The KHL has released a statement regarding the results of the investigation into the death of Ranger prospect Alexei Cherepanov. Their release includes further details regarding the Public Prosecutor’s statement yesterday which alleged that Cherepanov had used performance enhancing substances.

From the report it is unambiguously evident that Alexei Cherepanov for at least a year suffered from chronic myocarditis. The disease in question precludes the possibility of employment in professional sports. In the blood of the hockey player was found cordiamin (nikethamide), a medication which is used for stimulation and treatment of cardiovascular systems and respiratory organs.

It was determined that the cordiamin was introduced into the hockey player’s body three hours prior to the start of the match between Vityaz and Avangard on October 13, 2008. The medication in question is included on the banned list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The Disciplinary Committee of the KHL will meet on January 5th to review the prosecutor’s 1000+ page report and interview approximately 30 witnesses and specialists. The committee’s final verdict will be announced on January 15th.

In the meantime, the committee has rendered the decision that Avangard’s doctors be immediately removed from their posts. In addition, they have appealed to KHL President Alexander Medvedev to submit a request to Omsk regional governor and Avangard head Leonid Polezhaev that both team General Manager Anatoli Bardin and President Konstantin Potapov be asked to step aside until the conclusion of the committee’s investigation.

Over the weekend I started translating this interview with Jaromir Jagr that appeared in Soviet Sport late last week. But with a huge end-of-year work deadline looming, my own, neglected side business in the midst of its busy season, and the holiday season in full swing — not to mention loads of hockey to watch — I didn’t get very far. Lucky for you, Puck Daddy’s “official Russian comrade” (and Soviet Sports correspondent) Dmitry Chesnokov has saved me the trouble by translating most of the interview for the Puck Daddy faithful. So if you haven’t seen it already, head on over to Yahoo! Sports to read the big Czech’s thoughts about Sean Avery and the NHL’s business model.

In a sign that the team may be putting its dark days behind it, Avangard Omsk topped division-leading Yaroslavl Lokomotiv 3-1 in Omsk on Monday.  The win gave the Hawks their second consecutive victory after a dismal November in which they earned only a single shootout victory in eight games.  Once again Jaromir Jagr put Omsk on the board first, scoring his 17th goal of the season on a power play at 13:19 of the second period.  Defenseman Nikita Nikitin added another power play goal at 18:44 of the second, and Pavel Rosa topped off the scoring with an empty net goal in the final minute of play.  Alexei Mikhnov picked up Loko’s only goal late in the third to make the final five minutes interesting. Goaltender Alexander Fomichev stopped 19 of 20 shots to earn the win. Despite the loss, Lokomotiv maintains a 13-point lead over the Avangard in the KHL’s Kharlamov Division.

In his post-game press conference, head coach Wayne Fleming confirmed that goaltender John Grahame has in fact been released by Avangard (you can see him say it himself approximately 5:15 into this video).  According to Soviet Sport, the American-born netminder’s equipment has been removed from the locker room and he has already left the club.  His release follows news last week that he’d been picked up by police drunk outside a club in Omsk.

Following the game, Jagr explained the team’s change in fortunes to Soviet Express. “When we beat Severstal on Saturday, our confidence increased.  It always happens that way.  You win one match, you catch success by the tail and everything fits into place.”

Asked to explain his scoreless November, Jagr was pragmatic.  “That sort of thing can happen to anyone.  I even heard that Ovechkin played a string of nine games without a goal in the NHL.  What can I say?”  “Not only could I not score,” he added, “but the whole team [couldn't].  Eight goals in six games - how is that enough?  Against the backdrop of Avangard, every opponent looked like a monster.  Plus there were injuries: Svitov, Kuryanov…”

Jagr was also asked about the upcoming KHL All Star game, set to be played in Red Square on January 10th.  “First of all I imagine that it will be cold,” he shared.  “We once tried to hold an open-air practice for Team Jagr at a public skating rink in Kladno. Not the most pleasant memories,” Jagr admitted.  “But Red Square - that’s something special.  A historical place…  It would be like playing hockey in Time Square in New York.  Something like this happens once in a lifetime. ”

As captain of Team Jagr — a team comprised of the best foreigners playing in the KHL this season that will face off against the best Russians under captain Alexei Yashin — Jagr was given the opportunity to choose two players he’d like to have on his team.  The big Czech chose fellow countryman and current teammate Jakub Klepis and former Rangers linemate Marcel Hossa, who continues to lead his team, Dynamo Riga, in scoring with 24 points in 30 games.  Asked why he chose those two players, Jagr reasoned “it wasn’t certain that they’d be selected by the fans,” who get to vote for the starters.  “These guys are my friends,” he continued, “it’s pleasant to play with them.”

