Slava Feitsov calls for law to ban young Russians from playing in NHL

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by polak

... The CFL does something similar. X number of players need to be Canadian.

Our government just happens to not be bat #### insane and they stay out of stuff as trivial as sports leagues. The notion however, is nothing new.

How is this similar? Right or wrong this creates opportunities for Canadian players - it doesn't limit them.

[polak]

Originally Posted by the2bears

How is this similar? Right or wrong this creates opportunities for Canadian players - it doesn't limit them.

That's fair but it's still a stipulation.

Russia is just insane.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by CanadaMatt

If it was happening in reverse, and Crosby/McDavid were jumping ship to play in the KHL, I imagine you'd hear the same calls from influential Canadian Hockey folks.

Soccer is a better example.

If we had a bunch of Canadians jumping ship from the MLS to the EPL , La Liga or the Bundesliga, I'd be pretty ecstatic.

I'd rather our players be playing in the best leagues in the world. Watch them when they're young and upcoming, wave goodbye when they get good enough, and look forward to the international competitions.


Russia:

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by polak

That's fair but it's still a stipulation.

The KHL already has stipulations limiting non-Russians. And it's completely unrelated to preventing Russian players from leaving the country.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Pretty sure lots of Canadians would be up in arms if the country's top young athletes were heading overseas to play in another league. Most people are all for the free market until it hurts their own interests.

Ever seen a CFL draft? All the truly top Canadian football prospects rarely get picked in the first round because teams know they intend to exhaust their NFL opportunities. I don't see Canadian fans up in arms as who would want to stand in the way of a Canadian bettering his career?

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Hypocrite.

How do they plan to enforce it, anyway?

Stupid yes, hypocritical no. Fetisov came to North America at age 31, had he come to North America at 27 then he would be a hypocrite.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

How is that a problem? Maximizing on your ability and making money off of that is a bad thing? They still represent their countries.

This would be like saying Canadian hockey players can only play for Canadian teams till their 28. How stupid does that sound?

Canada sees it fair share of athletes go abroad and make good money there.

Pretty much. Its stupid because the guy wants the government to make it illegal for an adult of consenting age to work somewhere else. I have no problem if the KHL or the Russian hockey federation restricts guys who do play overseas to play for their league, as that's all within their rights. But once you get the government involved? That's dumb.

Imagine if Canada all of sudden started churning out soccer stars, and they made it illegal for them to play in Europe because they want them in the MLS. How stupid would that look for the Canadian government?

[Passe La Puck]

And a lot of the best Canadians already do play abroad in the USA. Same league but every spring we hear of the Canadians Stanley Cup drought.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Ever seen a CFL draft? All the truly top Canadian football prospects rarely get picked in the first round because teams know they intend to exhaust their NFL opportunities. I don't see Canadian fans up in arms as who would want to stand in the way of a Canadian bettering his career?

There's a world of difference between seeing a player go to a league in a neighbouring country where every game is broadcast in your language, than see them go halfway around the world to play in a league you're unlikely to get any television coverage of, and if you do that coverage is in another language.

You're kidding yourself if you honestly don't think Canadians would be ticked off to see Crosby, Toews, Doughty, Price, etc. play in Russia, where we could watch maybe one game a week on a specialty euro sports channel, broadcast at 3 am in Russian.

[Red]

Originally Posted by CanadaMatt

what a well thought out and reasoned repose.

This is a problem, not just for hockey, but all sports where the best young players from country X leave to chase big $$ and fame in the best leagues in the world. Football (Soccer) being the biggest example. If it was happening in reverse, and Crosby/McDavid were jumping ship to play in the KHL, I imagine you'd hear the same calls from influential Canadian Hockey folks.

The onus is certainly on Russia to make their product attractive, but the free market advantages those that currently have the power/brand...which is why it would be difficult for the KHL to ever compete with the NHL for talent on a regular basis.

It is happening here, what are you talking about? How many Canadian players are playing in the US? Nobody is trying to end that so we can bring the Stanley Cup to Canada, is there? How are russians leaving their country any different?

It's ridiculous and Fetisov is hypocrite.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Stupid yes, hypocritical no. Fetisov came to North America at age 31, had he come to North America at 27 then he would be a hypocrite.

His age at the time he made the NHL doesn't change the fact that he once fought against Soviet protectionists measures that restricted Russian players from moving abroad. Now he's trying to recreate similar restrictions.

Fetisov is a hypocrite. Plain and simple.

[Daradon]

Misplaced nationalistic pride, pure an simple. As some of said this would probably go further towards hurting their national program than helping it in the long run.

