Predators’ Alexander Radulov Tests NHL Pact With Russia

It didn’t take long for the tentative agreement between the NHL and Russia’s new hockey league to be tested.

Reports suggested Friday that Nashville Predators forward Alexander Radulov, who has one year remaining on his NHL contract, had signed a lucrative new deal with a Russian team.

That could violate the pact to respect player contracts across all borders reached Thursday between Russia’s Continental Hockey League — known as the KHL — the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association and international hockey leagues.

The International Ice Hockey Federation said in a release Friday that Radulov’s deal would be “in blatant contradiction to the agreement and a violation of what all involved parties agreed to.”

The IIHF said it would urge the KHL to void the contract, and that Radulov could be disqualified from participation in all IIHF competitions, including the Olympics, the IIHF World Championships and the Champions Hockey League.

Predators president and general manager David Poile said in a release Friday that the team expects Radulov to honour his deal.

“Alex is under contract with the Nashville Predators through the 2008-09 season. We are looking forward to him being here for training camp and being a part of this franchise’s success for years to come,” Poile said.

Radulov’s agent Jay Grossman told The Canadian Press that he wasn’t sure if the deal, reportedly worth $13 million tax free over three years, would stand up.

“I have no idea, I would have to defer to the Predators and the NHL and the IIHF and the KHL for the determination on that,” Grossman said.

Radulov is due to make US$984,200 next season in Nashville.

The tentative deal between the NHL and the new Russian league, which begins play in September, had originally been reached after teams in the KHL made offers to Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin.

The deal was brokered with Russian league founder Alexander Medvedev, who had earlier given his teams a green light to approach NHL players.

“It is our understanding, based on the representations made both at our meeting yesterday, but also at an earlier meeting with Mr. Medvedev in May, that the Russian League will not allow a player to play in violation of his contractual obligations in the NHL,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a release Friday.

Paul Kelly, executive director of the NHLPA, said Thursday all parties recognized the need for “clear respect between leagues.”