Bettman goes to Russia today.Tells them to take it or leave it

[Brewleaguer]

Tells Russia they will take the deal or get nothing and NHL will not honor any Russian contracts and take its players at will. That is roughly translated. Perhaps someone who speaks both languages can explain better.

Hes supposedly on his way to Czech to tell them the same thing.

http://sport.gazeta.ru/sport/2005/08/a_343954.shtml

http://www.sport-express.ru/art.shtml?107438

OH that's a smart move..............NOT!
Is he trying to deny the NHL fans of some good talent?

 

[Epsilon]

honestly if contracts aren't honoured then thats great, malkin will be able to come over.. its in the NHL's interest anyways... plus i want to get this done before the opening night and not drag on and threaten the olympics

Not honouring contracts sets a horrible precendent and will make the NHL and its fans look like hypocritical idiots the minute they start complaining when guys start walking out on their NHL contracts to sign elsewhere while demanding their deals be renegociated, like Yashin did.

 

[futurcorerock]

Good... Russia needs to remember that if they opt out of the IIHF agreement, they're going to get royally screwed on the transfer rate. In addition, getting Jagr for the remainder of his career will easily be offset by the youths leaving Russia.

In addition, I think the NHL will wait until the prospect has finished their contract in Russia with the 7yr rule, so those dirty Ruskies don't get a single dime on their coveted prospects.

So where are all the "Fire Bettman" rants now? Pretty unprecedented that he'd just up and fly to russia to save the NHL and IIHF's butt in one fowl swoop. If he seals this deal, he'd be the CEO of the year.

 

[therealdeal]

Though that will benefit the european teams at the Olympics, since they can use players from their domestic leagues but the north americans can't use any players from the NHL/AHL.

So the Olympics will just become another nothing tournament like the World Championships were back in the 70's and 80's.

 

[MojoJojo]

OH that's a smart move..............NOT!
Is he trying to deny the NHL fans of some good talent?

No, he's trying to deny some Russian clubs some good money. Bettman's point is take this deal, or we sign your players with no compensation given to their clubs at all.

 

[davemess]

No, he's trying to deny some Russian clubs some good money. Bettman's point is take this deal, or we sign your players with no compensation given to their clubs at all.

Its not always good money though, with no agreement the Russian clubs can just blackmail the hell out of the NHL teams....... specially with the NHL teams now losing the rights to their European players after 2 years.

It wont be the player is worth $1 mill give us that, it will be either give us $5 mill or we wont release him and you will lose him.

 

[Master Shake*]

Its not always good money though, with no agreement the Russian clubs can just blackmail the hell out of the NHL teams....... specially with the NHL teams now losing the rights to their European players after 2 years.

It wont be the player is worth $1 mill give us that, it will be either give us $5 mill or we wont release him and you will lose him.

All will happen is Russian players will not be drafted high.
If the NHL doesnt have a deal with Russia, Russian clubs can demand all they want. NHL teams will just sign them Russian contract or not and Russian clubs wont get a damn dime.

 

[SoundsGood]

Bettman goes to war and will win, again.

 

[therealdeal]

Looks like he already won.

http://babel.altavista.com/babelfis...p=ru_en&trurl=http://metallurg.ru/news/18257/

 

[octopi]

Does Gary think he is negotiating against Bob Goodenow again?

Gary better not eat his food.Look at what happened to the president of Ukraine.He was poisoned and his face was disfigured

With Bettman, who would know?

 

[BigE]

Without a deal in place you're just going to see more cases of Nikolai Zherdev. But, it goes both ways, you're also going to see more of Jagr or Yashin trying to hold out and play in Europe, regardless of their contract in NA.

 

[MaV]

All will happen is Russian players will not be drafted high.
If the NHL doesnt have a deal with Russia, Russian clubs can demand all they want. NHL teams will just sign them Russian contract or not and Russian clubs wont get a damn dime.

And, based on what you say in this thread, you think that's a good thing?

Come on people, you talk like the Russians would be in the player selling business. I don't think so, they've already said that it's fine for a player without a contract to just leave. RSL is not a feeder league, it's a serious league with teams trying to win the championship. They build a team and then, with the agreement, NHL team can just sign an important top guy from the roster amonth before the preseason starts, without even discussing the team. That's what they don't want.

With the agreement, European tean would receive some money from the fund at some point. Now, with the new draft rules, many of the guys are drafted only in the $150,000 area, and that's quite frankly no so much. You can't but that check on the ice playing for your team and your fans. And Russians really have to pay a lot to get foreigners to cover for the loss of a player. Their own guys would mostly be signed at that point of the season.

So, I think what they are asking for is very reasonable. NHL-IIHF deal is not a good fit at this point. You can't really make just one deal for all the leagues. The situations these leagues are now are just too different. That money is a lot for someone in, for example, Slovakia or Finland, but if Abramovich loses a top-6 guy for $150,000 he can't consider that a good deal. He has no use for such a sum.

Also, I think people should not underestimate the Russian pride. They can be pushed until certain point, after which they will snap. It already sounds like they've had just about enough. If NHL starts signing their guys despite contracts in Russia, you can expect something to happen. They have money there to back some teams, and my guess is that they'd start really using it.

