vinism

Looks like Evgeni Malkin meant it when he said he wanted to play in the NHL this year. He's disappeared from Metallurg's training camp in Finland and is nowhere to be found ... yet. His Russian coaches clearly expect him to show up next in a Pittsburgh jersey (never mind the fact that he signed a new contract with Metallurg last week). And Metallurg Director Gennady Velichkin is pissed off about it. "They all like to talk about democracy, the American way and then they shamelessly steal our best players. This is pure sports terrorism," said the bitter Velichkin. And who can blame him. Malkin was the crown jewel of his organization and a budding international superstar. Now there's no Malkin and probably no whiff at anything beyond the standard $200,000 transfer fee. We'll see what Malkin has to say when he resurfaces.