Some of the charges were dropped from the scandalous Galchenyuk. Will he come to Russia now?
Aug 22, 2023 10:30 am UTC Audio Version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
There is no demand for Alex in the NHL, and getting to the KHL is still very difficult.
The scandalous story, in the center of which Alex Galchenyuk turned out, is coming to an end, and quite unexpectedly. The US court acquitted the attacker of charges on five of the six charges filed against him. The sentence was reduced to 30 days in prison, 27 of which would be overturned if Galchenyuk completed an alcoholism recovery program and went a year without drinking alcohol.
In July, Alex publicly apologized to the police and announced that he would participate in the assistance program.
On July 9, Galchenyuk was arrested on charges of assault on private property, vandalism, disobedience, resisting arrest, threats, and accident. The hockey player was sent to prison, but was soon released on bail.
Related Materials
“He referred to the connections in Moscow.” Details of the scandalous case of Galchenyuk in the hockey results of the day
Shortly before the incident, Galchenyuk signed a contract with Arizona, but after the incident, the club took advantage of the relevant clause in the contract and unilaterally terminated it. In addition to that, the Royal Bank of Canada sued Galchenyuk for non-payment of a loan in the amount of 400 thousand local dollars.
On July 24, the Winners hockey agency announced that it would represent the interests of the American hockey player in the KHL. “Together with Alex, we made a decision on cooperation in the KHL jurisdiction. To date, there are no comments regarding the use of it. We need time. This is a high-quality striker who will add creativity and skill to any team in the league,” Yury Nikolaev, an agent, told Championship.
What offers are still worth waiting for?
Where will Prokhorkin end up and who will sign Pulkkinen. The most anticipated offers in the KHL
The agency arranged a poll on its Telegram channel, listing the options the hockey player could go to: SKA, Spartak, Dynamo Moscow, Lokomotiv or Avangard. At the same time, there were rumors that the player could end up in Salavat Yulaev.
It seems that Alex’s candidacy was rejected by Avangard. “As for Galchenyuk… Look, the future of him is unknown, so this is not a serious conversation,” Anton Kuryanov said last week.
Interview with the general manager of Avangard:
Exclusive
“It was hard to get into everything. But I’m not afraid.” First interview with Avangard’s general manager
Now that the future is clear, it would be easier for Avangard to make plans for the hockey player, but the train has already left: shortly after Korban Knight’s departure, Omsk residents signed an agreement with Ryan Spooner; Thus, the third legionary vacancy in the team was closed again.
There are no places for foreigners at Dynamo either. Experts believe that Galchenyuk should not be expected at Spartak: the rojiblancos hope to find a defender abroad. SKA is under salary cap pressure, but when did this stop the army team from making new transfers? Recently, St. Petersburg was considered the favorite in the fight for the player.
On August 14, Nikolaev confirmed that Galchenyuk was looking for employment opportunities in Russia: “In fact, there are several KHL clubs interested in Alex’s services. Now we are in the negotiation process. Western or Eastern Conference clubs? I would not like to discuss this topic now.
Alex Galchenyuk
Photo: www.nhl.com
It is curious how the court decision will change Galchenyuk’s tactics. On the one hand, the KHL now understands that the athlete managed to avoid serious punishment. On the other hand, moving him to Russia still seems like a complicated undertaking. Logically, if Alex is going to go to rehab, does he have to be in North America?
If this requirement is actually stated in the court verdict, then the player is more likely to end up in the AHL than the KHL. The issue of returning to the NHL theoretically also has a solution, but a very difficult one. Alex’s stats and condition have been deteriorating in recent years: In 2019, he bottomed out in Pittsburgh and couldn’t push. In the previous season, Galchenyuk was only allowed up to 11 games in Colorado. The bleakest club in the league, Arizona, gave Alex one last chance, and it’s clear he didn’t take it. There are no other similar team sponsors in the league, and it’s hard to imagine anyone at least interested in Galchenyuk’s services.
