Kovalchuk is the Thrashers captain and has been the only great player in the franchise’s short history (Marian Hossa was good, but doesn’t have Kovalchuk’s tenure with the team). He is the franchise leader in all major statistical categories including goals, assists, points, and games played. Quite frankly, Ilya Kovalchuk IS the Atlanta Thrashers. If the Thrashers trade him, what motivation is there for fans to come watch the team?

As other commentators have written, Don Waddell is in a tough spot. He has six weeks to convince Kovalchuk to sign with the team before the trade deadline. At the same time, he has to very seriously consider trading the soul of his franchise, because to lose him for nothing would be disastrous. He was in a similar situation with Marian Hossa two years ago and managed to get a decent haul for him, but so far there have been no solid offers for Kovalchuk.

One event that will have an effect on the situation is the Winter Olympics in Vancouver next month. Kovalchuk is expected to be one of the stars of the Russian team along with Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Pavel Datsyuk. A good showing from Kovalchuk means that Waddell could ask for more in return. A poor showing may end up dropping his trade stock.

If he is traded, there won’t be much left for Thrashers fans to cheer for. The team has made only one playoff appearance (2006-07 when they won the Southeast Division) and is consistently in the draft lottery. To say there isn’t much hope for hockey in Atlanta is an understatement. While NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has stated that he does not want to relocate franchises, Ilya Kovalchuk leaving Atlanta could put the Thrashers on the road to relocation.

Much more will be written on this over the next month. Kovalchuk is one of the top talents in the NHL and has achieved that status with little offensive help while in Atlanta. There have to be coaches and GMs out there salivating at the thought of pairing him with a good set up man (a reunion with Marc Savard in Boston perhaps?) Only time will tell, but it certainly seems as though Ilya Kovalchuk’s days in Atlanta are numbered.

What Will Become of Kovalchuk? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

I ended up getting a hotel room for pretty cheap in Toronto Monday night, so I was able to stay at the tournament through Tuesday. My last two days at the Classic were spent, for the most part, very much like my first two – more games to watch, more people to meet. But as the tournament progressed, I found myself more focused on building connections rather than looking for new ones. Obviously, when you spend 12+ hours a day in an ice rink for a couple days, you meet a lot of parents and see a lot of kids that catch your eye. Usually, once I form a relationship (no matter how insignificant), I do everything I can to always be around. If get an “in” with some families of a certain team with some strong skaters, I’ll make sure to be at all of that team’s games for the rest of the weekend. By always remaining visible, hopefully I’m projecting the fact that I give 110% and truly care about the work that I do. It also usually creates some interest from parents wondering “who’s that guy who’s always at the rink?” Following up on leads like this didn’t get me any new advisees now, but it’s a process and most of the teams from the Classic will also be competing at the Silver Stick tournament this coming weekend.

After the games ended Tuesday evening, I hit the road for Cleveland, Ohio. Our goalie in college (and my former roommate) lives about 45 minutes southeast of the city, so I figured that’d be a good place to stop. In case he reads this, I should also note that after our 2003-04 season, he was named the ACHA Player of the Year. He usually pretends to be embarrassed when I talk him up like this, but I know deep down he loves it. Anyway, it was nice being able to hang out with him for the day, and later that night I had to meet up with Bridget. She and I talked for a while and overall it went about as well as I could have hoped. We’re not going to be getting back together anytime soon, but I think right now it’s for the best. It’s hard not having her around because she’d been my best friend for the past two years, but with so many things in my life going well right now, I’m doing alright. Sometimes these things just need to happen.

Once I left Bridget’s house, I headed into downtown Cleveland to meet up for dinner with a friend from Ohio Northern. Oddly enough I’d been somewhat seeing this girl right before Bridg and I started dating. It was great to catch up that night, but by the time I was ready to head back to another former teammate’s place in the city, he was out for the night. At that point I was so tired of living out of my car, I did the only rational thing I could do – I decided to just suck it up and drive back home to Chicago through the night. Getting back to my house at 6am local time was hard enough…getting up three hours later for two hours of pickup hockey with some friends made me question my sanity. I guess I really do love this sport.

Somehow I was able to make it well through midnight on New Years Eve, but on New Years Day it all came crashing down. I was completely wiped out, but thankfully the NHL had the prescription I needed – the Winter Classic. Last year I was lucky enough to attend the game at Wrigley Field, so only watching on the tube was a little depressing. But when you get to watch a game like that, it’s impossible to not enjoy it.