Scoring:
33:19 Jaromir Jagr (Ryabikin D., Klepis J.) (PP) (watch)
38:44 Nikita Nikitin (Pestunov D., Ryantsev A.) (PP) (watch)
54:57 Alexei Mikhnov (Irgl Z., Vashichek I.) (watch)
59:05 Pavel Rosa (Ryabikin D., Volkov I.) (EN) (watch)

As reported earlier today by numerous outlets in the North American press, the Public Prosecutor tasked with investigating the death of 19-year old Alexei Cherepanov has released a statement citing violations on the part of the Vityaz arena director and local municipality which prevented Cherepanov from getting “timely and skilled medical care” after he collapsed on the bench during a game in the Moscow suburb of Chekhov on October 13th.

According to a story in RIA Novosti, the investigation revealed that the director of the Vityaz Arena, Juri Afonkin, signed a certificate of readiness prior to the start of the game, certifying that all legal requirements for holding a sporting event — including the presence of the ambulance — had been met. However, investigators determined that there was no ambulance on-site at the arena at any point during the game.

Investigators also cited violations on the part of the local municipality for failing to supply an ambulance, despite one being requested in writing by Afonkin a month in advance.

It’s not clear whether criminal charges will be filed against the parties involved.  Afonkin and the director of the Vityaz hockey club, Mikhail Denisov, have already been removed from their posts.

According to a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, on the evening of Cherepanov’s death, there were six local ambulance crews on duty. At the time the call was received from the arena, five were already out on other calls, and the sixth had been taken out of service due to “technical malfunctions”. As a result, the call for help was redirected to a regional trauma crew, which responded to the scene.

While the North American reports reiterate the initial diagnosis of chronic ischemia — a diagnosis which was reported within hours of Cherepanov’s death, and which doctors in both Russia and North America have since questioned — the RIA Novosti story describes the cause of death as “myocardiopathy” resulting in “accute cardiac arrest”.

The forensic investigation into the cause of Cherepanov’s death continues, “with the purpose of clarifying questions about how long the disease developed, whether it could have been diagnosed while he was alive, and whether oversight of the state of health of the athlete was correctly implemented by team doctors.”

In a press conference held earlier today the KHL announced that the results of the public prosecutor’s inquiry into the cause of Alexei Cherepanov’s death — which were originally scheduled to be released today — have been delayed so that additional medical personnel can study the case.

“The Office of the Public Prosecutor believes that further investigation into the death of Alexei Cherepanov is necessary,” KHL Vice President Vladimir Shalaev explained during the press conference. “They were not satisfied with the conclusion of the forensic examination. Representatives from other branches of medicine, who will analyze this case deeply and thoroughly, will be added to this group.”

“Because of this it is currently impossible to name the cause of Alexei Cherepanov’s death with certainty,” Shalaev continued. “However, it has already been established that fault was not found in either the first aid squad or the personnel of Avangard. They acted correctly and did everything they could. The absence of the ambulance and necessary equipment were not found to be a direct causal effect of Alexei’s death.”

Shalaev added that punishment handed out to those who were found to be responsible for the lack of appropriate medical equipment — namely the director of the Vityaz hockey club and the director of the arena in Chekhov, both of whom have been removed from their positions and banned from future work with the league — would not be rescinded. “That does not mean that disciplinary penalties will be removed from the people who admitted negligence,” he concluded.

The full results of the investigation are now expected to be released at the end of the month.

UPDATE: An expanded version of the KHL’s press release was put out later in the day, including an English version which was sent to various media outlets in North America. See Yahoo! Sports for the AP’s write-up. That release also included details of the medical examinations performed on the 67 KHL players who are 19-years old and younger. Of note is Shalaev’s comment that “one or two young hockey players may have significant health concerns and may have to change their careers”, contradicting what a director at the center that performed the medical exams said earlier in the week.

Avangard Omsk lost to Novosibirsk Sibir on Thursday, an empty-netter capping off the scoring at 4-1. Jaromir Jagr was held scorless despite a strong performance.

