Ovechkin might stay in Russia for another season

From the interview with Ovechkin from Sport-Express:

" - С высокой долей вероятности могу спрогнозировать: если лига признает мой контракт с "Авангардом", я останусь в суперлиге еще на сезон. Сейчас ситуация следующая: примерно 60 процентов за то, что до лета 2006 года буду защищать омские цвета. А вот если в ПХЛ посчитают, что я должен вернуться в "Динамо", то, видимо, быстро соберу вещички и уеду в НХЛ."

...meaning something like:

"I can predict that if the league approves my contract with Avangard (Omsk), then I will stay in the Superleague for another season. Currently, there is a 60 percent chance that I will play for Avangard until summer 2006. However, if the league decide that I have to return to Dinamo (Moscow), then I am most likely to play in the NHL".

 

When was the last time a 1st overall pick waited until they were 21 to play in the NHL?

None the less, he should be ready to dominate once he comes over.

 

damn, bad news. i wanted to see crosby, ovechkin, and malkin in the nhl next year fighting it out for ROY.

 

If the CBA is approved before July 20, he'll be in the NHL this upcoming season. If it's not, then he'll have to honor his Avangard contract and will wait until the 06-07 season.

 

the good: they might get a shot at kessel and frolik to join ovechkin

the bad: THEY ARE GONNA BE BAD!

 

NHL has lost so much appeal except for Canadians who are still brainwashed.

 

Not for me, and I'm American

 

All BS IMO. All this Malkin/AO talk about them staying in Russia and people comming out with percentages of probability etc. Once the CBA is signed and the youngsters get some green flashed in their face, just watch their "desire to compete in the greates league in the world" suddenly rise.

 

just more crap to try to get the rookie contracts upped.

 

Or possibly to try to influence the arbitration decision between Avangard and Dynamo?

"If you rule against me than I will just leave Russia."

 

i'd say that's more likely. the interview was conducted in russian for the russian media dealing primarily about the consquences of the decision of ovechkin's new contract.

 

No, BS is in this thread. When A.Markov and Kovalev say that they want to play for Montreal in russian for russian media it's quoted here like reliable source to show (me) that they don't want to stay. When AO says that he'll report to Washington ASAP in russian for russian media it's named like "He's gonna be there for sure". Now, when AO changes his opinion and tells the russian media in russian what he tells it's named like "BS". May be it's just you hear what you want to hear.
Imo, he'll report to Caps as soon as possible. But what's the deal to name the source unreliable if there's quoted what you don't want to hear

 

the NHL certainly has taken a hit.

 

This story between Dinamo and Avangard is symptomatic..... Ovechkin has to play in NHL next year if the lock-out goes by the end... It's not a matter of Dinamo or Avangard...

Sport has got big problems with contracts: see Fernandez (Metz-Marseille soccer), Ribéry (Galatasaray-Marseille soccer), Heikki Leime (Lyon-Lausanne icehockey), Ovechkin (Dinamo-Avangard icehockey) and so on... I think we'll have the same problems with Crosby.
Today people don't mind if they signed a contract or not... They do what they want whenever they want... That's not really good...

 

i SO agree with U

 

Not sure what you mean, but hockey players have always been disregarding existing contracts when they leave for the NHL.

 

Yeah, you're right for the NHL... because players have different licenses in NHL and in Europa...

 

Me to, every day i jump on the next to see if the cba is done, and im from florida.

 

Not mentioned yet in this thread is how much more money these guys can make in Russia. The billionaire owners in Russia don't mind shelling out BIG contracts to win, and the player's earnings are TAX FREE.

Consider the option:

1. Stay in Russia, where you speak the language, live close to your family and childhood friends, are treated like a superstar, and make MILLIONS TAX FREE. Lets not forget that AO, Malkin, and a lot of these guys LOVE their country (underscored by the taunting at the Worlds).

2. Go to strange country with a foreign language, foreign culture and make 850k guaranteed (taxed at nearly 40%) with a posibility of bonuses which are not nearly as lucrative as the past.

They could always take option 1 and then go to NHL after a few years to cash in, should they choose.

 

Not mentioned in this thread cause its already been said.... over and OVER and OVER and OVER...