Thread: KHL Rule for NHL Lockout: Max. 3 Players per Team

Yesterday, the KHL issued a rule regarding the NHL lockout. A KHL team will only be allowed to accept 3 players with NHL contracts during an NHL lockout. Because there are 26 KHL teams, this means no more than 78 NHL players will be able to play in the KHL during an NHL lockout.

For Russia-based KHL teams, there's an additional rule where only 1 of the 3 permitted NHL players on a KHL roster can be a foreigner (non-Russian player), and he must meet additional criteria to ensure he is a high-quality NHL player, not just anyone.

The Swedish league reportedly went even further, forbidding any NHL player from joining the Swedish league unless they commit for the entire season, lockout or not.

This all seems very different and much stricter on the part of Europe compared to the previous 2004/5 lockout, when European teams were swamped over by displaced NHL players.

Even less leverage now for the NHL'ers

Yup. There are 20 Russian KHL teams, so there are only 20 spots for non-Russian NHL players on them. The remaining 6 KHL teams could, combined, offer up to 18 more spots, so that just 38 non-Russian NHL players in total would be allowed to join the KHL during the lockout.

The first to sign KHL contracts are reportedly Malkin and Gonchar, both expected to sign for Magnitogorsk on Sunday and to play their first KHL game at the first opportunity, which is next Thursday. They would then join the team in its 5th game of the new KHL season.