With the opening of training camps, several KHL clubs have lost their legionnaires at once. It seemed that the problem with attracting foreign hockey players to the domestic league had already been resolved. Legionnaires signed contracts and promised to spend the next season in Russia.

There was, of course, a strange story with Miks Indrashis, who first signed a contract with Spartak, and then said that he had never communicated with the Moscow club. In general, before the start of the pre-season, the clubs already knew which of the legionnaires would play next season.

However, today it became clear that there are still problems. Immediately three foreign hockey players terminated contracts with Russian clubs. And if the reasons for the refusal of two hockey players are known – the advice of the father and the threat to the family, then one more player simply does not get in touch.

Has a new wave of exodus of legionnaires begun?

“I was not ready to go to Russia”

Vityaz will soon have to remove the locker with the name of Canadian Daniel Odette from the locker room. Although the striker has already managed to play last season for the Moscow Region club and become 15th in the list of the league’s top scorers. According to the results of the season that ended ahead of schedule, Vityaz did not get into the playoffs and Odette signed a new agreement with the club the following year. At the same time, the Canadian became the first foreigner to sign a contract with a KHL club this offseason. Odette assured that nothing unforeseen would happen, and he would honestly fulfill his obligations to the club.

The courage of the Canadian to play in Russia should have been a kind of impetus for other legionnaires, who would also not be afraid to leave for the KHL or return to the location of Russian clubs.

However, during the holidays, Odette went home to Quebec, where he soon decided to part with the Vityaz. At the same time, as La Presse notes, his family influenced the choice of the Canadian. Including his father, Donald Odette, who works as a Montreal scout.

The hockey player himself made a neat statement.

– I was not ready to go to Russia, and … this year I could not see any of my family members. They couldn’t visit me. I don’t want to get politically involved in anything. It was easy for me to do the right thing for my family to see everyone. As such, I have nothing against Russia and the league — Daniel Odette commented on his decision.

The Canadian did not even rule out the possibility of returning to the club near Moscow. And, perhaps, if he does not find himself a new team, then it will happen. Yet legionnaires often change their minds.

“Threats to life for him and his family”

The fans of Neftekhimik were also upset today when they found out that the club terminated the contract with the Czech hockey player Lukas Klok. The defender had a great season for the Nizhnekamsk club – he became the team’s second scorer and scored 31 (5+26) points in 44 matches. The loss of the best attacking defensive player will greatly affect the potential of the team.

Klok also signed a contract after the end of the season and was supposed to spend two more years at Neftekhimik. During the holidays, he talked with the director of the club and made it clear that he wanted to continue playing in Russia. However, under public pressure, Klock decided not to return to the KHL. Igor Larionov, director of Neftekhimik, says this with regret.

– At home, Lukash and his family were under strong psychological pressure. Together with him, until the last, we hoped that everything would be settled, calmed down. But, unfortunately, pressure on him, including threats to his life and his family, does not stop to this day. In the current situation, the safety of the hockey player and his family is more important, Igor Larionov said.

Lukash’s story is strongly reminiscent of the situation around Indras, who also had to face pressure at home. But only if Indrashis began to say that he knew nothing about Spartak, then Klok constantly talked with his club and came to an understanding. Neftekhimik made it clear that he would be waiting for the defender.

Another defector was Traktor defender Nick Bailen. And if in previous cases the motives are at least clear, then in Chelyabinsk they simply do not know where Bailen is, he simply disappeared. Traktor suffers the most from this loss – four foreigners have already left the club lately. Baylen, on the other hand, was completely trusted by the coaching staff, and the player himself almost never left the ice.

Thus, the league in just one day immediately lost three legionnaires. Now this story may affect other foreign hockey players, and clubs may lose players they are already counting on. However, if all these imported athletes return soon, then this will not be surprising either.