Fun in the Sun

Malkin surfaces in L.A. as...

The hockey star who came in from the cold

LOS ANGELES (CP) Star forward Evgeni Malkin surfaced in Los Angeles on Thursday and skated with some NHLers after an anxious four days of intrigue reminiscent of Cold War-era player defections.

Pat Brisson, who represents the Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick along with J.P. Barry, said Malkin arrived in L.A. on Wednesday after sneaking away from his Russian league team Saturday once he obtained his passport and hiding out with Barry in Helsinki, Finland while awaiting a visa.

"In Russia they're using the word defection," Brisson told The Canadian Press from Los Angeles. "He hasn't done anything wrong.

"He's not defecting. Basically he said, 'It's my right, this is what I'm doing."'

Malkin's stint on the ice with players like Rob Blake, Glen Murray, Chris Drury and Anson Carter was a welcome relief for the 20-year-old, caught in a tug of war between his Russian Super League club, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and the Pittsburgh Penguins[...]

The key question before them is when the letter of resignation Malkin filed Monday with Metallurg Magnitogorsk terminating his contract takes effect. Russian law permits an employee - even an athlete under contract - to leave his job by giving two weeks' written notice[...]

The NHL has not publicly stated its support for Malkin and his desire to play in the league, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly has said the league believes any player should have the right to choose where he wants to play as long as he is legally free to do so.

WOW!!! In Russian even if your under contract, a employee, even a professional athlete, can simply give two weeks notice and... presto ...your free. You basically can tell the boss to... "take this job and shove it" ...to coin a phrase. Now that's pretty damn coool... and pretty damn ironic, considering Russian workers seem to have freedoms unheard of here... and we have the nerve here to say that we're the home of the free. But I digress. Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, if that's the case it seems pretty cut and dry. So, get ready for the Sid and Evgeni show. WOOHOO!!!

Here's a little promo video the excited folks in Pittsburgh put together in anticipation...



...and excited they should be.

Should be very interesting... I can hardly wait.