Question by Matt F: How damaging is it to the NHL that Russian born players are jumping to their home leagues?
With the current exodus of about 40 NHLers, most of Russian nationality, heading for the Russian leagues or other European hockey leagues, what sort of play can be expect now that most have an escape clause?
Answers and Views:
Answer by jenni m
I wonder if the Russian mafia has anything to do w/this.
Don’t worry we still have the Swedes, Czechs, Finns, Canadians, & Americans.
What do you think? Answer below!
Chuck G says
I would have to say its nothing to worry about because if they're going back to Russia, its because no NHL team wants them or wants to pay them lots of $ $ $ , so don't worry. Plenty of national and international talent exists in the NHL to make any hockey fan smile.
Besides, sorry for the lack of a link, I read a recent interview with Alexander Semin when he stated the NHL has better competition and stability than the super league where a team can tank and go bankrupt almost instantly. So don't fret, you probably only noticed this because the big names of yestur-year are leaving to go back home and squeeze out the few remaining years of hockey they have for the most money.
SenzRulz says
As far as I'm concerned , if most of them headed back to
Russia, the NHL would be better off . And it's too bad because a lot of them have tons of talent, but no drive or passion to play hard. There are exceptions, like Kasparitis, but I've seen many Russian players that have signed the big contract and then disappear off the ice.(Hello Yashin!) Kovalev shows up to play once every 5 games etc ….
I think that if the Russian players got replaced by lesser skilled, but more intense players, the games would be a lot more entertaining.
Too many years witho says
The only thing that matters is the fact that the NHL is the top league in the world for the best kinds of players. yashin can go back, we dont need him
Andrew V says
Not at all. You notice most of the guys jumping are trash that no NHL team really cares to have, e.g. Yashin.
pmunny says
It doesn't really damage because those guys will realize the big league is in North America. Alot of them are going to the Russian League because Russia is said to be corrupt and runned by the Mafia. So they want big shot players like Malkin to stay in Russia.
PuckDat says
They won’t be missed as much as you think. Russians are notorious for tanking it in the playoffs. In the long run it may mean more Canadian and American kids get to the show and they know what they playoffs are all about.
Gimaakwe says
It could hurt. I like watching Russians play hockey. If there are none in the league, I'll have to watch Rocky IV twice a week during the season! Or some old reruns of NHL games…to get my Russian fix.
sshueman says
if you are asking about yashin, i don’t think it will affect the islanders at all, there is plenty of talent to draw from for the nhl so i wouldn’t be too worried