saturday that the Russian-based league will aggressively pursue star winger Ilya Kovalchuk once his NHL contract expires on June 30. "Yes, yes, because it will be absolutely legal," Alexander Medvedev said during a sitdown interview with ESPN.com and The Hockey News. "It's understood with the leagues that if it's a free agent or even a restricted free agent, they could decide where to play. So Kovalchuk has the full right to decide where to play. We are going to negotiate with him and his agents what kind of agreement could be reached." Unless he signs an extension with the New Jersey Devils, Kovalchuk will become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Medvedev's company Gazprom owns the KHL club in St. Petersburg and he's hopeful the former Atlanta Thrasher will be open to a lucrative offer to jump ship from the NHL. "The difference between 45 percent taxes and 13 percent taxes is substantial," Medvedev said. "We could top that [NHL] money he would receive by a substantial sum up. He will decide." In other words, a $7-million salary in Russia for Kovalchuk is akin to making almost double in the NHL and that's what Medvedev hopes will be the biggest allure. While the KHL hopes to add a marquis star of Kovalchuk's stature, Medvedev understands there's a chance it will lose Jaromir Jagr, who has played the last two seasons with Omsk. Jagr's contract expires at the end of the season, and he told reporters last week that he would consider a return to the NHL. "His contract will expire," said Medvedev. "Obviously Jaromir is a one of the stars of the KHL and we would be happy for him to stay. But legally he has the right to go any place." In other developments, Medvedev said he met four times this week with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and reported progress in the strained relations between the two leagues. "I will characterize it as a constructive meeting," he said of the last encounter here in Vancouver. "It was a broad agenda. Some things could be done relatively quickly, some of it will require time. But at least now we have an agreement on what should we do, who will be responsible and which results we anticipate." Just what exactly the two league leaders were discussing remains vague. "We agreed not to disclose anything before we reach an agreement," said Medvedev. Bettman confirmed meeting with Medvedev. "It is fair to say we had a constructive discussion," Bettman told ESPN.com via email Saturday. "Second, we didn't agree to any specifics. And, third, we agreed to not say anything other than we had a constructive discussion." An obvious point of disagreement is Medvedev's concern that the NHL has not yet committed its players for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. "You can't change your philosophy overnight but at least we had a constructive discussion," Medvedev said when asked about what Bettman told him regarding 2014. But again, Medvedev warned that Russia's top NHL stars will be in Sochi regardless of whether the NHL has signed off on it, saying that Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Evgeni Malkin have pledged to be there either way. "They have said that nobody can forbid them to play for their own country in the Olympics," he said. "I'm rather sure that these guys will play on the [2014] Russian Olympic team. And it doesn't only refer to Russian players but I have heard statements from other European players which are committed to play for their countries in the Olympic Games." Edited March 4, 2010 by Original-Six Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SweWings 45 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 Considering the kind of contracts teams will offer in the NHL, I'm guessing any KHL offer will pretty much have to be double that. Don't really know if Kovie is the kind of player who only goes for the cash or if he'll stick around to win something... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hooon 1,089 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 I really hope he stays here. He is a fun player to watch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ShanahanMan 473 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 Daddy Bettman isn't gonna like this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VM1138 1,921 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 God, the KHL is like some guy who offers your girlfriend/wife to sleep with him right in front of you. Classless. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Echolalia 2,961 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 God, the KHL is like some guy who offers your girlfriend/wife to sleep with him right in front of you. Classless. but what hockey player/girlfriend/wife can turn down 10+M dollars tax free? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yzerman191 37 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 but what hockey player/girlfriend/wife can turn down 10+M dollars tax free? Not only that, but he'll be offered that kind of money in his native country, near all of his friends and family. I won't lose a bit of respect for him if he decides to take an offer for big money in the KHL. 1 Lidstrom for life reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tane 17 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 Considering the kind of contracts teams will offer in the NHL, I'm guessing any KHL offer will pretty much have to be double that. Don't really know if Kovie is the kind of player who only goes for the cash or if he'll stick around to win something... Like the Article States. A 7 million dollar contract in Russia IS pretty much double a 7 million dollar contract in the NHL. What's the max? 11 mil? I could see an NHL team offering around 9, and a KHL team offering around 12. After the Tax difference, that's a substantial amount of extra money. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drake_Marcus 890 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 Bettman will do everything in his meager, pathetic power to prevent that loss. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rage 24 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 Why can't they go after Crosby and Malkin? