KHL: Gun-slinging owners, drugs, dodgy air travel all part of the game

[Harv 86]

Crazy article from the Toronto Star on the KHL.

Worth the read if you have a few minutes.

http://www.thestar.c...ll-about-hockey

“One guy I know, playing for the KHL team in Kazan, was arrested after the team had (marijuana) planted on him,” says Simpson, who now lives in Chicago. “They took him to jail, wanted to sweat him out, pressure him to agree to go back to Canada without getting paid.”

[DarkStar50 679]

That's better than drugging him and stealing his body parts! No joke, that does happen in Russia.

[AIREAYE 248]

Read the exact article this morning as well, good post! They mentioned the Lokomotiv tragedy only briefly at the end of the article...though I would have liked a little more elaboration. Perhaps it had to do with it being so recent and not all facts have been straightened out yet.

[Axxion89 32]

I first expected the article to be more themed around hookers and cocaine, but more so its about terrible business practices and standards in a developing country. Very interesting read and will be interesting to see how the KHL expands in the next decade

[Law Goalie 147]

That's better than drugging him and stealing his body parts! No joke, that does happen in Russia.

Backup goalies better not fall asleep on the bench...

[tonguesOUT4life 17]

whoever wrote this article will have kgb kidnapp his family.

[bagsbie 8]

On some KHL teams the players still haul arouhd their own bags; equipment staff steals things; customarily, they would not even have stick tape! Crazy and all so true...

[quzio 0]

I can't get over this, yet again this is russia we are talking about. Just amazes me what the players are being put through over there. At least Simpson was smart enough to get what he thought was a formality translated...

[CommodoreColt 19]

That article was ace, thanks for sharing it.

In the past I've had unfounded suspicions of such things in the KHL based on prejudice of Russian business in general, but I've grown up since then. As a kid I hated the Red Wings, as my hypothesis stated that it was managed by a Russian crime mob. Don't think reality was as interesting. Anyway, back on topic.

[BarDownGinos 3]

Read "King of Russia" by Dave King if you get the chance. He spent a year coaching in the KHL. He paints it in an accurate but admirable light based on his own experiences, but some of the stuff still makes you think maybe playing pro hockey in Serbia would be a better idea. At least there your dangers are very obvious.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

They want a 60 team league? Holy moly..

And yeah, thats pretty sketchy.. it'll be another 10 years at least before the KHL comes near what the NHL offers to their players in terms of quality and comfort of life.

[Ramil 0]

Jagr managed to spend couple seasons in Siberia though

[skeeter14 0]

what i found most interesting is how it's mentioned the plans to fly on "modern" airlines has been ditched. Seems like there would be more of a sour reaction to that given how the Lokomotiv tragedy didnt happen long ago

[phunky_monkey 6]

Really interesting article, thanks for sharing.