Hello NY and everywhere else, I'm Bird and you're in the Birdcage. Boy, I need to get out more often....it's nice out here. So far so good on the hurricane front....of course I just put the whammy on us down here in Florida.

Jed Ortmeyer is out indefinitely with an ailment that sounds serious. I'm not a doctor, I don't even play one on the internet....but it does sound like Jed will need to address this and his health is way more important than the game. His hard work and penalty killing will be missed, let's hope he can come back and play and from what I've read, that seems possible.

The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted Evgeni Malkin in the first round a few years ago, a second pick over all. By all accounts, the kid can play at a high level and at 20 years old could be ready to do some damage in the NHL. I can't tell if he's as good as Crosby or Ovechkin but it does appear that the kid has game and that bodes well for fans in the Steel City. But there is this small issue over his contract, his rights and his location at the moment. He has officially submitted his resignation to Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Without pouring over all the articles again I'm going to go from memory here. If I get a fact wrong I'm sure you guys will be quick to correct me. Malkin was under contract with his Russian team for two more years including this one. Recently the kid re-did his deal for just the one year, this one. That indicates to me that the Russian team understood his desire to play in the NHL and was willing to accommodate him in exchange for another year of service. Fair enough so far.

Now the Russians have not signed a deal that would allow pro players from Russia to sign and play here in North America in the NHL or AHL and in return get some monetary compensation. If you listened to the latest podcast you'd have heard the Rodent explain how it's supposed to work. It's clear to me that something in the process is flawed as Russia hasn't signed off on an agreement just yet and now the kid has defected from his team and his country. This is as ugly as it gets. Well, that is unless it gets worse.....and I think it may.

Now if we use the sum of $200,000 as has been reported, the Russians have a point when it comes to potential star players like Malkin. A kid with tons of talent helps to sell tickets, trinkets and will help attract advertisers. Just a guess, but I'm thinking the value could exceed $200 grand. In addition, the investment that a Russian team (or any non-NHL team for that matter) has to make in young players before they develop into players that can have the big financial impact that an Ovechkin or a Malkin might have has got to cost some cash. But the NHL wouldn't want an agreement where it has to spend big bucks on every player that comes over. Only a few players have the earning potential that this kid might posses. A player by player deal isn't what the NHL would want to see either as that would be too much like the old NHL free agent signing process, something we had to lose a season to get rid of. A fair deal needs to be reached with the Russian Super league. It has to be fair to all parties involved.

This is not your fathers Russian league anymore. Unlike the old days where Soviet bloc players would literally have to sneak into North America, the players are paid now that the Soviet Union is no more. You no longer have to escape an oppressive government, you leave for fame and fortune. That adds more issues to an already complicated problem. If I think it's wrong for let's say a Yashin to hold out while under contract (and I do) then it's not inconsistent for me to also feel that it's wrong to skip out on a contract in one country for better one in a different country even if it is the NHL. Look, I'm a huge supporter of the NHL and do believe it's the best ice hockey league in the world, deserving of the best players in the world......but then there's right and wrong. Breaking a contract is wrong. Look, if a player just stinks up the ice, his team can't just short him on his paycheck, they have to honor his contract. Why then should a player not have to honor the same contract he expects the team to honor?

I'm not done with the confusion yet. It's no secret that there are certain um....elements in Russia that have powerful influence over business. I don't have to spell that out for you, do I? There have been stories where these so called elements have been involved in hockey. Threats on a player or a players family are not out of the question. So in Malkin's case we're dealing with legal issues as well as some not so legal issues. Like a movie we have it all here....money, politics and organized crime. Gary Bettmen had better get a hold of this one before it becomes one of those movies with a sad ending.

So, a week after re-doing his contract with his Russian team, Malkin slips out into the night with his stuff and passport somewhere in Finland where his team was practicing. Many expect him to show up in Pittsburgh sooner than later. This is a story that has the potential to blow up at some point. Sports agents, GMs, NHL officials, Russian officials and maybe even a mob boss will all have parts to play. Yeah, this will all work out smoothly.....sure it will.

Speaking of money, please click the links of our advertisers on our front page. We need the cash. Hell, send a paypal donation and feel good about supporting Hockeybird. Buy some stuff with our logo on it. Or, if you have a company you're looking to advertise, consider sponsoring the podcast, I'd be willing to add a :30 or :60 second spot for the right price.

Why spend money on Hockeybird? Um......I dunno. Wait, I got one....think of the children.

----}- Bird

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