A revived rivalry

[grazza]

"Several NHL teams to face off against their Russian counterparts next season

According to RIA Novosti, an outlet close to the Russian government, NHL Enterprises and the Russian Federation have reached an agreement to organize contests between some of the NHL and RHL's best clubs during next season.
Although many details remain to be determined, the basic agreement has been confirmed by Russian Federation press officer Vladimir Gerasimov.

The news came from New York on June 6. The city, where NHL offices are located, was also host to the latest talks between the two parties.
This follows a series of contacts between Russian officials - now headed by recently elected Federation chairman Vladimir Tretiak - and some of the NHL's most highly ranked executives.

The initial goal of those meetings was to find a compromise on fees the NHL will have to pay over the next years to import Russian talent.
Russia refused to be part of the deal between the NHL and the IIHF on such matters, and insisted to negociate by itself.
The field of negociations has since taken a new dimension.

The IIHF has been hoping to organize its own contest, pitting winners of the Stanley Cup and the ECC, for several years.

However it remains unclear what importance and status can be granted by the North American side to this new NHL/RHL joint event.
Despite the deal being sealed on US soil, the NHL hasn't issued any definitive statement yet, and probably aims for something else.
For now, games are only presented as friendlies, and no precise formula has been evoked.
In recent memory, Sweden and Austria welcomed NHL teams for pre-season tournaments."

http://www.eurohockey.net/news/story.ht ... vedrivalry

Interesting stuff there can only see it being a pre season thing or maybe a post season thing for NHL teams that don't make the play offs. The NHL teams are better but still the RSL is the next best level and so it would be intresting to see how they compare.

[Minstrel]

That sounds really interesting, and also explains why Tretiak was sitting with Bettman at one of the recent Stanley Cup games as I know he's been in Russia full-time recently.

The Flyers are set to play in London next pre-season as well.

[AndyMan]

Would be fun if the winner of the RSL and the winner of the stanley cup had a summer series.

[grazza]

"The Flyers are set to play in London next pre-season as well."

Not London, England surely they don't even have a rink safe enough for the UK Elite League how on earth would NHL players be able to play in London.

[Minstrel]

Heh... yeah London, Ontario but of course the article title says "Flyers head to London for preseason game" They say that "The City of London has truly embraced the Flyers." Where they'll play Pitt in a preseason game this coming year.