Beginning today I’ve got a lot of work that needs to get done this week. Besides just planning my itinerary for my next trip, I’ve also got to start working on getting some of these players exposure. As I said last week, for the most part, college and major junior teams aren’t going to spend much time, if any, looking at the Bantam Major age group. The tournament in Port Huron is only for the Bantam and PeeWee levels, so I’d be shocked if many scouts were planning on being in attendance. My hope, though, is to get some college teams near the Port Huron area (e.g. University of Michigan, Michigan State, etc.) to come out for a day. In the end nothing might come from it, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to try. And at the same time, these colleges might recognize the fact that I’m trying to help them find talent for their clubs.

Since there’s a good chance no college teams will come, I’m also going to be looking for a good way to get some game film of these kids. If I can get a coach some footage of a player, maybe next tournament he’ll be interested enough to send someone to scout in person. I’ve been considering a number of options as to how I can get quality film, and tomorrow I’m going to see if bringing in a telecommunications student from the area might be a good way to go. I figure if a student wanted to get some experience working in sports, this could be an easy way for him or her to get that. At the same time, it might be the cheapest way for me to get some quality video.

Well as I said, I’ve got a busy week ahead of me so I’ve got to get to work. I hope you all had a safe and happy New Years. Next week I’ll fill you all in with the details from my weekend at Silver Stick. Until then…it’s time to hit the showers.

Rookie Duties: Marlies Classic Recap from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

IMG does not have a specific division for hockey, but it is experienced in marketing hockey players; it handled the marketing of Wayne Gretzky and Jaromir Jagr when they were in the NHL. IMG will look to expand on Ovechkin’s current endorsement portfolio which includes CCM, Energizer, Hair Cuttery, and Hockey Ink.

Ovechkin’s style of play on the ice and personality off the ice provide the foundation for incredible potential in product endorsements. On the ice, Ovechkin has scored some of the most impressive highlight-reel goals in the history of the game and still has energy to make the huge hits that hockey fans love to see. Off the ice, his personality is on display in interviews showcasing his contagious smile (interview starts at 2:00), love for the fun of the game, and pre-game antics which include racing a utility cart around the arena. The city of Washington D.C. fell in love with Ovechkin over the past couple years and it shows in ticket sales- the Capitals sold out all 12,000 season tickets this year.

What role did Ovechkin’s agent play in acquiring this marketing deal with IMG? Ovechkin’s representation is a roundtable that consists of his father, mother, financial adviser George Landa, and attorney Stephen Screnci. All decisions involving Ovechkin’s career are made collectively by that group. It would definitely be interesting to sit in on a negotiation involving all those parties, and they are obviously doing something right.

For a little insight on the negotiation of his $124 million contract which Alex and his mother conducted without an agent, watch this video at the 2:40 mark. You’ll notice the language barrier makes it hard for Alex to express in English exactly what he means, but IMG said it isn’t worried about that.

The Gr8est Since Gretzky? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

For the first time since I was 5 years old, I’m not enrolled in school for this Fall. I thought that by getting a job before graduation, I’d be avoiding the anxiety that comes with not knowing where my life is headed. For most people that start the “real world” in a standard 9-5 desk job that might be the case – you still have a supervisor handing you assignments, the only difference is that this person now signs your paycheck instead of your grade report. But where you’re your own boss, things become a little more difficult. Besides the fact that I don’t have any prescribed deadlines to meet, my current profession won’t be adding any funds to my checking account anytime soon.  At my firm, we don’t charge any commissions up front – instead we bill our clients at the end of the playing season. So even if I were to sign an athlete to a contract for this upcoming season, which isn’t likely to happen, I wouldn’t see any income until the Spring of 2010. I should note that while our Hockey Division does currently have a client, who I’ll discuss in more detail below, my partners and I decided to waive our commission for the upcoming playing season mainly because the low average salary at the particular playing level would provide negligible income to the firm. While this obviously won’t be standard practice with the firm, my partners and I also recognized the fact that my first client will actually provide me with some additional value in the form of experience.

Although my good fortune in securing my position certainly makes the financial sacrifice worth it, the reality is that with loan payments beginning in December I’m going to need to find income somewhere. My partners understand the situation and have allowed me to work outside of my normal duties in order to generate some cash to pay the bills. Luckily, I have a law J.D. to fall back on and my plan is to work independently as an immigration attorney until the hockey division starts generating some real revenue. However, with my results for the Ohio Bar Exam not being released until October 30, my law degree is basically useless for now. Thus, until I receive my license to practice law, I’ll be working nights at two separate hockey training facilities in the Chicagoland area while I spend my days putting the hockey division together. Wondering what my hockey division playbook looks like? Well here you go…

As I mentioned in my first entry, while participating in international tournaments in high school, I befriended numerous players from the Moscow area. I’ve kept in contact with them throughout the years and several of them are currently playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) – Russia’s “equivalent” to our NHL. Although the salaries might not be as high, and while the stability of the league still remains in question, the average KHL player still earns around $600,000 – tax free. My original strategy was to travel to Moscow immediately following the Bar Exam to begin recruiting clients throughout Russia. This way I could establish a respectable client base from my friends that are already playing professionally and build from there. Similar to my stateside operations, however, I’ve run into a few speed bumps across seas.

