NHL team signing an Euro-player -- in January?

Kekkonen · Post by **Kekkonen** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 3:21 pm

I downloaded the unfaking database and started my first-ever Finnish league game. In January, I noticed that the Rangers were talking to a defenseman of mine , Hannu Pikkarainen (an undrafted 23-year-old who was on the 1st year of a 2-year contract with an NHL release clause). Mr. Pikkarainen agrees to the contract, and the next thing I know, he's taken from my roster to the Rangers' AHL affiliate in Hartford. How did that just happen? The international transfer window doesn't start until June. And why does HPK Hämeenlinna get to keep Ville Leino, who was signed by the Pens only two days later, until the end of the season?

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:44 pm

I don't know if it makes a difference but has Pikkarainen ever playing in North America before that? Maybe he doesn't have to wait for the transfer window if he's not considered a prospect? I don't know. That just sounds very odd. Sorry I'm not any real help with this one.

Kekkonen · Post by **Kekkonen** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:58 pm

AFAIK if a player has signed with an European team, there should be no moving across the Atlantic until the transfer window opens. The player's nationality, age, history, or status shouldn't affect this one way or the other.

Post by **batdad** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:02 pm

Weird stuff for sure. Not sure how that happened, never heard of it before..

Post by **Shadd666** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:23 pm

I had this once too when i played with Frölunda. I think it's a game issue that occurs pretty rarely. Nothing to do about it. Sad but true

puckman16 · Post by **puckman16** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:30 pm

Seen this happen on occasion too. Got Mikko Jokela to jump to the Pens outside the window, lost Stanislav Chistov from Magnitogorosk to the Ducks early in my season too.

Kekkonen · Post by **Kekkonen** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:48 am

Shadd666 wrote:I had this once too when i played with Frölunda. I think it's a game issue that occurs pretty rarely. Nothing to do about it. Sad but true

OK. Too bad; however, as long as it's a rare issue, I can live with it. I'll just tell myself that the Rangers' high-prized lawyers found some loophole in the transfer agreement.

Post by **Shadd666** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:52 am

kekkonen wrote:I'll just tell myself that the Rangers' high-prized lawyers found some loophole in the transfer agreement.

Heh heh, that's the best way to live with those little issues

Kekkonen · Post by **Kekkonen** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:11 am

BTW, I hadn't touched EHM all summer, but playing in the SM-liiga has really breathed new life into this game. It's a very different experience all around. Totally different economics, and managing in a league where you have very emotions towards many of the teams makes it very, very different from managing an NHL team.

Kekkonen · Post by **Kekkonen** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:52 am

Duh... why do I always hit the 'quote' button when I'm looking for 'edit'?

Post by **Tasku** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:13 pm

True. And a coulpe of weeks later you can start all over again, with updated rosters.

Or atleast I will, and it will be so cool to see the right players in the right teams again.

Systemfel · Post by **Systemfel** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:22 am

The same Adam Oates seems to be happening to a few RFA's that are playing in Europe. Sean Bergenheim is one of them. I tried posting this at SI's forums (twice), but no one bothered to reply.

Post by **Shadd666** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 12:16 pm

I had it with Bergenheim too (wasn't remembering his name last time i posted). However, maybe it has to deal with the fact he is a RFA, i dunno

And if noone answers on the SI boards, it's maybe because they just can't do anything about that...

Kekkonen · Post by **Kekkonen** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:01 pm

Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that in the NHL game as the Wild that I still have on my HD, I also once got someone from Europe mid-season. (And I mean mid-season, not at the end of April when many European contracts run out.) I don't remember who it was or from what league, though.

Post by **vilifyingforce** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 12:53 am

I've seen this before as well, I signed Chubarov I think, and he's an RFA as well...not sure how though...