In the KHL, they will definitely reduce the limit on foreign players. This FHR decision will throw Russian hockey back

Daria Tuboltseva KHL clubs were not asked for opinions. The news that from next season the limit on foreign players in the KHL will be tightened was met with a frighteningly casual. The Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Oleg Matytsin on Friday, November 19, said that the decision to reduce the limit on legionnaires in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) would be made in 2023. “Our position is the most balanced, there are reasons from the Russian Hockey Federation to reduce the number legionnaires. The decision on the three legionnaires has been formalized, it will be next year, ”TASS quoted Matytsin as saying. And that’s it. After the statement of the Minister of Sports, no one spoke to the press and said that they did not agree that legionnaires were needed, that the clubs were against such a decision. It is not accepted, it is not supposed to speak out, there is no point. If in the spring, when the Russian Ice Hockey Federation had just come up with a proposal to reduce the number of foreigners in the league from 5 to 3, it seemed that some kind of discussion was possible. KHL President Alexei Morozov made it clear that the league does not want to go on a reduction. In a recent survey of general managers from Sport-Express, only one person spoke in favor of reducing the limit to three, all the rest supported either maintaining or even easing. But the decision was made not to hear them. Although, of course, a unique case: to impose rules that should help (however, it is not explained how) people and teams that do not need it. At the same time, do not even ask their opinion. Colleagues have already drawn attention to the important problem of Russian hockey. I can’t help but mention her. In Russian hockey there is not even a semblance of public discussion. By the way, there are no discussions within the FHR either. Federation President Vladislav Tretyak and First Vice President Roman Rotenberg do not consider it necessary to explain why it is necessary to reduce the limit on legionnaires, and this initiative came from the federation. “Reducing the limit on foreign players is the right decision. Who needs the Swedes and Finns who leave in the middle of the playoffs? Thanks to those who stayed, but staying is one thing, but catching the puck on yourself and surrendering to the game is another,” Roman Rotenberg said at the end of April about the situation in SKA. “Today we do not need foreign players. We have a lot of young guys,” he said before the start of the 2022/23 season. After Alex Grant was put on the refusal list, there were no foreigners left in the St. Petersburg club. “We have always fought for the limit, and today everything came to the point that many players from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden, Finland left. Therefore, I have always believed that each team should have three strong foreign players, rather than five weak ones. Because, as a rule, coaches who invite foreigners believe that we are indebted to legionnaires. They are given privileges, ”and this is what Vladislav Tretyak said.Maxim Shmakov, photo.khl.ruAnd no one has made a single argument with numbers and evidence that five legionnaires is bad. Why is it necessary to have three strong foreigners and not five? Where is the research on this? How to determine a strong legionnaire or a weak one? Matt Jurasik last year played in the East Coast (America’s third-best league) and now has a 93% save percentage for Kunlun. Is he weak or strong? Adopting rules that will fundamentally change the transfer policy of KHL clubs, based on value judgments, is at least not serious. And this rule will make a big difference. “Admiral”, most likely, next year will no longer be able to become a sensational team. Leonid Tambiev now has five foreigners, four of them are in the top 5 scorers of the team. The salaries of Russian players will skyrocket unjustifiably. By the way, why is no one talking about the level of Russians? That is, there should be no weak foreigners in the KHL, but weak Russians are allowed? The reduction of the limit is presented under the guise of youth development. This is generally a favorite argument of the federation, which, however, does more to ensure that these young people either leave or regress. And, apparently, the federation does not know that any greenhouse conditions slow down progress. And they don’t know that there are simply no such a number of young people ready for the KHL in Russia, and the top juniors are gathered only in a few clubs.ska.ruThe coach, who previously worked in the Swiss championship, told in a private conversation how he was surprised by the state of affairs in the local championship. There, more than 4 foreigners cannot be entered in the application for the match. What did it lead to? To the fact that the Swiss players feel very comfortable, do not strain, do not overwork, because they understand that they will still be in the squad/find a job in another club. And this will definitely affect Russia. The saddest thing is that the poorest and middle-sized clubs will suffer the most. “Vityaz”, “Amur”, “Admiral”, “Siberia”. The regions will suffer, from which young people will be pulled out with even greater zeal. Which will eventually affect the big clubs that can play without foreigners at all, as the level will drop. Unfortunately, in Russian hockey it’s every man for himself. There is no unity, no desire to hear a different opinion, no desire to do good for everyone. I sincerely do not understand why the Russian Hockey Federation believes that it knows better than the KHL itself how to develop the league. What, by the way, has the federation achieved in recent years? Did you win the Olympics in Korea without NHLers four and a half years ago? Can you name all the countries that played at the World Cup? Pass this test for the 2022 World Cup and get a bonus! You can tryLight!