Hockey Canada announced early Saturday morning, via TSN’s Darren Dreger, that they will sign the transfer card of Edmonton Oilers forward Nail Yakupv, allowing him to return to action in the KHL. The IIHF had suspended Yakupov after Hockey Canada, the governing body of the game in that country, raised issue over the status of his transfer.
Nail Yakupov allowed to play in KHL after Hockey Canada clears transfer card issue
Nail Yakupov will be allowed to play in the KHL. Hockey Canada and the OHL dropped a transfer card dispute that had prevented Yakupov from continuing to play in his hometown during the NHL lockout.
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Hockey Canada had originally contended that Yakupov was not allowed to play in the KHL because his rights belonged to the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, the club which he rose to national stardom beginning in 2010. Yakupov had played two games with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the KHL before being suspended from play.
Both the OHL and Hockey Canada said that since Yakupov was only 17 years old when he signed his contract with Sarnia, and since he had no independent legal advice, that his contract with the club was invalid. Yakupov is now expected to remain in the KHL until the end of the NHL lockout, after which he’ll return to Canada and make his debut with the Oilers.
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