OT: Kovy retires? What?

[InjuredChoker]

If he signs in SKA for this season, the league has to challenge his eligibility and force the IIHF suspension.

Seems mean, but they have to do it to protect themselves.

He must sit out the full season.

He can show up to the Olympics without playing there, but they simply cannot allow him to suit up in the KHL this year, it sets an absolutely dreadful precedence.

Will be interesting to see how this develops.

 

[GuloGulo]

Jeremy Roenick ‏@Jeremy_Roenick 4m
Hey Ilya hope u live comfortably in Russia w the money u made from the 23 million u stole from the devils Again I'm right in my analysis

and before that from Roenick

I'm so irate right now. I feel bad for Lou lamoriello. Gave a 100 million dollar contract to a player who has no care for the NHL!

What do you - and JR - mean with "stole"? He won't get paid for the rest of the contract by virtue of not showing up... he's been paid for seasons played as anyone else would..

Any player can quit playing at any given time. This is a known risk when you sign them..

 

[chances14]

All this does is give the don cherry stereotypes ammunition. This is going to hurt future Russian players

 

[ArGarBarGar]

What do you - and JR - mean with "stole"? He won't get paid for the rest of the contract by virtue of not showing up... he's been paid for seasons played as anyone else would..

Any player can quit playing at any given time. This is a known risk when you sign them..

1. He isn't going to quit playing. He is going to simply go to the KHL and earn more money.

2. Risk or not, it doesn't make it any less of a dick move to sign a front-loaded deal then jump ship after two years.

 

[kuick]

JR's tweets are hilarious. What else to expect from a guy like him.

Sucks for the league, and for the Devils (Sort of). I wouldn't be surprised if voiding the contract is something Lou encouraged, or even suggested. It boosts his case to keep his first rounder next year and doesn't screw his cap situation for the next decade.

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle 14m
Could actually have been a disaster if Kovalchuk retired in 2018 at 35: Would have meant a $3.7-million cap penalty for seven years!

That would have hurt even more for NJ. Imagine in the final few years what that figure looks like. It's unfortunate. That contract was absurd to begin with.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

@76_AndrewPeters: My thoughts on Kovy going back to the KHL?
Good!
Most (not all) of them should charter a plane back to USSR together and stay there.

What an ignorant comment. USSR? Seriously? and "them"?

 

[Brick Top]

If he signs in SKA for this season, the league has to challenge his eligibility and force the IIHF suspension.

Seems mean, but they have to do it to protect themselves.

He must sit out the full season.

He can show up to the Olympics without playing there, but they simply cannot allow him to suit up in the KHL this year, it sets an absolutely dreadful precedence.

I understand the idea of sitting out a full season before playing in the KHL, but why would a sudden NHL retirement make him ineligible in the eyes of the IIHF for the Olympics?

I would think that in addition to talking through the options/scenarios with the Devils prior to retiring, he probably would have covered his bases on being able to play in the Olympics also.

 

[Yemack]

Isnt there an agreement between NHL and KHL? How can a player just get away from contract he signed?

If there is no agreement between the two, I could care less where Kovy plays since Wings dont have a stake in this. I'm sure NHL poached players from KHL out of contract as well.

 

[Heaton]

David William Naylor ‏@TSNDaveNaylor 5m
There is nothing stopping Ikya Kovalchuk from playing in KHL because Devils officially terminate his contract. Confirmed. #devils

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

David William Naylor ‏@TSNDaveNaylor 5m
There is nothing stopping Ikya Kovalchuk from playing in KHL because Devils officially terminate his contract. Confirmed. #devils

Came here to post this.

This has pretty disturbing implications. This will have fallout for sure.

 

[Brick Top]

@76_AndrewPeters: My thoughts on Kovy going back to the KHL?
Good!
Most (not all) of them should charter a plane back to USSR together and stay there.

What an ignorant comment. USSR? Seriously? and "them"?

Possibly more ill-informed than ignorant... he probably just finished watching the original Red Dawn and is pre-emptively trying to stop a coup from happening.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

David William Naylor ‏@TSNDaveNaylor 5m
There is nothing stopping Ikya Kovalchuk from playing in KHL because Devils officially terminate his contract. Confirmed. #devils

Wow, what?

