Recrutes Podcast #2
April 14, 2023
By Recrutes Staff
Recrutes’ scout Jonathan Cottone and founder Grant McCagg discuss an article published by Kommersant yesterday, and the implications it will have on where, or if, Russians will be drafted in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Here is the article and the link:
https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5928371
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) intends to develop rules that will regulate the departure of Russian players to the North American leagues, said Igor Esmantovich, president of the Moscow hockey club CSKA. The Board of Directors of the KHL is going to add the corresponding item to the league’s development strategy.
“We would like to add to the strategy of the KHL programs for the non-departure of our players to America,” said Mr. Esmantovich (quoted by TASS). In addition, according to him, the KHL development strategy will include items regulating the service of hockey players in the Russian army.
According to TASS, 60 Russians took part in the 2022/23 season in the National Hockey League (NHL), which unites the strongest clubs in the United States and Canada, a result that repeats the 2003/04 season. The record for this indicator was the 2000/01 season (72 Russians).
In March 2022, the NHL suspended the memorandum of understanding with the KHL due to the events in Ukraine. The NHL has stated that it excludes any interaction with the KHL and its clubs, as well as with agents of players who are based in Russia. As reported by Sport24, this decision actually means that NHL clubs refuse to recognize player contracts with KHL teams. This will allow North American clubs to enter into contracts with players who have contracts with teams in the KHL.
The State Duma has created a working group to develop proposals for a ban on earning income in Russia for foreign agents and cultural figures who have left, who take an “anti-Russian position”. The group will be headed by Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Irina Yarovaya, Vice Speaker of the Chamber Pyotr Tolstoy said in his Telegram channel, but he later deleted the post about it. The creation of the working group was confirmed in Telegram by the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Culture Elena Yampolskaya. According to her, she wanted the group to first reach an agreed result, and only then its creation would be announced in the public space.
In a remote publication, Mr. Tolstoy said that he was a member of the working group. “It is not good to make money in a country that you hate. And even more so when it comes to proven facts of supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the funds earned in Russia,” the deputy wrote.
According to the vice speaker, the task of the group is to find a fair solution in this “subtle and delicate area.” At the same time, he said that the State Duma received appeals with “rather radical” proposals from voters.
“I assumed not to rush into comments, because I think that in such matters it is better to first reach an agreed result and only then make everything “public”,” Ms. Yampolskaya wrote some time after the publication of Mr. Tolstoy.
The MP said that the basis for the expanded work of the group will be a package of proposals formed following the meeting of the committee with representatives of the executive branch, including law enforcement agencies.
According to Ms. Yampolskaya, additional penalties should be provided only for those who directly violate the law, especially those who support the enemy. She also believes that there are gaps in the law on foreign agents that need to be filled.
On February 6, Ms. Yampolskaya announced that an expert group would be formed in the State Duma to evaluate proposals for punishment for Russians who left the country amid the military operation in Ukraine and, in the opinion of the authorities, take an anti-Russian position. On April 5, Alexander Sholokhov, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Culture, said that the deputies were developing financial measures to influence the departed artists who criticized Russia.