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This article does hint at something I have been wondering. This agreement between the NHL and KHL might be not as ironclad as some think. If the opportunity presents itself to take the right high-profile members back would the KHL hesitate?
The IIHF would be put in a rather interesting place. As usually it takes all three parties departing league, IIHF and new league to sign off on a player moving. However the NHL has never treated the IIHF with a great level of respect and the Olympic debate from NHL owners positions certainly has to make them worried.
How would the IIHF do if they barred the KHL from the Olympics on Russian soil? Really puts them in a heck of a spot if the NHL does do salary rollbacks and some of the players try not coming back.
If I am the IIHF I probably side with the KHL. The NHL makes my life a little harder than it has to be anyway. I put the pressure on Canada and USA stinking in the Olympics and the pressure applied to the NHL to drag them back. They stage world championships in Europe and need to favor their European partners if push really comes to shove.
It gets tricky in that aspect. I am just not as sure as some that they can enforce these contracts as well as people think if the players push to never come back to the NHL.
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