 

[King Kovalchuk]

Seems like a win-win for both the Devils and the Kovy. Lou gets out of the contract he wanted nothing to do with in the 1st place without huge penalties, and Kovy gets to go back home to Russia.

 

[Yemack]

terminate? what the heck does it mean?

Then why dont more teams just terminate a contract instead of expensive buyout option?

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

terminate? what the heck does it mean?

Then why dont more teams just terminate a contract instead of expensive buyout option?

Retiring voids the contract, but the player can never play in the NHL again. Even so, expect the NHL to make a huge deal out of this. They're at least going to want Kovalchuk banned from the Olympics.

edit: actually, he might be able to play again. A few players have retired multiple times.

 

[Yemack]

Retiring voids the contract, but the player can never play in the NHL again. Even so, expect the NHL to make a huge deal out of this. They're at least going to want Kovalchuk banned from the Olympics.

edit: actually, he might be able to play again. A few players have retired multiple times.

it sounds like a giant loophole to get out of contract and cap penalty... unless I'm missing something which I'm sure I am

overpay a russian player -> if he performs, keep, if not, bury him in KHL and terminate his contract

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

it sounds like a giant loophole to get out of contract and cap penalty... unless I'm missing something which I'm sure I am

overpay a russian player -> if he performs, keep, if not, bury him in KHL and terminate his contract

Posters on the main thread are saying this is a very ambiguous part of the CBA. Does it completely void the contract, or is the contract still around in some form in case the player returns? I think the issue is the basic existence of some sort of contract, which would affect the transfer agreement and involve the IIHF.

 

[slapshots1515]

Final cost for Kovalchuk: Oduya, Bergfors, Cormier, 2010 1st, 2014 1st, 2011 3rd, $3 million in fines, $23 million in salary, 250k cap room every year til 2025 and likely the ability to re-sign Parise...

...for 3 years of Kovalchuk.

I'm not sure a single player has single-handedly hurt a team worse.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

@EricOnSportsLaw: #Kovalchuk: Employment contracts geenrally have non-competition provisions (includes NHL) - HOWEVER good luck enforcing across jurisdictions

More.

 

[Henkka]

Final cost for Kovalchuk: Oduya, Bergfors, Cormier, 2010 1st, 2014 1st, 2011 3rd, $3 million in fines, $23 million in salary, and likely the ability to re-sign Parise...

...for 3 years of Kovalchuk.

I'm not sure a single player has single-handedly hurt a team worse.

Steep price, but they also were in the Stanley Cup Finals with him.

Parise was the biggest loss.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Larry Brooks ‏@NYP_Brooksie 3m

Source tells Post that NHL will not attempt to prevent Kovalchuk from playing in KHL. NHL return would have to be approved by every team.

Wow. So that's it?

 

[slapshots1515]

Steep price, but they also were in the Stanley Cup Finals with him.

Parise was the biggest loss.

Arguably he somewhat cost them Parise. Without him you can throw a lot more at Parise.

In addition, is an SCF appearance worth all of that? A Cup, yes, but an appearance? I'm not sold.

 

[Yemack]

I just dont get why Devils are able to get rid of Kovy's cap hit. My understanding is that you can't just 'terminate' a contract because situation came up.

btw I dont have any problem Kovy playing in russia this coming season. Though he royally screwed Devil's over and fellow Russian players in NHL as well. Why would teams want to commit to a russian player now? I sure as hell would look for players from other nation if options are available.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

aaand here we go:

Tom Gulitti @TGfireandice
RT @alexandrzaytsev: Sport-Express is reporting that Kovalchuk will play for SKA in the KHL.

 

[Gyldenlove]

Wow. So that's it?

Yup, that is it. 1st round pick, 250k a year for the next 12 years in cap penalties and Kovy goes back to the KHL.

The funny thing is, if there was no lockout this wouldn't happen. This happened because Kovalchuk played in Russia during the lockout and loved it there, without the lockout he would have stayed for several more years in New Jersey.

The really ironic thing is that New Jersey is now so bad that Russia is better..... sad day for the garden state.