Lest you think hockey is all fighting, body checks and slap shots, there are moments in which hockey is revealed to be more than just a game. Beneath its hard-nosed veneer, it is actually a titanic clash between the forces of good and evil.
And no, I’m not talking about the lockout that consumed a season. I’m talking about Evgeni Malkin.
For those who haven’t been following the story, let me bring you up to speed. Evgeni Malkin is a highly skilled Russian-born hockey player, perhaps the best non-NHL player in the world. The Pittsburgh Penguins chose him second in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Then the lockout came and he presumably stayed in Russia while Bettman and Goodenow sorted things out.
Supposedly some time between now and then, Malkin was pressured into signing a one-year contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, his Russian team. The top Metallurg brass (no pun intended) insisted that there was no pressure. Never mind that despite his ability, Malkin would be paid peanuts compared to what he could earn in the NHL and he’d be out of his gourd to turn that kind of money down. It’s possible Malkin may have been thinking that he could get to the NHL quicker by paring down his existing contract, which ran through 2008.
So, the team heads for Finland to start training camp. Now, here’s where things get weird.
Evgeni Malkin ditches Metallurg Magnitogorsk in Helsinki. News reports state that the young star is nowhere to be found.
The next time they hear from Malkin and his agent, J.P. Barry, is a fax wherein Malkin gives his two weeks’ notice. Under Russian law, any employee can walk away from a job provided they serve two weeks’ notice. This applies to cooks, bus drivers, financial advisors and apparently, hockey players under contract.
So, hockey fans heave a sigh of relief. Malkin did not strike out across the frozen Finnish wasteland by himself nor did he meet an untimely demise upon the antlers of a crazed reindeer.
Malkin eventually resurfaces in Los Angeles at the Kings’ practice facility, where he’s working out along with other NHLers. The plan now? He waits until his two weeks are up then negotiations are likely to begin with the Pens.
But Metallurg Magnitogorsk isn’t giving up without a fight. They want their pound of flesh. Some of the statements issued by the Russian squad sound like they mean business:
This is pure sports terrorism
So says Gennady Velichkin, Metallurg’s general director. In the interest of fairness, I should mention that the above came from this article, written presumably by a Russian for the Reuters news agency (I have yet to see Malkin’s photo Photoshopped to make him look more menacing).
Another quote from Velichkin:
Before his disappearance I was asking for $2 million from Pittsburgh but now I want more, a lot more.
Needless to say, the Metallurg brass is pissed. And it seems that Evgeni Malkin isn’t the only Russian player to be caught up in this. Another Russian team, Lokomotiv, is seeking compensation from Phoenix and Edmonton.
Now, what do I think? I think Malkin has every right to compete in the NHL.
Did he handle things properly in Finland? While I think he could have done things more tactfully, I figure he saw his one chance to get away. Can’t say I blame him, but there have to be ways to handle that more gracefully.
Is it fair? Nope. These gifted players deserve to earn a premium salary playing in the National Hockey League, the world’s richest and most prestigious hockey organization.
Do Russian teams have a recourse? Yes, they can go through the legal system. However, no Russian team has won in the courts.
Will Malkin play for Russia in international competition again? Not likely. And that’s a shame.
And last but not least, will Evgeni Malkin play for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season? My gut says no, but he’ll play eventually. And most folks will probably say, “”Ovechkin”:http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/3637? Who’s he?”