Off the ice, Avangard president Konstantin Potapov contradicted comments made to ESPN by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, in which Daly claimed that multiple requests for parental authorization to release Alexei Cherepanov’s medical records had been “ignored”. According to Potapov, the first contact the club or the family had received on the matter came only on Monday. “The request addressed to the Cherepanov family only came to the club on Monday morning,” Potapov told Soviet Sport. “We tried as quickly as possible to prepare Alexei’s father’s response with consent for disclosure of the results of the medical examination, had it certified by a notary public and last night [Tuesday] sent the letter to the NHL. Before Monday, no documents were received from overseas!”

It’s hard to believe a month has passed since Cherepanov collapsed and died in the Moscow suburb of Chekhov. Harder still to believe that the KHL and NHL can’t put aside their differences long enough to work together efficiently — and without posturing and finger-pointing — on this one particular issue.

The report on the investigation into Cherepanov’s death was originally scheduled for Friday. There’s been no indication to suggest the delay in getting Cherepanov’s medical records from North America would change that.

During the recent break in the KHL schedule, all players age 19 and younger were required to report to the Roszdrava Medical-Rehabilitation Center in Moscow, where they underwent comprehensive medical examinations said to be similar to those a Russian cosmonaut would be subjected to. As reported in the North American press, after the first three days of testing, 5 out of the 49 players examined were found to have heart problems. But, the director of the sports rehabilitation department at the center, Vladimir Preobrazhensky, explained that none of the issues detected up to that point were expected to be prevent the players from continuing their careers.

“We have examined 49 people,” Preobrazhensky explained to Soviet Sport. “A catastrophic pathology was not detected in any of them. Five have problems with their heart, but they can be resolved. Some of the boys have to undergo treatment, some have to pass a deeper and more prolonged examination.” But Preobrazhensky emphasized that none of the issues were considered career-threatening. “I repeat, there were no abnormalities which would cause the hockey players to end their career.”

The full report on the results for all 67 players who were tested is also expected on Friday.

This past weekend one of the headlines in the mainstream hockey media was the defection of Montreal prospect Pavel Valentenko, who split the Canadiens AHL farm club in Hamilton to return to Russia to attend to a “family matter”, only to sign with Dynamo Moscow as soon as his plane touched down. On Monday, a second scandal erupted when it was revealed that Ottawa Senator prospect Alexander Nikulin, unhappy with the perceived lack of opportunity he’d been given by the Sens and smarting over the message conveyed to him by his agent that his coach saw no future for him in the organization, had delivered the ultimatum that if he wasn’t traded by the end of the day he was leaving for Russia.

The Nikulin story was mentioned — in varying degrees of detail — on every show on XM’s NHL Home Ice channel over the course of the work day on Monday. The general theme: The KHL is at it again, signing players who are under contract with NHL teams. Hosts Mike Ross and Phil Esposito, during Espo’s afternoon In the Slot program, even went so far as to speculate about whether an NHL team could or should lure a guy like Ray Emery away from his KHL team and back to the NHL as an example of turnabout being fair play. Their conclusion? No, the NHL wouldn’t do that because they wouldn’t want to jeopardize their standing on the Alexander Radulov case by signing a player already under contract with a KHL team.

Pardon me?!

While the KHL has been vilified in recent months for enticing players with NHL contracts — Radulov in particular — to return home to play in Russia, NHL clubs have quietly signed five young Russian players who were under contract to KHL teams since Radulov’s signing was announced the day after the two leagues agreed to stop poaching each others’ players. It might just be the NHL’s best kept secret (now that the truth is out about Rick DiPietro’s knee injury, anyway). While folks here in North America are up in arms about guys like Radulov, Valentenko and Nikulin breaking their NHL contracts to go home and play in the KHL, no one seems to have noticed that a handful of players have done the opposite, signing contracts with NHL teams despite having valid deals in the KHL. For those who missed it — apparently every credentialed member of the North American media — here’s the list of those players, the dates they were signed, and the NHL teams that signed them:

• August 27, 2008: Viatcheslav Voynov and Andrei Loktionov signed by the Los Angeles Kings
• August 29, 2008: Maxim Mayorov signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets
• September 22, 2008: Evgeni Grachev signed by the New York Rangers
• October 29, 2008: Alexander Vasyunov signed by the New Jersey Devils

Yes, that date is correct. The latest NHL “theft” took place only a day before news broke that Valentenko had signed with Dynamo Moscow.

In light of the fact that Ottawa GM Brian Murray was able to swing a late-day deal with Don Maloney to swap minor league defenseman Drew Fata for Nikulin, who now appears willing to stick stateside a little longer before taking his toys and going home, that leaves the current NHL vs. KHL score looking something like this:

NHL: 5 (Voynov, Loktionov, Mayorov, Grachev, Vasyunov)
KHL: 2 (Radulov, Valentenko)

Remind me again which league has the moral high ground here?

