When Nail Yakupov was headed to Russia for a return to his hometown team of Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (go ahead you try and pronounce that) the first-overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft must have put together a checklist of things so that he could play in the KHL.
Sticks check, skates check, equipment check, passport check, international transfer card signed by Hockey Canada check. Oh hang on a second for the transfer card because Hockey Canada never signed one for the 18-year-old.
Despite the fact he had already played two games in the KHL Yakupov shouldn’t have been able to without the proper transfer documents. Now if you look at Hockey Canada as the bad guys in all of this they are just holding Yakupov to his own signature. The one he put on a contract with Sarnia that said he would play for them through the 2012-13 season. Canada’s governing hockey body is within its rights to do this and if you’re the Sting you either instigated it or are happy Hockey Canada has your back.
While the Sting has had Yakupov for two seasons this would be their first season with Nail Yakupov the first-overall pick. Having him makes the team better and makes the team richer. They have every right, with that signed contract, to have him on their roster after Edmonton assigned him to the OHL club on Sept.15. As for the Oilers, who can’t stay out of the news even if they wanted to, this isn’t their problem but it is their player. Even if they assigned him to Sarnia, Edmonton understood that the KHL was his likely destination. That became quite clear on Sept.15 when Nail tweeted that he was headed to Russia. I would suggest that’s quite a detour if your eventual destination is Southern Ontario.
In my mind Edmonton is in a win-win predicament. Yakupov either dominates in the OHL or develops in the KHL. Either way when the lockout ends he should be a better player coming out of it than going into it. A fine has been levied against the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and an appeal is expected to be heard by the end of the week. I would be surprised if Yakupov doesn’t play again for Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. There should be a resolution that can make both sides reasonably happy.
Hockey Canada or the CHL would like to get the player back. If they can’t then maybe some form of remuneration would resolve this and take the Sting out of Yakupov’s decision to play in Russia and not Canada.