Defiant Russia rejects player transfer agreement

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia refused to sign a new player transfer agreement with the NHL on Wednesday, opening the door to years of legal disputes and chaos.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) president and Hall of Fame goaltender Vladislav Tretiak told a news conference that the country's elite clubs had "almost unanimously" rejected the pact, demanding the NHL respect players under contract to Russian clubs.

Tretiak said money was not the main stumbling block but called the NHL's offer of $200,000 for developing players nothing more than a "handout" while putting a price tag of $1 million on top young talent such as Washington Capitals's Alexander Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins's Evgeni Malkin.

Russia, which had also refused to sign the current two-year agreement that expires next month, remains the only major hockey power not to approve the new deal, brokered by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the NHL on Saturday.

"A lot of players would like to play in the NHL and we do not prohibit them under the condition they respect our internal contracts in Russia," Tretiak said. "If a players has finished his contract and he is free let him do what he wants.

"If a player is under contract it is possible to buy out his contract from the club and our clubs believe $200,000 for players like Ovechkin and Malkin is not enough and because of that we do not sign this agreement."

Last week top officials, representing the NHL, the IIHF and Europe's seven major hockey nations met in Moscow to discuss the final details of a new pact that would pay European clubs $200,000 for every player signed by an NHL team.

IIHF president Rene Fasel said he still expects all other parties to ratify the agreement and would push ahead without the Russian Federation's participation.

Russia's refusal to get on board is sure to escalate tensions between the RIHF, NHL and the IIHF.

Without an agreement the NHL could try to block Russian players under contract to league teams from competing in international competitions including the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and future world championships.

"There are human rights and after an NHL team is out of playoffs the player is free of his obligation and can do what he wants," offered a defiant Tretiak. "(Ilya) Kovalchuk (of the Atlanta Thrashers) has said if someone is threatening me I will come anyway."

COURT CASES

The lack of an agreement has already resulted in several court cases on both sides of the Atlantic and is sure to spark more.

Russian teams launched law suits in U.S. courts in an attempt to block Malkin, Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals team mate Alexander Semin from playing in the NHL.

The case of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nikolai Zherdev went all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland after his former club, CSKA Moscow, argued he was still obliged to perform military service.

All four cases ended in favor of the player and the NHL, leaving the Russian clubs with no compensation but Tretiak said teams would not back away from further legal challenges.