At the end of the day, I’m not particularly bothered by the fact that players are shuttling either way. As far as I’m concerned, for as long as the two leagues fail to hammer out a formal agreement that says otherwise, Vasyunov, who was getting little opportunity to play or develop in Yaroslavl, has as much right to seek out a situation that will help further his career as you or I do. Or Nikulin does. And Valentenko has as much right to return to Russia as you or I have to take a job closer to our own families (hey, it’s even better when it comes with a significant pay raise, right?) What I really object to is the hypocrisy being displayed by the media (and fans) in North America.

If you want to complain about the injustice or illegality of a player breaking their contract to play elsewhere, be my guest. But spare me the holier-than-thou, we’re right, they’re wrong bombast. Especially when your side is guilty of the same misdeed you’re railing against.

As the KHL and NHL continue their race to see who can sign more of the others’ players — welcome Alexander Vasyunov, farewell Pavel Valentenko — their fans have taken the game of one-upmanship to a new level.  Not willing to be outdone by a fan in Philadelphia who launched a smoke bomb onto the ice during an NHL game last Sunday, Dynamo Moscow fans forced the cancellation of a KHL match between their club and AK Bars Kazan on Thursday by setting off a series of smoke bombs in the stands, blanketing the arena in a haze of smoke as Washington Capital Alex Ovechkin — home to visit his ailing grandfather — looked on.

Ok, so the actions of fans in Moscow really had nothing whatsoever to do with what happened in Philly.  In fact, according to Dynamo president Mikhail Golovkov it was a pre-meditated attack — perhaps to protest Dynamo ticket policies — planned for the high-profile, televised match with AK Bars.

Following a late first-period goal with which Dynamo knotted the score at one, the as-yet unidentified hooligans set off three smoke bombs in the seats behind the AK Bars net.  The two teams played the remaining 2:47 of the first period as the smoke began to spread its way through the building, and by the time the first intermission had ended, the smoke had cooled and a haze had blanketed the entire arena and ice surface.  After multiple delays to the start of the second period, with no signs of the smoke dissipating, the decision was made by the KHL, doctors, law enforcement officials and the teams themselves to call the game.

The game will be made up, in its entirety, on January 13th, at an alternate site.  Dynamo Moscow will be fined the sum of $300,000 for the behavior of their “fans”, and face the prospect of having to find a new place to play if a reoccurance of Thursday’s events takes place.  The club will also responsible for any expenses incured by AK Bars in relation to the January 13th make-up game.

On Friday Soviet Sport published an in-depth interview with former Ranger and current Avangard Omsk forward Jaromir Jagr, in which he candidly discusses the death of his teammate and friend, Alexei Cherepanov.

Jaromir Jagr: I Desperately Prayed that Lyosha’s Heart Would Start Working… A Candid Conversation About Life and Death with the Famous Avangard Forward
October 24, 2007 №158 (17655)
P. Lycenkov

Photo: Soviet Sport

The great Czech hockey player has given an interview to a Soviet Sport correspondent in which he thoroughly discussed the details of the loss of his young friend Alexei Cherepanov.

“IF I WAS THE HEAD GUY IN THE KHL…”

Jagr meets me after the game in the Avangard restaurant. He just played against Dynamo Riga and his Hawks have lost (2:3). Everyone’s mood in such a situation should be worse than ever. Especially since any conversation with reporters now boils down to the one sad topic of Alexei Cherpanov. But Jagr is an incredibly positive person. And very professional. Right, then we’ll have a talk. No problem.

We didn’t have time to start the interview, as towards our little table came Bob Goodenow. Previously — president of the NHL players union of which Jagr was a member. Now — advisor to the KHL who has specially flown into Omsk in connection with the Cherepanov tragedy.

- I see that I distract you. Excuse me. I’ll only be a minute, - Goodnoew is delicate. He greets Jagr, squeezes his hand.

- Do you know, Bob, if next year the in the KHL there will be any changes in the regulations? - Jagr asks of his old acquaintance.

- For now we’re in the discussion process. But what interests you?

- The limit on foreigners [KHL teams are currently limited to 5 foreign players, 4 if one of them is a goaltender]. I think, that if it were to be increased, many strong hockey players would arrive in Russia from overseas. There’s almost no doubt that after this season the salary cap in the NHL will be lowered greatly. For that matter, if earlier the fees of players passed 56% of league revenue, then in a year the level will be lowered to 50%. Many teams have already signed long-term contracts with 5-6 leading players…

- We known, Jaromir, about those contracts. Gomez, $10 million for a season, Drury, $10 million… - Goodenow lists the Rangers forwards with which Jagr played last season.

