A landmark event occurred in Russian hockey. Center forward Magnitogorsk Metallurg Evgeni Malkin, the most talented young hockey player on the planet, on Monday refused a contract signed in July with the National Hockey League (NHL) club Pittsburgh Penguins. On Wednesday morning, he will join the home team of the “steelworkers” to begin preparations for the 2006-2007 Russian championship.
Malkin's refusal to speak in the NHL was preceded by a chain of almost detective events. As early as last week, Eugene himself and his agents were 95% sure of the upcoming departure overseas, while General Director of Metallurg Holding Gennady Velichkin insisted that the talented striker stay at home. In parallel, Velichkin sharply condemned the upcoming accession of Russia to the "humiliating agreement" between the NHL and the International Hockey Federation (IIHF), according to which domestic clubs could receive no more than 200 thousand US dollars for their own students leaving for North America. According to the general director of Magnitogorsk, the price of Malkin is many times higher. But most importantly, the NHL bosses blackmailed us with a ban on the performance of players for the national team of our country at the 2007 World Cup in Moscow. "It is unacceptable in a conversation with such a great power as Russia to stoop to minor threats. Relations between the federation and the league should be built only on equal terms," Velichkin believes.
The first to listen to the arguments of Magnitogorsk was the president of FHR Vladislav Tretyak. He did not ratify the treaty with the NHL. Then Evgeni Malkin terminated the agreement with American and Russian agents and returned to Gennady Ushakov, who had been in charge of his business for four years. And the point in the dispute was put by the president of the Metallurg club, Viktor Rashnikov. The owner of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works for the first time in the history of the team interrupted his vacation and flew from abroad for a personal meeting with the player. After talking with the president, Malkin renegotiated the contract with his native club until May 1, 2007. In the upcoming season, the 20-year-old striker will again delight the Magnitogorsk audience with a sparkling game and will play for the Russian team at the World Cup.
Boris TITOV