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AIK'91 22 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 Why can't they go after Crosby and Malkin? Even if Crosby was in the KHL, we'd still constantly hear about him every NBC game. 2 Lidstrom for life and Original-Six reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FunkedUp 29 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 but what hockey player/girlfriend/wife can turn down 10+M dollars tax free? "The difference between 45 percent taxes and 13 percent taxes is substantial," Medvedev said. " not tax free, but still substantially less. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duck Guy 86 Report post Posted March 6, 2010 (edited) why do they insist on stealing all the NHL's talent? <!--quoteo(post=1909520:date=March 4, 2010 - 01:27AM:name=rage)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rage @ March 4, 2010 - 01:27AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1909520"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Why can't they go after Crosby and Malkin?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Even if Crosby was in the KHL, we'd still constantly hear about him every NBC game. KHL games will be the game of the week every other week Edited March 6, 2010 by Duck Guy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Louisville 112 Report post Posted March 6, 2010 Doesn't surprise me one bit. Maybe after this the NHL will learn, and I don't think it's just about money but the way the league is run in general that drives players away. The problems with officiating in this league are a joke and I think many other players feel the same way. With the cap going down, and players getting more money to play in their birth country, are you really surprised they decide to leave? But hey, this is "the best league in the world" right? In all likelihood some NHL team will probably be willing to pay him what he wants. Doesn't matter though, Don Cherry told me Canadians are the best anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stockholm 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2010 Considering the kind of contracts teams will offer in the NHL, I'm guessing any KHL offer will pretty much have to be double that. Don't really know if Kovie is the kind of player who only goes for the cash or if he'll stick around to win something... Well, those russians have a LOT of money to offer. Private investors over there will pretty much do anything to aquire all of the homelands sons. Add to it that many russians seems to want to play in the KHL. But I sure do hope that a player like Ilja stays in NHL. Vad tycker du om AIKs, även såhär i efterhand, KHL ambitioner? Verkar lite väl ambitiöst, kan man inte kvala in i elitserien är det ett sjudundra långsiktigt satsning med ett försök på KHL. Finns väll pengar att hämta, men man toklängtar ju efter Stockholmsdebyn igen, var inte igår. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grim 5 Report post Posted March 6, 2010 let the KHL take whomever they want. If they can sustain a whole league of superstars, more power to them. More money for our American and Canadian kids. 1 2guns reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
softshoes 83 Report post Posted March 6, 2010 I really think of the KHL like I do a tree in the forest. If I ain't around to hear it when it falls then I don't care it fell. I hate losing the talent but.....I'm probably alone in this thinking but to me the Cup is the goal of any professional hockey player. If someone can tell me if I should care(other than talent leaving) I'd be glad to rethink my position. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RedArmy 4 Report post Posted March 6, 2010 God, the KHL is like some guy who offers your girlfriend/wife to sleep with him right in front of you. Classless. in what sense is it classless? What is the difference when one nhl teams offers more money than another nhl team? In the case when its KHL over NHL its all of a sudden classles... this is so stupid... 2 asoras and Lidstrom for life reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSM 114 Report post Posted March 7, 2010 When it's all said and done, you can thank Gary and the salary cap. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cusimano_brothers 1,655 Report post Posted May 27, 2010 From TSN : Ilya Kovalchuk is not heading to Russia to play for the KHL, at least not yet.According to sources, the KHL will be an option for Kovalchuk, but there is nothing imminent. Sovsports, a Russian sports website, is reporting that SKA St Petersburg made an offer to Kovalchuk that would see the sniper make $30 million over a three-year span. His desire is to reportedly play in the NHL and he won't fully consider the KHL, if at all, until all of his options are on the table as an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Until then, New Jersey owns his rights and may utilize it to re-sign him. ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lidstromboli Report post Posted May 27, 2010 KHL hopes to add any big name European player Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029 Report post Posted May 27, 2010 (edited) They can have him.There's enough overpaid,under-performing assholes in this league.Let them all go to Russia. Edited May 27, 2010 by Bring Back The Bruise Bros 2 kook_10 and soultrain reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jasper84 333 Report post Posted May 27, 2010 why do they insist on stealing all the NHL's talent? I don't understand posts like this. What makes him NHL's talent aside from him previously having a contract with an NHL team? I see him as Russian talent, not NHL talent. He grew up playing hockey in Russia, that's where he learned the game. If anything, they could be saying exactly what you said about the NHL stealing their talent. It would suck to see such a talented player leave, but I wouldn't think anything less of the guy for going to play for a professional league in his native country. 1 crotty99 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Heaten Report post Posted May 27, 2010 Quick question. Can't KHL draft players or sign kids? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yzerman#19 17 Report post Posted May 27, 2010 Better the khl than a team in the west conf that plays the Wings 4 to 6 times a year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites