Kirk Muller said:
No, not really. The question is of what league he wants to play in. He wants to play in the NHL. He understands that he'll have to play for the Penguins, just as it's normal that if he wants to play in the RSL, he would have to play for Metallurg. There is no equivalence.
If he has a contract with Metallurg, he'd play for Metallurg. But no one OWNS his rights in that country. In the NHL teams OWN rights to players. Of course they can't force them to play for them. Duh.
No they don't. No NHL team can force a player to play for them. It's entirely up to the player. Malkin wants to play for Pittsburgh, he has said it. "I've already made up my mind for next season — I'll be leaving for the NHL. I'm 100 percent sure of that." Those are his words. Nobody is forcing him to play in the NHL, it's him who wants to, and people like you are the ones who want to stop him from doing what he wants. The Penguins are not forcing him to do anything. This is so simple that it's ridiculous I'm having to explain it.
You don't have to explain it, for it wasn't even warranted.
Because they don't own him. Malkin is a free man. He can decide in what league he wants to play.
Unless his contract is deemed legitimate. Metallurg never said that they want a compensation just because they developed him. They want a compensation for his contract.
But this is the simple business austerity that will screw Russian hockey for years to come. If you make an investment all your life and barely get anything in return, there's no point in making another investment. You say "they didn't have to do it", "it was their choice." Okay, fine. It was their choice to invest money in Malkin to get one good competitive season out of him, and then see him go to America where his fate (within the NHL, that is) will be decided by people who'll want to exploit him even more. NHL means business. Pittsburg obviously wants to make money off of Malkin, more than Metallurg should ask for and will ask for. But it's the Russian clubs that we call greedy, riiight.
There is a reason why Malkin and Ovechkin are "outliers" who're gonna be helping Russian hockey in the future. The general trend is much more obvious. It's easier to invite a guy like Pavel Rosa and pay him millions than wait for kids to develop and then get leave on the first plane to North America. And that's what Russian club owners will do, since they're also there for the money, much like owners of the NHL clubs. However, kids don't "just develop" in Russia on the streets. Putin's administration does more than Yeltsin's, but it's not enough. Kids develop through these clubs' academies. But these clubs want to win and minimize costs at doing so. But of course this side is not a part of our conversation, because it makes slaves out guys like Evgeni Malkin.
I understand all of this. However, you don't seem to understand that the fact that Metallurg has been nice and developed him over all these years gives them ZERO rights on him beyond whatever contract he voluntarily entered into with them.
From the contractual point, yes, it gives them zero rights. And I think that it shouldn't be like that. Russian hockey works like European soccer. I don't like it, but Russia is not a country wherein kids play sports just for recreation and wherein parents can easily afford to get a kid through the leagues. This is a sad reality. But applying the "American model" to Russia will screw Russia because Russia doesn't have the societal and legislative backbone that Canada and United States so fortunaly possess. There will be less Malkins simply because there will be NO POINT in making them; and the way Crosbys are made in North America will not apply to Russia.
Over the course of his career, Malkin will make more money playing in the NHL. Don't try to deny that, you're just going to look stupid. Over the course of a career, a player of the caliber of Malkin or Ovechkin can expect to earn up to 100M$. He won't make that playing in Russia.
I'm talking about next season and season after that, and season after that. That makes it three years. For the next three years he'd make around 3-4 million dollars in Russia, as well, maybe more. I can assure you that it is a large amount of money in that country. He wouldn't be starving.
You want to deny him to right of choosing where he wants to play and what he wants to do with his life. And what's comical is that these kind of thoughts are coming from young people who haven't lived in Russia for years and live in the priviledge of North America, yet don't want to let people like Malkin decide where they want to live and work.
I've lived in Russia when it was reeeaaallly bad. I mean reaaalllly bad. Until approximately 1998. But let me assure that if I were able to make 4 million dollars in Russia over the course of my life, I'd be very happy, especially nowadays, when it's improving a little. Now, if I also were a good hockey players of course I'd want to move to the NHL. And while it's a moot point as to what I'd really do, it wouldn't be absurd for me to also realize that if it weren't for the club that invested money in me, I wouldn't get where I am right now. That would be reasonable.
What is different ? Ovechkin was raised by Dynamo just like Malkin no ? Beyond the short-term contractual obligations, what's the difference ?
Difference was that he was out of contract. Then Dynamo went and said he actually signed another contract with them last summer, so he should come back. I really don't know if he did or not, so I don't wanna comment on it. I thought you were aware of the situation.
It's not about your personal freedom and wealth. It's about your dictating whether Malkins and Ovechkins should be able to come to North America.
They should. Under certain provisions.
I say nationalistic youth because they are the ones whose fanatical love of a motherland
You say what you really have no way of knowing, though. Just something fun to write down and piss people off.
where they haven't lived for decade blinds their vision and inhibits their ability to think clearly (for instance, your belief that since Metallurg has been nice to Malkin, that gives them the right to decide his future; or your idea that NHL teams are somehow able to force players to play for them).
The way you're able to twist my words around is astounding. Pravda would be amazed.
Never have I said that NHL teams force players to play for them. And the first part you got partially right. Dictating the future - it happens. First of all, if you sign a contract, then your future is "dictated" to an extent already. Be it NHL (Yashin, who ran away from his contract and had to pay retribution), or Russia (Malkin signed a contract, as well). Second of all, If Malkin wants to play in the NHL, then within the NHL his future will be dictated. For a player of his calibre, there's shouldn't be any other alternative, I understand that. NHL is the NHL.
If you think about it, Metallurg can't dictate his future, either. The guy can sit on his couch in front of the TV and eat doritos all day, not like they care. But here are the two things: First, if he has a contract with Metallurg and decides to bypass everything and simply go to the NHL (which he won't do, but if that's the case, theoretically) - then Metallurg has all the right to go to court. Kinda would suck, considering that it's a nuisance for the kid and such. But an American precedent is badly needed. Something that will say clearly once and for all: "Russian contracts are illegitimate because there are inconsistencies in Russian law."
And second - I personally think there should be compensation. But that shouldn't make me nationalist or whatever you want to call me. Not that it should matter, since you personally don't know me anyway, but it's a little bit discouraging that you will call any person trying to defend his original country as nationalistic. Any person in Russia, through his or her broken English, will tell you that a compensation is warranted. This is what I believe, as well. It has nothing to do with my eyes being blinded by my love for Mother Russia.
And in contrast, Russian hockey players in general are much more progressive and open-minded about letting people live and work where they want.
Depends. Many Russian hockey players want their clubs to get just compensation. Malkin is one of them. So I don't see my opinion being any different from Evgeni's.
You complained that as a former resident of a small Pacfic coast town, you wouldn't get to see Malkin because he would be snatched up by a big club. My point is, who cares ? Malkin has the right to go anywhere he wants. He doesn't have a duty to entertain Russians.
Malkin won't care, you won't care, and I currently probably won't care since I would want to see him play. But if some fans who take hockey seriously will complain, I won't blame them. It doesn't make Malkin any less legitimate, but it doesn't make the Russian fans' opinions any less legitimate. And I talk to Russian fans a lot, having to mostly defend the NHL because, quite frankly, NHL's ways aren't very much liked in Russia.
But Russia is a more nationalistically-minded country. Or maybe patriotism would be a better word, I don't know. They're still dwelling on their Olympic 4th place, while Americans didn't even care to begin with. Many countries in the world are similar in this regard.
Yes, "it'd be nice" as a gesture, but it's not an obligation. You really don't seem to understand that when Metallurg decides to take on a kid, it does so voluntarily. Its benevolence....
My point being is that there'd be less and less such benevolences that will turn into great hockey players. Many Russian governors now are inclining into the direction of popularizing the sport amongst the youths and stop funding teams like Metallurg with millions of dollars. Maybe this is even better, who cares. The NHL won't be getting any more Malkins or Ovechkins, though.
. And it's not true. I want him to come over - because, eventually, he should. But I also understand that if Metallurg wants a decent compensation, he should get it. Again, as I said, a few millions of dollars. Something sizable, but not Shevchenko-like money. It would only make sense.
No way, it's because his name isn't funny enough.