Years of the NHL “stealing” talent from the Russian clubs that have spent thousands of dollars developing it, needless to say, has not improved the less than favorable impression that Russian hockey officials already had of Americans – especially American sports agents. Up until 2005, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and the NHL were both parties to an international transfer agreement. Under the pact, if the NHL wanted the rights to a player currently under contract with a foreign club, the NHL team could draft the player and then buyout the existing contract by providing a one-time, set compensation amount of $200,000 USD. When the previous agreement expired, most of the participating countries signed onto the new, similar contract – however Russia has refused to participate. With players like Ovechkin, Malkin, and Semin making millions for their current NHL teams, the Russians want the compensation amount to be negotiated between the individual Russian and NHL clubs on a player-by-player basis.  The NHL, however, feels as though this would only create a situation where the NHL clubs might never meet exorbitant demands made by the Russian teams. Last summer a truce was reached where the NHL and KHL agreed to refrain from targeting players in each other’s leagues that were still under contract with their respective clubs. However, the tension between the leagues certainly remains intact.

As a result of this ongoing battle between the NHL and KHL, and also due to the close ties between the KHL officials and the Russian government itself, an American sports agent wanting to recruit talent in Moscow and negotiate contracts with KHL clubs needs to be very careful of who he deals with. Unlike in the United States, the Russian government itself is responsible for regulating sports within its borders, including the accreditation of agents. Since I would also need the Russian government’s permission to simply enter the country, broadcasting myself as an American agent coming to Russia might not be the best idea. Thus, throughout the immigration process, I’ve tried to be very careful and stress the fact that I intend to work with Russian teams – not simply ship their best athletes off to North American clubs. Once I finally receive my visa from the Russian Federation, I’ll be able to plan the first of my semi-annual trips to Moscow to recruit clients and negotiate their contracts with either a Russian or North American club. However, my caution throughout this process has slowed the immigration process and pushed back my original timeline a bit, so I’ll have to adjust accordingly. While I initially wanted to hold off on my work in the United States until I return from Russia with a more impressive client roster and the credibility that follows it, I don’t want to waste any time. So until I get my visa, it’s time to start developing the hockey division on the home front.

As of August 1, our firm has one official hockey client named Matt (in order to preserve client confidentiality, throughout this column I’ll simply refer to clients by their first name only). Matt is another Chicago native who I grew up playing club hockey with. After spending two years playing junior hockey in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and four seasons competing at the NCAA DIII level, Matt wants to continue his career, and my job is to find him a spot on a minor pro team somewhere in the United States.

While I was studying for the Bar, Matt was doing all of his own promotion. He had contacted numerous teams in the International Hockey League (IHL), the Central Hockey League (CHL), the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), and others. After I sat for the Bar, Matt forwarded me all of his correspondence, and I basically ran with it. Many of the teams at these levels have both open free agent camps followed by a main camp, which is invite only. Seeing as fees for the free agent camps average around $200 per camp, my job is to try to get Matt an invite to a main camp without attending the open tryout. So far this has been fairly difficult. Since Matt hasn’t proved himself at the pro level yet, GMs are much more inclined to have him pay the fees in order to get his look. If I can’t get Matt directly into a main camp, I have to work with Matt to decide which camps of those available are worth it. His chances of making a team as well as the overall camp experience are the top two factors we consider in our evaluation.

One thing I’ve learned so far is that while there are some really good guys running these teams, just like almost every other walk of life there are still people who refuse to return calls and emails. Maybe it’s just because some teams are already set, but you’d think that when an agent calls you’d want to get back to him. I mean, who knows what players the agent might be representing down the road. Unfortunately, many clubs I’ve tried to contact simply don’t understand this concept.

