True but the rest of the guys are motivated to train in Russia with better pay. Also, I suppose Russia will pay them handsomely for the Gold medal.
I can't believe Russia will pay the top players enough to make it worth their while to forgo the salary of an NHL star.
Russia has been a Hockey power for decades and oil money has not created that or diminished it.
I heard Russia has not won a hockey world title since the breakup of Soviet Union. So why now?
I don't follow Ice Hockey closely anymore so I may not be the best person to answer this, but there has not been a let up in the number of quality Russian player coming to the NHL. In addition, the World Championship in Hockey meant nothing for a long time, nobody cared who won. I do know if recently it has gained more prominance and Russia is now sending its top available players.
Of course Russian players have been good all along but for NHL purposes only because NHL agreed to pay Russian hockey clubs for each player produced. Now Russia seems to be able to put a good world team together and I believe oil money has something to do with it.
MOSCOW - The Russian Superliga might have the best teams in Europe. But what it has in high-end quality, it lacks in overall depth and stability. The next step could be a major one: an investor group around the natural gas and oil giant Gazprom and its vice-president Alexander Medvedev has announced the launch of a new league for the 2008-2009 season and has ratified an agreement with the Russian Hockey Federation FHR and its president, goalie legend Vladislav Tretiak. The contract has been approved by Sergei Naryshkin, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, who has agreed to become chairman of the new leagues' board of directors.
I could be wrong on this, but I think that Russia (like Canada) has had trouble getting its top players to play at the WC's in recent years. The Russian hockey federation has also been in disarray for a while, lots of infighting, but they seem to have straightened it out. Russia made a big push to win it last year since they were playing in Moscow, lost in the semifnals, and I guess it carried over this year.
The World Championships aren't really a "best on best" tournament since they co-incide with the Stanley Cup playoffs. In many years, top teams don't have their top players available or willing to play. This year, while Crosby and Malkin are still in the playoff, both Russia and Canada had many top stars show up. That's what made this WC so exciting. Russia's entire top line played for the Washington Capitals, which lost in the first round. Add a top-notch sniper in Kovalchuk (didn't make playoffs) and a Nabokov in net (favorite to win top goalie award in the NHL this year) and you get a really good team.
In conclusion, I don't know much about Russia's internal financial situation, but I do know that World Championship gold in hockey is largely decided by which players happen to be available, or not available, when the championship is played.
ODH, you do realize that wrestling is supported in Russia almost entirely through oil money right?
Which reinforces my point. USSR / Russia was a great wrestling nation before it had oil riches and will continue to be after its oil is gone. Same for Hockey. although I think the Russian Hockey team actually has Russians on it.
MOSCOW - The Russian Superliga might have the best teams in Europe. But what it has in high-end quality, it lacks in overall depth and stability. The next step could be a major one: an investor group around the natural gas and oil giant Gazprom and its vice-president Alexander Medvedev has announced the launch of a new league for the 2008-2009 season and has ratified an agreement with the Russian Hockey Federation FHR and its president, goalie legend Vladislav Tretiak. The contract has been approved by Sergei Naryshkin, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, who has agreed to become chairman of the new leagues' board of directors.
Re: Russian hockey team makes World finals! 
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