The Cataloguer's Mind

July 25, 2005: Gennady Velichkin, General Director of the Metallurg Magnitogorsk hockey club, believes that overseas media outlets are rushing to send [Evgeni Malkin] to the [NHL]. He stated this in a telephone interview with RIA Novosti. "Malkin is ours until 2008, and we have an agreement with his agents that he will definitely spend the next season in Russia," Velichkin noted. [...] the NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) had reached an agreement on a new transfer agreement governing the transfer of European players to clubs in the world's best hockey league. Specifically, it was reported that under the new agreement, NHL clubs will be able to pick up any player they drafted until August 15, even if he or she is under contract with a European club.

August 26, 2005: "I hope Pittsburgh will respect my decision." As SE previously reported, 19-year-old Russian Evgeni Malkin, the second overall pick in the 2003-04 NHL Entry Draft, chose the Russian club when choosing between Magnitka and Pittsburgh.

April 27, 2006: [...] the election of Vladislav Tretiak as FHR president has increased the Penguins' chances of acquiring Russian national team and Metallurg Magnitogorsk forward Evgeni Malkin as early as next season. The publication believes that, unlike his predecessor, Alexander Steblin, Tretiak could facilitate negotiations between the two sides. Russia is the only European hockey power that has not signed a player transfer agreement with the NHL.

June 21, 2006: Reports that Magnitogorsk Metallurg forward Evgeni Malkin has signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins are premature, as the transfer agreement between the IIHF and the NHL, which Russia has agreed to join, has not yet been formally signed, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

August 7, 2006: Yesterday evening, Metallurg president Viktor Rashnikov, cutting short his latest vacation, urgently flew to Magnitogorsk for talks with Evgeni Malkin. As a result of the late-night negotiations, attended by club executives and the player and his agent, Malkin's previous contract, which had kept him with Magnitka until April 30, 2008, was annulled and a new one was signed. The Russian national team forward will spend the 2006-07 season with Metallurg, and on May 1, 2007, he will become a free agent and be able to choose a new club.

August 13, 2006: According to Reuters, citing ITAR-TASS, Magnitogorsk Metallurg forward Evgeni Malkin has left the team's camp after arriving in Finland on Saturday to participate in a preseason tournament. The forward, who celebrated his 20th birthday two weeks ago, departed for an unknown location, taking his documents and personal belongings with him. News agencies were unable to obtain official comment from the club's management.

August 13, 2006: The management of Magnitogorsk Metallurg has no new information regarding Evgeni Malkin's whereabouts. His phone is not answering, and the hockey player himself has not contacted anyone. [...] Zimin ... noted that it is not surprising that Malkin allegedly defected to the NHL. Zimin emphasized that he does not intend to condemn the hockey player, but is convinced that Malkin acted dishonestly [...] In the coach's view, "as a player, he acted very unmanly" and should have defended his position to the end.

August 13, 2006: Pavel Bure said he understands Evgeni Malkin's desire to play in the world's strongest hockey league, but is very surprised by the player's actions. "There's no point in doing that now, because we live in a democratic country, and he didn't have to sign a contract with us. Now you can easily go wherever you want," the general manager of the Russian Olympic team noted.

August 14, 2006: "My son simply lost his temper; his nerves couldn't take it anymore," [Vladimir Malkin] said. "At the last minute, he was persuaded to stay with Magnitka, even though his mind was already set on the NHL. I understand, but I don't support him. It was a childish act! Before I can assess what happened, I need to speak with him personally."

August 14, 2006: The Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIH) announced in its official press release that it is closely monitoring the situation surrounding national team player Evgeni Malkin. [...] "The RHF is confident that Evgeni Malkin can have a vibrant, action-packed, and highly beneficial season in Russia—for himself, Metallurg, and the Russian national team. However, on Saturday, it became clear that the player had left his club. To understand all the details of this event, it is necessary to hear from all parties involved. Evgeni Malkin has not yet been contacted, and his whereabouts are unknown."

August 14, 2006: "Zhenya really wanted to go to the NHL and was tormented by the thought that refusing to play for the Penguins would damage his reputation in America. If not for Viktor Rashnikov's personal request, he wouldn't have signed that contract," Natalia Malkina said, referring to the contract with Magnitogorsk's Metallurg.

August 15, 2006: Where to look for Malkin? [...] the hockey player's subsequent actions shouldn't be surprising. Having waited until his first trip abroad with the club and received his passport with a Canadian visa for the occasion (until then, it had been kept in Velichkin's desk—another "argument"), Malkin immediately gained freedom in the most accessible way at the time. (NB: this whole article is very long, it's an opinion piece and it's a bit crazy, but it's really interesting culturally, discussing that metallurg dealt with geno in a 'soviet' way and he responded in kind.)

August 17, 2006: The fax containing Evgeni Malkin's resignation letter sent to the Magnitogorsk Metallurg office is a crude forgery [...] "You don't have to be a handwriting expert to immediately recognize that the document wasn't written by Malkin, but in a feminine, overly calligraphic handwriting. Moreover, judging by the Old Church Slavonic, it was clearly written by an émigré. But most importantly, the signature is illegible." [...] "The lawyer told me he had no right to attach this 'worthless piece of paper' to his personal file, and after our conversation, he simply tossed this crude forgery in the trash."

August 19, 2006: Werner, according to the newspaper, acknowledged his involvement in the matter but denied doing anything illegal. Malkin, he claimed, needed to hide in Helsinki for a while, and Barry relied on Werner for this. "It all went very quickly," Peter Werner said in an interview. "Luckily, I have the right contacts, so we were able to quickly rent an apartment for a few days. We also agreed to work with a security company." Malkin lived in this apartment with Barry while the latter was applying for an American visa at the US Embassy in Helsinki, reports SE correspondent Marat ZUBKO.

September 4, 2006: Malkin's agents, Barry and Brisson, are expected to begin negotiations immediately after the weekend. The discussions are expected to be short, and a standard entry-level contract will serve as the basis. "Malkin has been ready to play at the NHL level for quite some time. Now Barry and I must enter into negotiations with Pittsburgh so Evgeni can play," Brisson said in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

September 5, 2006: Russian national team forward Evgeni Malkin, selected second overall in the 2004 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, signed a contract with the club on Tuesday, RIA Novosti reports, citing the Penguins' official website.

September 5, 2006: According to Velichkin, two "alternative options" are possible: "Either the NHL understands that Evgeni cannot play for any club other than Metallurg this season and returns him to Magnitogorsk, or it begins negotiations with us to assign his contract," he noted.

September 6, 2006: "There are regulations according to which a hockey player can be disqualified and banned from playing in the Russian championship for such violations. However, this disqualification does not apply to the national team," Tretiak stated. "The Russian Ice Hockey Federation wants changes to labor laws. This will prevent a situation where, in the middle of the season, a player who is being counted on resigns and leaves."

September 15, 2006: The Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIH) Arbitration Court has banned Evgeni Malkin from playing for any club other than Magnitogorsk Metallurg, RIA Novosti reports. [...] Malkin's representatives did not appear at the arbitration hearing, despite having been notified in advance of the date.