Hall of Famer Igor Larionov hoping for hockey detente

The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted its four newest members on Monday night, including three-time Stanley Cup winner Igor Larionov.

Larionov, a Calabasas resident, might not be a household name on this side of the U.S.-Canadian border, but the man who embodied glasnost on ice while with the Detroit Red Wings is hoping there won't be a new cold war between the East and West.

No, this has little to do with the cooling political relations between the United States and Russia. The war Larionov is hoping to avoid deals with the growing tension between the NHL and the upstart Continental Hockey League (KHL).

Larionov told the Canadian National Post, "We don't need a cold war right now in hockey, the game should be growing."

Since the NHL lockout, the hockey world has been dividing. Only 23 Russian-born players are in the NHL this season and a number of talented players such as Jaromir Jagr, Alexander Radulov and Sergei Brylin left North America for Russia over the summer.

There are a number of reasons behind the recent defections even though the bulk of the tension between the NHL and KHL derives from the absence of a player-transfer agreement between the two leagues.

Plus, is it a coincidence that Europe once again hosted the first two NHL games of the season? What about Commissioner Gary Bettman's dream of establishing "a more permanent presence for the league" in Europe? Hmm ... that's an interesting thing for him to say, especially when the KHL is also thinking about expanding into Europe.

The NHL should seriously think about making Larionov in charge of warming up East-West hockey relations.

"The Professor" would be the perfect mediator between hockey's spheres of influence -- after all, he played for more than a decade behind the Iron Curtain before embarking on a 14-year NHL career.

Fortunately, Larionov sees detente happening soon.

"The KHL is starting to make its first steps toward recognition," Larionov told the Toronto Star. "We should be working together [with the NHL] to make the game globally recognized and to find new markets."

-- Austin Knoblauch

Top photo: Igor Larionov, center, celebrates with Mathieu Dandenault, right, and Steve Duchesne after scoring the winning goal during the 2002 Stanley Cup finals. Credit: Associated Press

Inset: Hall of Fame inductee Igor Larionov during Monday's news conference. Credit: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

Comments

[Andy]

Larionov would be a great choice to head up a committee to warm up relations between the NHL and the KHL. He is a true pro who knows what needs to be done to succeed. Bettman on the other hand....