- Exactly. And so it will be very difficult for these teams to sign new agreements with their remaining 15 players. There can’t be enough money. And here the KHL’s initiative should be to grab them. For an average NHL player there simply won’t be another choice. They’ll come to Russia, and they’ll sign for realistically reasonable money.

- Interesting conversation, Jaromir” - I say when Goodenow leaves. - You’d make a good president of the players union. So do you think, that the in the KHL in general, its necessary to abolish the limit on foreigners?

- I didn’t say that. But if I were the head of the Russian league, I would do everything possible for its prosperity. So? This is only one such opportunity to do so. I’m simply sharing my ideas. But I don’t make the decisions.

“THERE WAS HOPE FOR RESCUE”

- I understand, Jaromir, that this topic is painful. But I can’t not ask about Cherepanov. Especially since you still haven’t spoken about it in detail. In the media they wrote that in the last minutes of his life Lesha sat near you on the bench, and you talked over how you’d barely failed to take advantage of a 2-on-1…

- I’m already worn out explaining that I could not have been on the ice with Cherepanov. Because both of us are right wings. Will you now ask also, whether it’s true that I accidentally struck him in the chest with my elbow and because of it Alexei’s heart stopped? - Jagr wearily inquires.

- Just talk about how the tragedy happened.

- Everyone says that Cherepanov came off the ice, sat down on the bench, and immediately became ill. But in fact, after his line change a half minute passed. And only then Alexei fell onto the team doctor who stood behind him. Nobody understood what had happened. I though he simply lost consciousness.

- And then the chaos began…

- It’s a natural reaction to such a situation. And I myself don’t remember clearly what I did in those minutes, who I called. Everyone tried to wake Cherepanov, but were in no way successful.

- Were you shocked that no ambulance was found at the arena in Chekhov?

- At the time my thoughts were not occupied by that at all. I desperately prayed that Lesha’s heart would start working again. When they took him away to the hospital, we went to a church. They told us that he was still alive. There was hope that he’d be saved. We said a prayer. But then we found out that Lesha was no longer with us…

- Many now say: “If such a thing happened in the NHL, Cherapanov would be saved for sure”.

- I can’t say that. Because I’m not a doctor. Yes, I know that Wings defenseman Jiri Fischer survived the same situation in Detroit. But he was very lucky. Everything was done perfectly. Doctors were on site, there was a charged defibrillator available to them, they instantly started to render aid to the victim. And everyone understood what he had to do.

But nobody knows if Alexei would have survived if such timely aide was provided to him. It is only known to god…

“WHO WOULD IT HELP?”

- Getting back to the ridiculous rumor… This is the most monstrous thing that’s been written about me - said Jagr. I can put up with any gossip. But when it has to do with the death of another person… Guys, this just isn’t funny.

- What would you do with the journalist who started this false report, that Cherepanov was lost because of a collision with you?

- I understand why reporters of the yellow press do this dirty work. I know, that in the Czech Republic there is tabloid press. They invent such nonsense that god forbid if it was even five percent truth. I know how this gossip factory works.

But I never respected such journalists. When you write something, it’s always necessary to think about the consequences. How it can hurt other people. However these reporters think only of themselves.

- When you learned about this rumor, did the desire not arise in you to collect your things and leave Russia?

- Who would that help?

- You.

- Not true. It wouldn’t become easier for me… I’m not going to pack up my things, abandon this league, our Avangard, just because some idiots have written incredible, loathsome things about me.

“AS IF I HAVE LOST A CLOSE RELATIVE”

- What exactly do you recollect about Cherepanov now?

- 98 percent, heartwarming memories about him. Different events, how we communicated, how we joked… And two percent, that black Monday. When before my eyes rises the picture of how Alexei died in Chekhov. But as more time passes, the less you think about the tragedy. In your memories remain only the good.

It’s difficult to put into words, but hockey is a different sport. On each team there are 20-30 people and we’re all like one family. We work together, we live together on the road.

- If Avangard is your family, then Cherpanov was the younger brother?

- Many people in the world have lost someone from their family. Lesha’s death is about the same as the loss of one’s parents, wives or a child. That kind of powerful blow.

- Now the players union of the KHL is thinking about bringing in restrictions for hockey players who are 21-years old or younger. To have them play fewer games in a season, to avoid overwork.

