KHL president Alexander Medvedev has been premature about big announcements in the past but there’s something about some his latest statements that’s really going to get the attention of NHL fans everywhere.
Medvedev told Sovetsky Sport (via Dmitry Chesnokov) that the top teams from the NHL will face off against the top teams of the KHL next fall.
Now off-hand it’s hard to picture this happening considering the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement will prevent such an event from taking place. Plus you’d have to think that NHL teams would be very hesitant to have their top players play in what would be a high-profile exhibition game.
Imagine the international media attention that a game like this would attract, especially if the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs or Pittsbugh Penguins were involved. Or how about if the Nashville Predators were pitted against the Alexander Radulov and the Ufa Salavat Yulaev. I’m sure many Predator fans remember Radulov running out on Nashville mid-contract to play for Ufa.
Currently the top teams in the KHL are SKA Saint Petersburg and Salavat Yulaev.
At this point right now it still seems like a pipe dream but could the NHL do it to garner more attention for the league? Keep in mind too, the current NHL CBA runs out in September.
Ref: ESPN, Sovetsky Sport, flickr (image)
