Nail Yakupov: International Ping-Pong Ball (Part 2- Volley)

Yakupov sporting the Neftekhimik
uniform (photo from photo.khl.ru)

 Nail Yakupov, the Edmonton Oilers' 1st overall selection at the most recent NHL Entry Draft, will be permitted to play with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, after all.

 A few days ago, the IIHF ruled that Yakupov's tranfer card was invalid, because as a player of major junior eligibility, Hockey Canada had never approved of said transer to send him overseas. Yakupov was thought to be headed back to play for the OHL's Sarnia Sting for the remainder of the NHL lockout as a result of the IIHF's ruling, but after some slight coaxing from his agent, legend Igor Larionov, Hockey Canada approved of Yakupov's transfer on Saturday, making him eligible for KHL competition.

 Neftekhimik and Russia Hockey were both threatened with hefty fines by the IIHF if Yakupov were to continue to play with the invalid transfer card, but all parties involved can now rest easy and not worry about repercussions of the offensively gifted Yakupov's participation in KHL competition.

 Yakupov is not expected to dress in Neftekhimik's next game on Monday against Dynamo Minsk.

Nail Yakupov: International Ping-Pong Ball

 Nail Yakupov better have a sweet frequent flyer agreement with his airline provider, because he has been getting bounced around between different countries far more than the average 18-year-old. Earlier today, the International Ice Hockey Federation ruled that because of Nail Yakupov's current major junior eligibility in North America, Hockey Canada never officially approving his departure, and several other technicalities, his transfer card to play for HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the Kontinental Hockey League is invalid. The IIHF subsequently fined Russia Hockey, a light slap on the wrists really, but then proceeded to threaten Neftekhimik and Hockey Russia with greater sanctions if Yakupov were to continue playing in the KHL. So what does this mean for the Edmonton Oilers' 1st overall selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft? It means he could end up being the first player in hockey history to play in the KHL, CHL, and NHL in one season.

CHL Games to Watch

The lockout doesn't mean you have to stop watching hockey

 With the NHL locked out for the foreseeable future, most fans are probably already sifting through YouTube highlight reels of their favorite players in an attempt to hold them over until the League and the Players' Association stop bickering and get back to playing puck. Though just about everyone can be endlessly entertained by Pavel Datsyuk shooutout highlights or Jonathan Toews making playoff heroics look easy, any hockey fan knows that the void left by an absence of live action ice hockey is not easily filled. Well, it turns out that just because the NHL has temporarily stopped its operations, doesn't mean hockey has stopped being played all over the world! The KHL regular season is already underway, and the top three major junior leagues in the world that make up the CHL will begin their seasons soon. Here's a list of match-ups in the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL that hockey fans will want to check out over the next month if they need to get their fix.

Shane Doan Deal DONE



(Getty Images)

 The summer-long saga of Shane Doan's stint in unrestricted free agency has reportedly come to an end, and it concludes with him sporting a familiar sweater. Sarah McLellan, sports writer for the Arizona Republic, reported today that the Coyotes' long-time captain has a deal in place that will keep him in the desert. The pen has not come to paper yet, though. Apparently, Doan will wait until Greg Jamison's purchase of the Phoenix Coyotes is finalized before he inks his new deal with the team. Jamison has spent the majority of the summer trying to convince the city of Glendale to hand over the reins to the franchise and securing the investors necessary to do so. The billionaire supposedly has these resources at his aid now, and Glendale City Council is expected to approve his purchase of the team. Very few details of the contract have been released thus far, but McLellan has also tweeted that Doan alluded to a "long term" deal, something the aging veteran was looking for from suitors attempting to lure him away from Phoenix. Doan was contacted by many teams interested in his services over the course of the free agency period, with the most notable squads being Vancouver, Los Angeles, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Buffalo.
 Though we can only speculate what digits will be printed on Shane Doan's paycheck at this point, we can feel safe in saying that this new contract will all but guarantee that he will retire a Coyote.

Follow Sarah McLellan on Twitter for updates as the details of

the Doan situation continue to unfold: @azc_mclellan