Zhafyarov and Evseev demanded to terminate their contracts with HC Ak Bars – Kommersant

Hockey players Damir Zhafyarov and Nikita Evseev demanded that the disciplinary committee of the Continental Hockey League (KHL) terminate their contracts with Ak Bars due to discrimination by the coach, reported TASS athlete agent Shumi Babaev.

According to (.pdf) according to the KHL regulations, a hockey player can early terminate a contract with a hockey club (HC) based on an appeal to the disciplinary committee in connection with non-payment of wages to the athlete for more than two months, sports discrimination or other cases of gross violation of the contract by the HC.

Shumi Babaev said “Sport Express”that the players turned to the disciplinary committee because they were not allowed to play at the club. According to him, for a long time he tried to come to an agreement with Ak Bars so that hockey players could do what they love.

The agent stated that other clubs were ready to pay substantial compensation for Zhafyarov and Evseev, but the Ak Bars coaching staff, led by Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, is extremely biased towards the players and does not let them go anywhere. At the same time, he emphasized that he has no complaints against the management of the Kazan club and “everything rests on one person.” According to Shumi Babaev, if the KHL sides with Ak Bars, Evseev will have to terminate the contract of his own free will and go to North America, and Zhafyarov will remain with the team until the end of the season.

In a statement published on website “Ak Bars” in connection with information about the players’ appeal to the disciplinary committee, it is said that the club did not receive relevant appeals either from Zhafyarov or from the KHL. At the same time, Ak Bars did not comment on the information about the presence of requests from the Kazan club regarding Evseev.

Ak Bars stated that they do not consider it possible to comment on unconfirmed publications in the media and generally accompany the proceedings until they are completed. The club emphasized that it fully trusts head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov. Ak Bars reported that Evseev, in accordance with a bilateral contract, was sent to the Almetyevsk club of the All-Russian Hockey League “Neftyanik”, and Zhafyarov is recovering from an injury. The hockey club is making great efforts on its part to find a new team for Damir Zhafyarov on conditions that are comfortable for everyone, the statement says.

The KHL press service reported RBC, which does not have the right to comment on requests to terminate hockey players’ contracts because they appealed to an independent body – the disciplinary committee. The league noted that the concept of “sports discrimination” is not specified in the KHL legal regulations, therefore each such case must be considered individually.

Erdni Kagaltynov