we need to resolve the issue with the businessmen who drag young hockey players abroad – Kommersant

President Vladimir Putin during meetings The Council for Physical Education and Sports instructed the Ministry of Sports and the Russian Hockey Federation (RHF) to pay attention to the activities of hockey agents luring Russian juniors abroad. In particular, the president proposed developing a legal framework for the activities of hockey agents.

“You and the specialists from the Ministry of Sports, and I have already spoken about this many times, need to understand what we should do with the hockey businessmen who select children from sports schools and drag them abroad,” said Vladimir Putin, addressing the President of the Russian Hockey Federation Vladislav Tretyak (quote from Interfax).

Mr. Putin noted that “we have a free country,” “every person makes his own choice,” and this should not be interfered with. “But it is also clear that this is a business, and business is not always regulated and not always noble,” the president added.

Vladimir Putin also said that the authorities are not active enough in this matter. He suggested working on the legal framework, as well as on “guarantees both for the state and for the participants in this activity.” “There’s a lot of dependence there, there’s a lot of money floating around, and it’s causing obvious damage to us,” the president said.

April 2022 edition “Sport Express” wrote that about 400 Russians play hockey abroad. Among them, 126 people are in the USA, 40 are in the NHL, and 62 hockey players play in the leading leagues of Europe. According to the portal Sports.ruin the 2023/24 season, about 90 Russians participated in NHL matches.

Read more about the “Russian component” in the new NHL season in the Kommersant article. “League with Questions”.