Top Prospect Sneaks Out Of Russia

The Cold War is over, so it isn't quite accurate to say that Nikolai Zherdev "defected" from Russia this week to join the Columbus Blue Jackets. But that's what it sure sounds like. The skullduggery surrounding his arrival in North America likely means a further straining of relations between the NHL and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation.

Zherdev, the number-four pick in last summer's NHL Entry Draft, skipped the country on Sunday. He is now in Columbus, ready to begin his career with the Blue Jackets.

But the International Ice Hockey Federation has not approved his move to the NHL, and the Russians say Zherdev has yet to fulfil his compulsory military service.

According to a report at ESPN.com, the Blue Jackets have paid the appropriate transfer fee to release Zherdev from his Russian team. The report suggests that "military service" is often little more than an excuse used by Russian teams to prevent players from moving to North America.

The controversy comes just as one of the simmering issues in international hockey is about to re-open: How much compensation should a European team receive when it loses a player to the NHL? The current agreement, which includes a schedule of transfer payments, expires at the end of this season.

Damian Cox, a columnist at the Toronto Star, says Russia may opt out of any future transfer agreement. The most sought after hockey prospect in years, Alexander Ovechkin, is eligible for the 2004 NHL Draft. Cox suggests the Russian Federation could negotiate million-dollar prices for the release of major stars like Ovechkin. So why would they agree to the modest fees set out in an international agreemnt?

Update: The IIHF reports that the Zherdev case will likely end up in arbitration.