Russian Club Claims Malkin’s Resignation Letter Illegal

Russian Club Says Malkin’s Letter Of Resignation Illegal

Russian hockey club Metallurg Magnitogorsk General Dir Gennady Velichkin told the Russian media Friday that the resignation letter of Evgeni Malkin, who left the team last week to join the Penguins, was “unreadable and therefore illegal,” according to Allan Maki of the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL. Velichkin said, “My lawyers told me that the (fax) copy was not good. Several lines in it are not readable.” Velichkin added, “Even if we might assume that Malkin decided to ask for employment termination, then this has to be done legally correct. According to the law, Evgeni still has to work at least two full weeks, but he has been absent for five days already.” CAA’s J.P. Barry, one of Malkin’s agents, said that he “was consulting with lawyers versed in American and Russian law to ensure Malkin will be playing in the [NHL] next season.” The Russian Hockey Digest Web site reported Velichkin “had been given permission to spend Malkin’s salary [more than US$1M] for legal costs” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 8/19).

COLD FEET: Malkin on Friday made his first public statements through his agents and an interpreter, and he said that he “second-guessed himself just hours after he signed a new contract with [Metallurg] two weeks ago.” Malkin said that he wanted to play for the Penguins and that he “was advised by [Barry] not to sign a reworked deal with [Metallurg]. But, when team officials came to his house two weeks ago and with his parents present, he signed a one-year deal at 3 a.m. after what was described as nonstop pressure.” While denying any specific physical threats were given, he said that Velichkin “applied psychological pressure because the team wanted his services for another year.” Malkin added that he was told last year he “would be free to go to the Penguins, but he felt he was being used as leverage by Velichkin to produce better terms” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 8/19).