KHL condemns player for betraying the league

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Axel Williams
October 18, 2024 (9:22 PM)

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Sochi HC player Michal Kristof is currently under fire from the KHL after reportedly breaching his contract by playing for Langnau of the pro league in Switzerland.

In the KHL, it stipulates that if you are under contract, you cannot go and play in another league. The IIHF has made these rules clear that regardless of whether or not a league is a member of the IIHF, its rules must be respected by other IIHF members.

" The IIHF's international transfer regulations state that all IIHF members, their leagues and clubs must respect valid player contracts playing for all organizations, regardless of whether they are IIHF members (section 8.1 of the IIHF transfer regulations). Thus, all IIHF members - leagues and clubs - must respect player contracts with the KHL, even though the KHL is not an IIHF member."

The KHL is laying blame on Langnau for ignoring the KHL rules, while also putting some of the blame on the IIHF itself.

"The IIHF's decision to permit the transfer puts clubs in the Swiss championship and the protection of their players' contracts at risk. The practice of violating contracts can work both ways."

Of course, the KHL recently withdrew as a member of the IIHF, in retaliation for Russian and Belarussian athletes being banned from Olympic competition. Relations are not good right now, and it could take some time before they are fully repaired.

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