 

[SENATOR]

Russia fights for equal rights where NHL is police of Alabama. NHL is trying to hold Russia hostage. Are you kidding!!!!!! With team payrolls in Russia equal or more then NHL from 14 to 45 million dollars and yes some of them are above NHL cap. Hockey is a very serious business in Russia. It is not a feeder country where you can go and poach, but a country with arguably the best hockey league in the world.

NHL should go to european model, where every team sets transfer fee. There MUST be a new agreement for the IIHF. Russia care less for 900 thousand dollars peanuts, THOSE DAYS ARE LONG GONE! Give those money to Checks and the russian money too.

 

[SENATOR]

For example. You want Ovechkin..........How much money he would make for his club in Russia for advertisment, tv rights and so on. Capitals better pay not the peanuts, but close to 50 million US in transfer fees. Steep. But that's the way to do the buseness now in Russia. You have to respect russian business community.

 

[Timmy]

For example. You want Ovechkin..........How much money he would make for his club in Russia for advertisment, tv rights and so on. Capitals better pay not the peanuts, but close to 50 million US in transfer fees. Steep. But that's the way to do the buseness now in Russia. You have to respect russian business community.

Da. Or else...

 

[SENATOR]

That's a normal way in european sports. In soccer world they pay from 30 to 50 million dollars in transfer fees for one super star calliber player. But almost no one comes close to so much talent as Ovechkin. Who is not 27 but 18 and he is already the super star in the russian league. Better pay the dough or else. It is a robbery on the part of NHL. Plain and simple.

 

[Timmy]

That's a normal way in european sports. In soccer world they pay from 30 to 50 million dollars in transfer fees for one super star calliber player. But almost no one comes close to so much talent as Ovechkin. Who is not 27 but 18 and he is already the super star in the russian league. Better pay the dough or else. It is a robbery on the part of NHL. Plain and simple.

I think it's pretty obvious that he's going to command a fifty million dollar (US) transfer fee.

 

[SENATOR]

English Rooney 20 year old star player of Everton was moved to Liverpool for 45 million pounds in transfer fees. That's very fair! He will make a lot of money for Liverpool owner, so will Ovechkin and his former club MUST be compecated, becouse a. he is under contract
b. he was brought up and trained in the system by his club

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

For example. You want Ovechkin..........How much money he would make for his club in Russia for advertisment, tv rights and so on. Capitals better pay not the peanuts, but close to 50 million US in transfer fees. Steep. But that's the way to do the buseness now in Russia. You have to respect russian business community.

A 50 million transfer fee?

You're kidding, right? Tell me you're not saying this seriously.

 

[XX]

Seeing as how Canada and the US are free countries, why cant a player leave Russia for a better opportunity? It makes no sense that we have to pay for such a thing! 50 million for Ovechkin yeah right. He wants to come play in the NHL! Not the RSL. We have to pay you 50 million because you cant keep your talented players happy enough in Russia?

 

[Resolute]

Given he tried to call the Russian league "arguably the best in the world" I would say he is indeed serious.

He's also insane.

Tell the Russians to go F themselves. They dont want a deal, they can live with transfer fees of $0.

 

[GSC2k2*]

No, he's trying to deny some Russian clubs some good money. Bettman's point is take this deal, or we sign your players with no compensation given to their clubs at all.

Where does it say the NHL is not already offering good money and the Russians are trying to extort the NHL? THe deal offered by the NHL was good enough for the other euro leagues. As I recall, the transfer fees went up manyfold.

It is more like the russians have sensed that the NHL will have some spare cash after reducing the player share to 54% and want it in their pockets.

Play rough, expect to be dealt with roughly.

And Gary Bettman can be rough if need be. Very rough. He can be nice with people who want a reasonable deal, but otherwise ...

 

[kdb209]

Originally Posted by SENATOR
That's a normal way in european sports. In soccer world they pay from 30 to 50 million dollars in transfer fees for one super star calliber player. But almost no one comes close to so much talent as Ovechkin. Who is not 27 but 18 and he is already the super star in the russian league. Better pay the dough or else. It is a robbery on the part of NHL. Plain and simple.

I think it's pretty obvious that he's going to command a fifty million dollar (US) transfer fee.

Well Ovechkin just signed with the Caps, and as far as I can tell that ZERO tranfer fee was paid. He was not under contract in Russia and there is no IIHF/NHL deal in place. That is what the RSL can expect to see in the future if they don't sign on board.

 

[Resolute]

The Russians only leverage here is killing the idea of NHLers at the Olympics.

The know they have no leverage with the players, as Ovechkin and Malkin have already told the RSL to take a hike, while Zherdev has shown that any player who wants to go will go.

The NHL should simply announce that because the Russian and Czech leagues wont accept the deals that are good enough for everyone else, that the NHL will not go to the Olympics, and just stop talking.

Both leagues will collapse within weeks, as anything is better than $0.

Right Mr. Linden?

 

[arinkrat*]

Can someone help me out? If a player signs a contract with a Russian team, but later his NHL team exercises the team held option to extend his current NHL contract, which team has the valid contact? Can the player hold out for the length of the extension (say one year) and then be free to negotiate a new contract with any team either in Russia or in N.A.? Thanks.