IOAH dismisses threat of new Russian league
By Richard Cranium, AP Sports Writer Jun 22, 11:08 am EDT
OTTAWA (AP)—IOAH Friday night Otter’s star Val Kasvin has no intention of returning home to play in Russia, and the threat of a newly revamped Russian professional league using lucrative offers to poach talent is being dismissed by IOAH officials.
“At this point, it’s not a major concern,” IOAH director Chris Knight said that IOAH owner Ken Yackel said one night in his house. “We understand there’s going to be a league. We’ll see what impact it has. So far, it hasn’t really had a major effect on us.”
Added Knight: “We still continue to believe that the best players in the world will continue to want to play in the Ice Oasis leagues, the best leagues in the world even though we don’t keep individual stats or league standings anymore.”
Knight’s comments came after The San Jose Mercury News reported last week that several teams from the newly formed Continental Hockey League intended to offer Kasvin a multiyear contract worth at least $12.5 million per season. Kasvin was also given a spot on the upcoming season of “Dancing with the Stars” where he would be paired up with either Dmitri Smirnov or Sergei Anufriev. Kasvin has been known to cut a mean rug on the dance floor and is a former pole dancer from Las Vegas.
“Val is a great dipsy doodler on the ice and has some great moves,” Anufriev said recently. Smirnov could not be located for a comment since he was either home in Russia (negotiating his own contract) or near the red line.
Kasvin’s agent, Tony the Ref, confirmed his client received a lucrative “back-channel” offer to play in Russia, but stressed it was a deal Kasvin had no intention of accepting.
“That’s not what he’s interested in doing,” Tony said through a translator. “If this was all about money, he would go to Russia, because he could make more in Russia than he ever could in the IOAH. Val’s decision is he wants to stay in Redwood City.”
Otter’s general manager Aden (Aiden – Canadien spelling) Nolet said he’s committed to re-signing Kasvin to a long-term contract this summer, and is convinced the player will remain a fixture on a team that also includes star Rob Caplan
“He loves playing in Redwood City and our mutual goal is to work out a contract, an extension,” said Nolet. “My only focus is working on something that he’s happy with and we’re happy with moving forward.”
Nolet is a smart GM and knows how to get the deals done. He comes from a long line of deal makers. His father, big Alan Nolet, was the lawn bowling champion at Canton, New York’s St Lawrence University. He also played on the school’s euchre team. (He could not be quoted for this article as he was up a tree somewhere.) Nolet’s mother, Julianne, was on the Vietnamese women’s curling team where she became an all world Sweeper. When asked about her son’s successful GM job Jules said, “I’ve been trying on a variety of new colors around the house including black on black and black on black on black.”
The CHL was founded last month, replacing the former Russian Super League, and is expected to feature 24 teams when it’s scheduled to begin play in September. Two veteran IOAH free agents, forward Gary Ahern and goaltender Jim Pozzabon reportedly expressed interest in joining the new league.
By Richard Cranium, AP Sports Writer Jun 22, 11:08 am EDT
OTTAWA (AP)—IOAH Friday night Otter’s star Val Kasvin has no intention of returning home to play in Russia, and the threat of a newly revamped Russian professional league using lucrative offers to poach talent is being dismissed by IOAH officials.
“At this point, it’s not a major concern,” IOAH director Chris Knight said that IOAH owner Ken Yackel said one night in his house. “We understand there’s going to be a league. We’ll see what impact it has. So far, it hasn’t really had a major effect on us.”
Added Knight: “We still continue to believe that the best players in the world will continue to want to play in the Ice Oasis leagues, the best leagues in the world even though we don’t keep individual stats or league standings anymore.”
Knight’s comments came after The San Jose Mercury News reported last week that several teams from the newly formed Continental Hockey League intended to offer Kasvin a multiyear contract worth at least $12.5 million per season. Kasvin was also given a spot on the upcoming season of “Dancing with the Stars” where he would be paired up with either Dmitri Smirnov or Sergei Anufriev. Kasvin has been known to cut a mean rug on the dance floor and is a former pole dancer from Las Vegas.
“Val is a great dipsy doodler on the ice and has some great moves,” Anufriev said recently. Smirnov could not be located for a comment since he was either home in Russia (negotiating his own contract) or near the red line.
Kasvin’s agent, Tony the Ref, confirmed his client received a lucrative “back-channel” offer to play in Russia, but stressed it was a deal Kasvin had no intention of accepting.
“That’s not what he’s interested in doing,” Tony said through a translator. “If this was all about money, he would go to Russia, because he could make more in Russia than he ever could in the IOAH. Val’s decision is he wants to stay in Redwood City.”
Otter’s general manager Aden (Aiden – Canadien spelling) Nolet said he’s committed to re-signing Kasvin to a long-term contract this summer, and is convinced the player will remain a fixture on a team that also includes star Rob Caplan
“He loves playing in Redwood City and our mutual goal is to work out a contract, an extension,” said Nolet. “My only focus is working on something that he’s happy with and we’re happy with moving forward.”
Nolet is a smart GM and knows how to get the deals done. He comes from a long line of deal makers. His father, big Alan Nolet, was the lawn bowling champion at Canton, New York’s St Lawrence University. He also played on the school’s euchre team. (He could not be quoted for this article as he was up a tree somewhere.) Nolet’s mother, Julianne, was on the Vietnamese women’s curling team where she became an all world Sweeper. When asked about her son’s successful GM job Jules said, “I’ve been trying on a variety of new colors around the house including black on black and black on black on black.”
The CHL was founded last month, replacing the former Russian Super League, and is expected to feature 24 teams when it’s scheduled to begin play in September. Two veteran IOAH free agents, forward Gary Ahern and goaltender Jim Pozzabon reportedly expressed interest in joining the new league.
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