The NHL and KHL in Jiri Hudler Contract Dispute

Detroit Red Wing Jiri Hudler signed a two year contract with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL, a hockey league in Russia, on July 8, but the Red Wings are contesting the contract as they say Hudler is still the property of the Detroit Red Wings. The NHL club says that Hudler still has one year remaining on his current contract.

The NHL has approached both the International Ice Hockey Federation and the KHL, seeking their intervention. According to the NHL, Hudler is contractually obligated to the Red Wings for next season.

Hudler, who was a restricted free agent, recently filed for salary arbitration, which in the eyes of the NHL is acknowledgement of his intent to play in the league again next year.

Szymon Szemberg, Communications Director for the International Ice Hockey Federation told Canadian media sources that the IIHF is fully involved in the dispute. 

“The IIHF has been informed by the NHL about the Jiri Hudler case. Upon this, the IIHF has informed the Russian Ice Hockey Federation about the NHL’s position and the case is under investigation. As this is a transfer to an IIHF member league the player will be needing an International Transfer Card (ITC), approved by the IIHF, to complete the transfer. Only upon the IIHF’s signing the ITC, the transfer would be finalized and approved,” Szemberg said.

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