Keegan Asmundson SPMT 440 Issues in the KHL

Keegan Asmundson SPMT 440 Issues in the KHL

History • • • The KHL is an international professional league and was founded in 2008 It consists of 28 teams based out of 7 different countries and there are 10 different time zones between these countries The KHL is believed to be the second best league in the world (NHL) Its aim was to create a strong cross-ocean rival to the NHL KHL teams could offer more money than they could ever see in the NHL

Death of players • • Alexei Cherepanov died on the ice on October 13 th 2008 during a game The young star collapsed on his team's bench following a collision on the ice with his teammate Jaromir Jagr Medical intervention was delayed by the premature departure of the ambulance that usually stays at the arena during game time that had to be called back Dozens of spectators, smoking cigarettes, walked over and snapped photos on their cellphones of the lifeless teenager’s body

September 7, 2011 • • The members of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl entered an airplane in their hometown to fly to Minsk. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane struggled to gain altitude, struck a tower, and crashed into the Volga River. Forty-three of forty-five passengers died

Horrible Flight travel �Many KHL clubs still charter Soviet-era planes �Cheaper to go with these airlines that are not up to safety codes for flying �Russia recorded nine commercial airline crashes last year giving it a worse safety record �Coaches would light up cigarettes on the flights �Planes used for travel have been banned from flying in the European Union because of safety worries

Bernd Bruckler’s first plane ride in the KHL �“This plane had been completely gutted and they had just put rows of seats in there. No carpet. No insulation. You’d knock on the wall and could tell there was literally one sheet of aluminum separating you from the outside. It was so loud. There were six huge oxygen tanks in the first row instead of seats. It was a shocking experience. ”

Gun-slinging owners �Some owners have had a reputation for bringing a loaded gun into his team’s dressing room after a bad loss �One player was taken to an open field with a grave dug and owners said you will be in that hole if you don’t play better

Planting drugs on players �“One guy I know, playing for the KHL team in Kazan, was arrested after the team had (marijuana) planted on him. They took him to jail, wanted to sweat him out, pressure him to agree to go back to Canada without getting paid. ” �John Grahame, a Canadian goalie was arrested by police for going to a dance club because the team didn’t want to keep paying him

The baza • • KHL clubs demand players stay pre-game nights in basis, remote bases in the middle of nowhere Small beds with thin mattresses, poor heating and worse food. A bad game can mean a second night’s stay. Players have found dead rats in the toilets of these places Some players sneak out to get a good nights sleep at home

Money issues • • A handful of teams regularly fall behind in paying their players, and even when they do pay, some clubs insist on paying in cash. “This is not a place you want to be carrying bags of money around and it’s not easy to wire money overseas back to Canada. ” Several North Americans said they keep stacks of currency in paper bags in their freezers. Members of the Mob would go into the houses and take the money back from the players

Players hire drivers for safety • • • In Russia, he learned, you can pretty much pay your way into, or out of, anything. Nightclubs. Driver’s licenses. Even airplane pilots’ permits Drivers are recommended for most players in Russia, due to the traffic and tricky-tonavigate back streets. Drivers carry guns in the car for added protection

other �Several players said there a few rinks in the KHL circuit where teams still have to bring their own toilet seats. �In the Russian Federation, people, especially athletes, are servants of whoever pays them. �Pre-season training camps drag on for at least two months and, in a trend heralding to Soviet times, some KHL coaches demand players wear 50 -pound weights over their shoulders during conditioning drills.

How to fix the problem �Changes have to happen on a league-wide scale �Westernize the KHL �Implement NHL coaches into the league �Mike Keenan became the first North American coach to lead a team to a Kontinental Hockey League championship in 2013 -14 season

How to fix the problem �Safer airline travel �Require teams to use approved airlines and planes for travel �Allow players to have bank accounts to transfer money back to North America

Reasons to play in the KHL • • • Can make more money in the KHL over other professional leagues Russian/European players can play in their respected countries Payers from North America are able to get great opportunities to play and travel the world from hockey