But like I said, not all of the front office officials I’ve dealt with are like this. In contrast, two coaches in particular have been more than willing to sit on the phone with me and discuss Matt’s abilities. For example, while one CHL coach explained that he was looking for a defenseman that could really move the puck and direct a power play (Matt is more of a stay-at-home defenseman), he still acknowledged that things happen and maybe he’d be calling me about Matt down the road. I explained that we expect Matt to sign with a CHL team for this season and that he’d probably get a good look at him in the near future. I also made a point to let him know that if he ever needed anything, he should feel free to give me a call. While I might not have gotten Matt on the team now, it’s a good step letting them know who Matt is. And not only that – I now have another coach who understands I’m a good guy who’s easy to deal with. Maybe next time I come calling on his club, the coach is in a better position to help. It all comes down to establishing solid relationships with people that can help you succeed.

When I was working at IMG, I recall being told that networking is about adding value to another. You don’t make meaningful contacts by asking for favors, you show that by knowing you it benefits them. I’ve tried to keep that idea close to heart whenever dealing with a person who could potentially help me in my career and I think it’s something important that you should keep in mind no matter what industry you find yourself working in.

Rookie Duties: Adjusting My Initial Plans from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Walsh stated in another tweet, “NHL benefits w [sic] Olympic participation and players bear all risk!” It certainly seems that way. With varying degrees of success, the NHL is able to use the Olympic tournament as a showcase for the game. Although Gary Bettman and the owners say they dislike shutting the league down for two weeks in February every four years, the Olympics are quite a spectacle for the league. I don’t have any facts to back this up, but I have to assume that somehow the league benefits financially from the players participating in the Olympics. All 82 regular season games are still played, so there is no lost revenue from games not being played. The Olympic tournament is the ultimate display of skill, as the very best players in the world play against each other in a short, do-or-die format. From a fan’s perspective, it is probably the best hockey there is. How could the NHL not benefit from this?

A team’s fear that an injury may occur, though, is quite reasonable. In 2006, Dominik Hasek’s groin injury suffered during the Olympics quite probably cost the Ottawa Senators a shot at the Stanley Cup that year. However, is it really necessary for the NHL to suspend a player injured at one of these camps? Players train harder in the offseason now than ever before. They have to come to training camp in September in tip top shape. Would the same player be suspended if he was injured during an off ice training session or during a pickup game of ball hockey with friends? Some contracts may stipulate this, but I don’t know if the majority of them do.

Hockey Canada has secured extra insurance for players taking part in its Olympic Camp. The National Hockey League Players’ Association has also told participating players that they may want to purchase extra insurance on their own in case of an injury. While the likelihood of an injury is low (they aren’t going to be going full tilt at these camps), making sure that your client is protected (and his contract) is sound thinking for an agent.

The Cost of Representing Your Country from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

In June, I wrote an article describing the future implications of the “decade deal” as I called it, on the National Hockey League. A player typically signs a deal longer than ten years for tens of millions of dollars. There are elements of risk and reward for each side. The team gets the player signed at a lower salary cap number than the player might have got on the open market, but a contract that long can sometimes weigh a team down (eg. the New York Islanders and Rick DiPietro). The player takes a little less money per year, but has the security of knowing that his contract is guaranteed for the long term, and if it is bought out, he still receives a significant portion of his salary.

Late last week, word surfaced that the NHL was probing the long-term deals that were signed by Chris Pronger and Marian Hossa shortly after the free agency period began on July 1st. Hossa signed a 12 year, $62.8 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, while Pronger signed a new 7 year, $34.9 million with the Philadelphia Flyers shortly after being traded from the Anaheim Ducks. Hossa’s cap number is just over $5 million per year and Pronger’s is just under $5 million. However, both players will earn the vast majority of their money in the first years of the deal. Under Hossa’s deal, he will earn just $3.5 total million in the final three years of the deal. Pronger will earn just $1.5 million total in the final two years of his deal. If not for those years, the players’ cap hits would be much higher.

The league is concerned that these types of deals violate the “spirit” of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Since they will be earning far less money in the later years of the contract than the earlier years, it has been predicted that both players will choose to retire since they will have most of their money made. The league is investigating to determine whether this was considered by the teams before the deals were signed. If it is found that this was part of the negotiations, the Hawks and Flyers could face heavy fines and could possibly lose draft picks.

While it is unlikely that any stiff action will come out of the league’s investigation, it again raises the likelihood that this issue will be addressed in the next round of CBA negotiations. Gary Bettman has stated that he does not believe that these types of deals do not circumvent the salary cap, but all signs point to several heated discussions when the league and players’ association meet to begin negotiations within the next two years. It is up to the individual teams to determine how they spend their money, but if the league has its way, there will likely be one more restriction in place to limit spending and maintain parity.

What Exactly is the “Spirit of the CBA”? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules