| Rival hockey league to come Make that Russian Hockey League to come. the RHL vs. the NHL.
Russian tycoon Alex Medvedev and former NHLPA head Bob Goodenow are teaming up to start a pro league in Europe.
Okay - EHL.
Lots of $$$ and Igor Larionov make this more than a pipe dream. the league could start up as early a September 2008.
from thestar.com:
Currently, top teams in Europe frequently lose players under contract to the NHL. In exchange, they get just $200,000 (U.S.) per player. The teams argue that's not enough and the debacle has prompted hockey federations in Russia and Sweden to sever ties to the NHL....
"A new league could mean more broadcast and sponsorship revenue," he said.
This doesn't mark the first time the NHL has faced an upstart competitor. In 1972, the World Hockey Association in eight months grew from an idea on paper into a palpable threat to the NHL. Bobby Hull, who made $100,000 a year with the Chicago Black Hawks, joined the WHA's team in Winnipeg for $1 million over five years. Seven years on, the WHA folded when the NHL agreed to accept four WHA clubs as expansion teams.
There is the talent but is there the base (the knowledge), the sponsorship and the broadcast desire?
this i think would be exciting to have. |