If Nail Yakupov’s take is any indication, the IIHF’s issues with his transfer eligibilty will merely place his KHL stint on hold.
Dmitry Chesnokov provides a handy translation of Yakupov’s optimistic Tweet.
"Everything will be worked out in the near future & I will once again continue to play for my hometown club Neftekhimik." @Nail10_1993 tweet
— Dmitry Chesnokov (@dchesnokov) September 26, 2012
This earlier post indicates that the Edmonton Oilers are fine with Yakupov playing in the KHL and that they merely “assigned” him to return to the OHL’s Sarnia Sting for paperwork reasons.
Still, Katie Strang caught up with CHL commissioner David Branch, who said that he hadn’t heard anything from the IIHF or Hockey Canada about Yakupov.
While it looks like Yakupov will return to the KHL sooner or later, the IIHF might be using this situation to prove that it will go the extra mile to make sure that both leagues honor contracts.
In case you’re wondering, Yakupov went pointless and had a -1 rating in the two KHL games he played so far.