There are valid reasons why foreign players – including Finns – are still seen at KHL.
The secretive Yulayev Ufa allowed his foreign player to leave when Russian hostilities in Ukraine began. Sakari Manninen (left), Markus Granlund and Teemu Hartikainen played in Ufa this season. AOP
When Russia launched a relentless war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, the situation in the hockey league KHL also changed radically.
Many foreign players left Russia on a fast schedule. It has not been possible for everyone.
Players still working in Russia have received a lot of criticism. However, there are things behind it that make the situation anything but simple.
According to information received by Iltalehti, some KHL clubs do not release players from their contracts.
Depending on the duration and financial size of the player contracts, some puck players face a penalty of up to € 1.5 million.
Different starting points
From the beginning, the players were very different.
– KHL has clubs that allowed their foreign players to terminate their contracts and leave the country if they so wished, says an insider on the puck.
An example of such a company is probably Salavat Yulev Ufa.
– Then, of course, there were players whose club season ended and they were free to return to their home countries.
Leaving is difficult
But not all clubs are sympathetic.
– There are also foreign players with a really, really big termination penalty. Up to one and a half million euros.
– That’s why they’re still there. They can’t leave there in any sensible way, the IL source continues.
The source speaks anonymously because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Against the law
Olympic winner Leo Komarov (74) still plays for the SKA team in St. Petersburg. AOP
If a player leaves the KHL club without permission, he or she will have to shell out a fine to get free from his or her ongoing contract for future seasons. And to be able to practice again somewhere else in the future.
There are still three Finnish players in the league, Traktorin Teemu Pulkkinen as well as the SKA of St. Petersburg Mikko Lehtonen and Leo Komarov.
Helping the Hockey Association
The players and their representatives have sought help in the event of a stalemate. It has been provided by, among others, the Finnish Hockey Association, the players ‘association SJRY and the NHL players’ association NHLPA.
– These three parties have tried very well to help players towards the International Hockey Federation IIHF. Unfortunately, to no avail, the source continues.
IIHF passive
According to the source, the International Hockey Federation has not wanted to help players. The same star players that make up the bodies of the multi-country World Cup teams.
And the bodies of the teams participating in the EHT tournaments.
– The position of the International Hockey Federation is that they do not want to get involved for legal and economic reasons. The IIHF believes this is a matter between the players and their agents, the source notes.
– At the same time, the IIHF hopes that players will take part in their annual World Cup tournament. There is a contradiction here, and a big one.
Even if the IIHF gets the players out of their contracts, and there is no guarantee of this at the moment, the players are still threatened by a civil lawsuit from Russia.
Many feel that players have been left to fend for themselves.