Malkin is at the centre of of ice hockey cold war
|
Russian star Evgeni Malkin could be prevented from playing for Pittsburgh after a Russian arbitration tribunal
issued a court order to stop him.
Malkin signed a three-year deal $3m deal with the Penguins after leaving his club Metallurg Magnitogorsk without informing them of his intentions.
The 20-year-old had signed a new one-year deal before fleeing to the US.
His old team would have to ask a US court to enforce the ban or could seek to sue the NHL and Pittsburgh.
Metallurg have said they will seek compensation of at least $2m for Malkin, regarded as the world's best young player not yet in the NHL.
His defection has sparked a bitter conflict between Russian hockey officials and their North American counterparts.
The NHL has said it will not negotiate compensation packages with any Russian club after the Russians refused to sign a transfer agreement with the league.
Russia remains the only major hockey power not to join the deal, approved by the International Ice Hockey Federation in 2005.
~RS~a~RS~International~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~18~RS~){kind=small}
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