Maybe instead of making new laws, and constantly being poor sports, it's up to Russia to make it's country and programs desirable instead of just whining and bullying it's neighbours. You know, build a good league through strong business practices and funding of it's sports programs. Pretty sure they still get lots of funding for hockey programs from Canada and the States. Yet they bitch and moan constantly. Build a good league, don't take shortcuts with the mob and a handful of dictator like autocrats.

But that's been Russia's MO since Putin has been in charge. Blind nationalistic pride, while falling down all the same economic traps that Communism brought about. Besides a handful of amazingly rich oligarchs things have been moving backwards for some time. Kinda sad, I thought after the wall fell and union broke, having good leaders like Gorbachev and Yeltsin, Russia might become the new Japan or Germany. Former foes who become a economic leader again, but as a true world partner this time.

Sadly, Putin has completely flipped and torpedoed that possibility.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

There's a world of difference between seeing a player go to a league in a neighbouring country where every game is broadcast in your language, than see them go halfway around the world to play in a league you're unlikely to get any television coverage of, and if you do that coverage is in another language.

You're kidding yourself if you honestly don't think Canadians would be ticked off to see Crosby, Toews, Doughty, Price, etc. play in Russia, where we could watch maybe one game a week on a specialty euro sports channel, broadcast at 3 am in Russian.

Yes they would. But the anger would be directed toward the NHL for letting the league falter to the point that good players would head to another country to play.

And if all good Canadian players went over to play in Russia... they would start broadcasting games here in English... just like in soccer where we can watch games from all the good leagues in English. If there's a market for it someone is going to show it.

[northcrunk]

Russia is a corrupt craphole. Putin is the criminal in charge of said craphole. Feitsov is a cronie of the craphole leader.

There is a good documentary on the fifth estate about how putin came into power. Well worth the watch and how he weaseled his way into power and cemented it.

[Pointman]

The article got it all wrong. Or, at least, Russian media report it very differently. Fetisov suggested a change to the KHL rules that a player can not be UFA until he is 28. He can only be RFA, and as such, according to Fetisov, can not leave KHL. This change, that has nothing to do with federal law, will affect both Russian players and foreign players in KHL.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Pointman

The article got it all wrong. Or, at least, Russian media report it very differently. Fetisov suggested a change to the KHL rules that a player can not be UFA until he is 28. He can only be RFA, and as such, according to Fetisov, can not leave KHL. This change, that has nothing to do with federal law, will affect both Russian players and foreign players in KHL.

Wouldn't surprise me if Russian media purposely reported it differently. You could be right, but I highly doubt the Globe and Mail would get a fact that big, wrong.

[Huntingwhale]

Maybe if the KHL wasn't some ghetto ass league with payment issues, corruption problems and respectability issues players might be more inclined to stay. The only reason non-russians go to play there is because they have no where else to go. And even then, once they are offered an NHL contract they jump ship right away.

Guys being carried out on tarps. Players not being paid. Soviet-style accommodations and rules. All under the guise of doing things ''the russian way''. Please. Like many things in Russia, the KHL runs deep with corruption, the meddling by higher ups is fierce and signed contracts mean nothing. Give players an incentive to stay and they will.

The NHL attracts the best players in the world because they run things the right way. A contract is a contract. Players are paid fairly and on time. Obama or Harper has no say in how things are run. Agents work for the players, not the owners.

So if Putin or any other former Russian player want to implement a rule like that, then go ahead. Canada will spank Russia every chance they get for the next 50 years and Russian hockey will continue it's fall from grace.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Pointman

The article got it all wrong. Or, at least, Russian media report it very differently. Fetisov suggested a change to the KHL rules that a player can not be UFA until he is 28. He can only be RFA, and as such, according to Fetisov, can not leave KHL. This change, that has nothing to do with federal law, will affect both Russian players and foreign players in KHL.

I was wondering how you would spin this, but you are ultimately arguing semantics.

Stating that a RFA - someone without a contract - is not permitted to leave the KHL is exactly the same thing as what is being reported.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Russia has to be one of the most emotionally insecure countries ever. They take this stuff way too seriously, it's a fricken GAME! Fascists like Fetisov just don't get it, you shouldn't restrict people's rights ever, but especially over a game. If the KHL was good enough, their national heroes might want to play there, unfortunately it's a second rate league that limits their opportunities. So instead of fixing the fundamental issues of your flawed hockey league that causes players to leave, you want to force people into playing there? Here's an idea, bring your country into the 21st century already and actually build your league up so it's not just a house of cards and you won't need to force anyone to do anything, they'll WANT to stay. (I realize the collapsing ruble is mostly to blame, but you can chalk THAT up to ding dong Russian nationalism... so similar BS).

Seriously feel sorry for the people that live there, what a steaming pile of #### their government is.

[VladtheImpaler]

At times like this, I always ask myself "what would Stalin do?" Pretty much can't go wrong that way...