With names like Jiri Hudler and Ilya Kovalchuk and rumors bouncing back and forth about them playing for teams in the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) and the NHL (National Hockey League), it is obvious that there is growing tension between the two leagues.
Now that the Cold War is over and Russia has embraced capitalism in the purest sense, true global competition is emerging on the ice, both potentially changing the fortunes of teams in the NHL and further eroding an already imperfect collective bargaining agreement between the NHLPA and the NHL.
Before Mikhail Gorbachov and Glasnost ushered in a monumental change in our country’s relationship with the other part of the world, Russian and Czech players who wanted to compete in the best hockey league in the world had to defect to do it.
Players literally had to sneak away, sometimes leaving friends and family members to fulfill their lifelong dream of playing in the NHL.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Warren Shaw