IIHF News

By Joeri Loonen
Last Saturday and Sunday along with the 2001 IIHF Continental Cup finals, the IIHF met with the representatives of the major European ice hockey leagues to review the offer from the NHL to renew the agreement under which European ice hockey players transfer to and from the NHL.

However, given the significant increase in the number and quality of European players moving to the NHL, the meeting was of the opinion that further negotiations with the NHL are required. IIHF President René Fasel and IIHF General Secretary Jan-Ake Edvinsson will be meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to continue the discussions. The date for a meeting in New York will be confirmed within the next few days.

There are a number of open questions from the previous discussions with the NHL which require clarification. The European ice hockey leagues position was unanimous in the weekend IIHF meetings. However, it would not be appropriate to discuss these until the IIHF and NHL have met.

Russian Goalie Murdered

On Monday after the practice in Magnitogorsk, Russia, 24-year old goalkeeper of Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Serguei Zemchenok was shot to death. The killing took place in the apartment building where he lived. The police have not yet been able to arrest the killer or killers and no motive for the shooting has been announced.

Serguei Zemchenok played in Metallurg Magnitogorsk since 1994 and in the very first season he won the silver medal at the 1994 IIHF European U18 Championship in Finland representing his native Russia. He later won the European Hockey League titles in 1999 and 2000 and represented Russia in November 2000 in the international tournament in Morges, Switzerland. Serguei Zemchenok was rated as third goalkeeper in his team after Igor Karpenko from Ukraine and Paolo Della Bella from Switzerland.

This is now the second act of violence towards ice hockey personnel in Russia after the President of the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia, Valentin Sych, was shot to death in April, 1997, just days prior to the 1997 IIHF World Championship beginning.