Hawerchuk: Det var tydligen politik på högsta nivå som resulterade i ett avtal mellan NHL och Ryssland
"Political pressure from Russia's hockey-mad president is behind the transfer deal between the NHL and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin knows a thing or two about working the power play.
Putin is a huge hockey fan and he wants nothing more than to see Russia win the 2007 World Hockey Championship tournament in Moscow.
And the best way to make sure the Russians can assemble a contending team is to have peace with the National Hockey League. And that's the backdrop to why Russia has tentatively agreed to join the NHL-IIHF transfer agreement."
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Hawerchuk: Det var tydligen politik på högsta nivå som resulterade i ett avtal mellan NHL och Ryssland
"Political pressure from Russia's hockey-mad president is behind the transfer deal between the NHL and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin knows a thing or two about working the power play.
Putin is a huge hockey fan and he wants nothing more than to see Russia win the 2007 World Hockey Championship tournament in Moscow.
And the best way to make sure the Russians can assemble a contending team is to have peace with the National Hockey League. And that's the backdrop to why Russia has tentatively agreed to join the NHL-IIHF transfer agreement."