Russian Money Ready to Bring an NHL Team Back to Canada?

Russian money ready to bring an NHL franchise back to Canada?

That's what Montreal's Corus Sports reports today, citing an exclusive interview by Radio-Canada Moscow correspondent Alexandra Szachka with KHL President and Owner Aleksandr Medvedev.

Medvedev is also Deputy Chairman of Russia's largest petrochemical firm, Gazprom, reported to be the main source of money behind the KHL. With a market capitalization of $348 Billion, Gazprom is the world's third largest company.

This story has been circulating in various forms for some time, but Szachka's report appears to suggest Medvedev is about to make a formal offer to the NHL to buy one or more struggling franchises.

More here:
http://www.corussports.com/hockey/medvedev_deux_pays-20090521-1570041.html

and Szachka's story here:
http://sport.sympatico.msn.ca/LNH+Medvedev+lavocat+du+Canada/Hockey/ContentPosting.htm?isfa=1&newsitemid=436048&feedname=CBC_SPORTS_V3_FR&show=1&number=5&showbyline=0&subtitle=&detect=0&abc=abc&date=0

Several weeks ago, the National Post covered the subject as writer Noah Love put his spin on it:

KHL head Medvedev muses about buying NHL team
Posted: May 05, 2009, 6:13 PM by Noah Love/National Post

Continental Hockey League president Alexander Medvedev continues to try to antagonize the NHL.

Speaking from the scene of the IIHF world hockey championship, Medvedev wondered aloud why Quebec City has no NHL team, claimed he is interested in buying an NHL team, and insisted there is little headway being made toward a new working agreement between the NHL and Russia’s Continental Hockey League, known as the KHL.

“We find it strange that hockey cities like Quebec City do not have an NHL team,” Medvedev said, suggesting he has done “due diligence” on three NHL teams with the intent of buying one.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is hardly likely to welcome into the league the man whose enterprise poached Nashville Predators forward Alexander Radulov. In fact, the NHL blames Medvedev for the fact there is no transfer agreement between Russia and the NHL.

Medvedev is scheduled to meet this week with NHL executive vice-president Bill Daly and National Hockey League Players’ Association executive director Paul Kelly to discuss a variety of issues. Medvedev is a member of the IIHF council. One of Medevev’s chief concerns is the NHL potentially abstaining from the 2014 Olympics in Russia.

Medvedev, for one, isn’t expecting much to come of the meeting.

“There will be no negotiations, just discussions and talks,” he said.

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MORE TO COME...

Oh yeah, they reported this a while ago and everyone sort of shunned it, but wouldn't that be something...

Another report has surfaced from Radio Canada today:

http://www.radio-canada.ca/sports/hockey/2009/05/21/001-bykov-jeudi.shtml?ref=rss

The coach of Russia's World Cup gold medal winning hockey team, Vyacheslav Bykov, has also come out in favour of relocating an NHL franchise back to Quebec City. Bykov had been drafted by the Nordiques in 1989.

His statements would tend to support Medvedev's.

About a month ago, I posted news on this subject based on an interview that Montreal hockey analyst Yvon Pedneault had broadcast with a former member of the Nordiques' media organization. That interview suggested that "a return of the Nordiques to Quebec is coming sooner than you think."

Stay tuned.

awesome, the battle of Quebec will be back and we can go back to worry about just the Leafs again, some long drawn out playoff battles between Les Glorieux and Les Nordiques, they were short of magical some of them.

Ballsillie or Medvedev? The devil you know or the one you'd mostly only heard about? Now, if I was the tin-foil-hat type, I'd say this is an ingenious scheme orchestrated by RIM-Baldie to tip the scales in his favor. Wouldn't that be something? Maybe Jerry Bruckheimer will produce a movie about it.

As much as I loved the Habs/Nords rivalry of the late '70s and '80s, I just don't know if that could ever be resurrected. Maybe if Tremblay and Hunter came back to coach their old teams? Even then, I just don't see it as ever being the same.

As the drama in Phoenix plays out, perhaps Mr Medvedev will be formulating their strategy.

Ilya Kovalchuk as the Captain of the Gazprom-backed Quebec Nordiques?

Leading a team injected with Russian stars from the KHL and their junior ranks?

An intriguing thought to say the least...

I'm 100% in favour of this.

Smart money bringing hockey back to Canada with a Salary cap. Cost assurances allow you to make a predictable business case...

As the Gouvernement du Quebec has already stated it is ready to provide financial assistance to investors supporting the existing NHL team, might a deal with the Russian Government be closer than we can imagine?

A 'joint venture' between Jean Charest and Aleksandr Medvedev could be part of a major injection of Russian money into the capital city of Quebec, as well as stimulating revenues for the province.

This could include real estate and urban infrastructure as well as upgrades to Le Colisee...perhaps even the construction of a new arena along with a retail and entertainment complex.

Not out of the realm of possibility.

And the purchase of the Thrashers from The Spirit Group in Atlanta might be much easier for the NHL to swallow...especially if that franchise goes to Quebec.

It would also be a great way for Bettman to erase the prevailing notion that he is against any new teams in Canada, while still preventing Balsillie from getting a team.