Kovalchuk retires from the NHL/Signs with KHL team

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

I saw one almost fight and a bunch of muggings and turtling.

+1

The one guy turtled, while his teammate watched him get pummeled on. Lame lame lame.

[psh 25]

Yeah, that's gong show idiocy whether it occurs in the NHL or the KHL. I think the "less physically demanding" statement is a reference to the KHL having a season that is generally about 2/3 as long as an NHL season, and that doesn't include the NHL's long playoffs.

[chippa13 1844]

And there isn't as much hitting due to the bigger ice surface.

[coryroth24 15]

Sarcasm...

[ktang 34]

The other thing you're missing with your AFL and WHA examples, they weren't halfway around the world and they were drawing North American talent. The NHL isn't too concerned about losing some Russians, evidenced by the fact that fewer are drafted each year.

On a hockey talk show one host asked the other to name some high caliber Russian players that could defect and hurt the NHL. The only one the could really think of that might go over would be Ovie. I really could think of any superstars other than Malkin and Datsyuk and I don't think either one would leave. Maybe when Datsyuk's contract up and he is ready to retire from the NHL he might skate in the KHL since it is not as physically demanding.

The one host asking the other was / is thinking too much inside the box. The question should have been: are there any superstars, of any nationality, that could defect and hurt the NHL? And how many would that be? More importantly, are there any that could defect and help the NHLPA?

What percentage of the true superstars would need to defect to hurt the NHL?

[Chadd 916]

Until it hurts ticket sales or TV revenue, it won't hurt the NHL. The bigger issue could be a defection or two that causes a team to collapse. Let's say Crosby gets hurt again and Malkin decides to go home. That one defection could cripple the franchise for years, Pittsburgh fans don't turn out if the team isn't winning.

[ktang 34]

Until it hurts ticket sales or TV revenue, it won't hurt the NHL. The bigger issue could be a defection or two that causes a team to collapse. Let's say Crosby gets hurt again and Malkin decides to go home. That one defection could cripple the franchise for years, Pittsburgh fans don't turn out if the team isn't winning.

Yes, exactly. So, what percentage of the true superstars would need to defect to hurt the NHL's ticket sales or TV revenue?

Let's say that each team in the NHL needs 1 true superstar. Many teams in the NHL already don't have 1 true superstar - let's say that 20 of the 30 NHL teams have at least 1 true superstar. If 10 of these 20 go to the KHL, so that only 10 NHL teams have at least 1 true superstar, and a similar proportion of the next-tier elite stars also go, ticket sales could be hurt. US TV revenue for now is "guaranteed", but local TV revenue could go down.

Let's also say that one of the struggling teams also has 1 superstar, who then goes to the KHL. That would cripple the franchise for years, leading to decreased franchise valuation, leading to potential NHL franchise owners and investors seeking other means of community "service".

[TeamHonda401 54]

In order for the KHL to be a true threat to the NHL, a non Russian superstar needs to jump ship. Looking at what ktang said above, with the exception of Datsyuk, Ovechkin and Malkin (and Yakupov if he develops into one) there aren't any other true superstars that are Russian. There are plenty of great players but those three are the only ones that really have star power. So lets say all three retire and move to the KHL, it would suck for fans of their respective teams, but the NHL could survive that. Russian players already slip in the draft due to the risk of defection (with a couple exceptions here and there) and have so for the last 7 years or so,. Until North American players are at risk for defection, I don't see the KHL taking much of the NHL's gusto.