REPORT: KOVALCHUK TO REMAIN IN RUSSIA IF HE SIGNS WITH KHL

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=331802

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Revenge is sweet... Revenge is best served cold... Revenge is ice cream.

Good. He can finish his playing days over there for all I care.

and the KHL takes more step in the right direction in their quest to become the premiere hockey league in the world.

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The KHL will never overtake the NHL. They may pull some individual players who want more money than the NHL's salary cap will allow, but the bulk of the talent will play over here.

i hope so. i have no beef with the russian superleague (i know its not called that anymore, but i like that name) but i dont want the leagues best playing there.

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1 player out of 500 is not a premier hockey league in the world.

Until Malkin, Vanek, Miller, Crosby, Myers, Richards, Stamkos, Tavares, Carter, Sedin, Sedin, Chara, Doughty, Kane, Toews, Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Krecji, Gaborik, Drury, Briere, Giroux, Datsyuk, Zetterburg, Rask, Broduer, Anderson, Vokoun, Heatley, Thorton, Marleau, Spezza, Alfredsson and any other player worth a lot in the NHL goes to the KHL, the NHL is fine.

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i think the average talent in the superleague is better then the NHL. we have the stars, but the russian game is more talent oriented, and thus, they have better skills then most of the guys here.

as it is, i think the KHL is way above the AHL in terms of how good the league is, but a step behind the NHL. but the swedish elite league, and the czech leagues... all very good leagues as well. just not like the NHL and KHL.

all this will be mute if the NHL locks out again, which i dont think it will, but i keep hearing the labor discussions are going to be very heated again :(

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You forgot Shea freaking Weber, HOW DARE YOU!

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Revenge is sweet... Revenge is best served cold... Revenge is ice cream.

I would love to know how these teams are coming up with the money to pay these salaries.

The KHL plays a 56 game schedule. They have 3 arenas with a capacity more than 12,000 and only 1 at 15,000. The average capacity is just under 7800, just about 1000 more than the Portland Pirate's rink.

Less games, fewer seats, in a country that isn't exactly economically booming......doesn't make sense.

Right now it's looking like 15 years 100 mil. See if NHL likes _this_one...

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being serious here, russia mafia money? its how colombias soccer program rose to dominance in the late 80s - pablo escobars death.

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By signing Kovy? Riiiight.

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Impossible Is Nothing.

hey, kovy is a super star in every sense of the word. they want to be the best in the world, and if he left, it would be a step in the right direction. its not like that is some shitty beer league over there; theres world class talent in that league. and LOTS of it.

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the only way i see the KHL rivaling the NHL is if the NHL locks out every other year.

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.

All the world class talent in the KHL?

I think it's all washed up world class talent. there aren't many players if any that can rival Malkin, Ovechkin, Crosby, there.

I'm sure if one of those three played a season over there they would score close to 150 points if not more.

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uh, no they couldnt. its a much more defensive league over there.

and just because you havnt heard of the names over there, doesnt make them washed up. alot of russian players stay over there rather then come to the NHL. a lot of foreign players do.

oh, and ovechkin did play in the RSL. he had 27 points in 37 games. 23 points in 53 games the season before that.

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Ovechkin was also a lot younger then too, he would put up far greater numbers now. I would bet money on that.

As I've always heard, Russian players rely on speed and stick handling as open ice checks are very uncommon as the bigger ice surface creates a much more up tempo game. I've played on Olympic size Ice and I can buy that logic too, speed and stickhandling instead of huge hits.

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well, if its some second rate, washed up league, age shouldnt matter. he would have put up far greater numbers then those in the NHL as an 18 year old and 19 year old.

the KHL is a good league. is it the NHL? not quite. is that far off talent wise? no. would kovalchuk tip the scales? no. would he help? yes.

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I'm sure there is talent in the KHL, but I don't think it's as close to the NHL as you are saying it is.

It has to be lower as Radulov has 111 points in 106 KHL games as opposed to 95 in 145 NHL games.

That's a pretty good difference in points and talent then.

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or, as i pointed out, its a much more defensive league. the larger ice surface alone lowers scoring.

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