- I know that Bob Goodenow has called this idea nonesense. And I agree with him. It’s not like we play a lot of games in Russia. The KHL schedule doesn’t bear any comparison to the NHL. Here there are 56 games in the regular season, there, 82. Moreover, overseas there are often back-to-back games. Four games a week is common. And its OK, all the young survive. Think about Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk. At the same 19 years of age Crosby spent a half an hour on the ice during games.

It’s not right to tie the cause of Cherepanov’s death with the schedule. There’s nothing to it.

- And how do hockey players pass the medical board in the NHL?

- They did tests on us once each year at the beginning of the season, in training camp. In the KHL — at least in Avangard — they were better with it. Here before the season they did two tests on us at once: not only the electrocardiogram, but also an ultrasound — that wasn’t done in the NHL.

- Did Cherepanov have problems with his heart?

- I don’t know. In general nobody understands what he died of. And so suddenly! The 19-year old boy had only just flown down the ice, scored a goal. And suddenly he’s no longer here. Such a thing, you’ll agree, happens very rarely.

It’s possible that Alexei had some problem with his heart which is difficult to detect at the time of examination. If I were a doctor, I could give you a concrete answer. But not everyone in this world is a doctor. On the other hand, everyone has their opinion on matters of their work.

It could also be that a guy’s heart reacts differently to different loads. If he spent a minute on the ice, everything is fine. If three minutes, he’s unwell. But again, these are my guesses. I wait with impatience for the middle of November when they will announce the results of the work of the commission. I want to know why Cherepanov died.

“THIS BEARD BRINGS ME GOOD LUCK”

- Let’s change the subject. Soon in America the presidential elections will take place. For whom will you vote — for Obama or McCain?

- Wait a minute, I’m Czech.

- But do you really not have an American passport?

- Why would I have one?

- It’s convenient to travel around the world without visas. When our NHLers play overseas for more than five years, they almost always get themselves the second citizenship. And you’ve played in the NHL since 1990.

- Yes, I don’t need a US passport. Besides, under our laws if I receive another’s citizenship, I lose Czech citizenship. And even in a terrible dream I can’t conceive of such a thing. I’m Czech - forever!

- Patriotism for you — a common word, or is it something more?

- If anyone in the world is asked what they think of their homeland, they will answer: I love it very much. Jaromir Jagr is no exception. I love the Czech Republic, I like living in Europe.

But love of country is tested in difficult situations. If someone shouts from every corner about patriotism, but doesn’t help his homeland when she is in trouble, what kind of patriot is he?

In Russians this sense is strongly developed. They have won the second World War. They showed character. And didn’t lift their mitts upwards, like some other countries which surrendered even before the fight…

- It’s interesting that now the best scorers in the NHL are Russian: Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk. And in the KHL, Czechs have the most points: Marek and Jagr.

- So what of it? - slyly speaks Jaromir.

- In fact… have you ever played on the same team as Marek?

- I haven’t had the occasion to.

- But have you heard his comment from a recent interview? “Let Jagr be photographed for advertising, I’ll score goals.”

- Wow, he said that? Don’t take that guy seriously. Czechs in general have a very good sense of humor. But if Marek wasn’t joking, he’ll regret it even more. Those who attack me will without fail be made a fool of, - loudly laughs Jagr.

- Magnitogorsk already has already been tested once when in 2005 they lost the quarterfinal to Avangard, and you scored the winning goal in overtime.

- I’ll remind you, that we went down 0-2 in that series. I will always remember that fifth game. All the more so because a number of class players played in it. For example, I scored the goal on Evgeni Nabokov, one of the best goaltenders in the world.

- And finally, a totally frivolous question… in general, why do you have that little beard? No one in Russia wears such a thing.

- Everyone has their talismans. And so my beard is for good luck, - Jaromir raises his eyebrows.

- Did your girlfriend Inna suggest such an idea?

- Are you joking? She hates this little beard. Says to me various bad words…

- Like what?

- That with it I look like a goat, - Jagr is flooded with laughter. - But she should understand the most important thing. I have this beard, and with it I’m as frightening as the devil. So it’s all good. She can’t possibly be jealous. What girl will pay attention to me now?

…When the interview ended, Jaromir went to the door and met his girlfriend Inna Puhajkova. Holding his stomach, Jagr told her that we had just discussed the most pressing topic in their family. And that now all of Russia will talk about the beard of the Avangard forward.

- If you remember, Jaromir grew it already last season, - Inna informs with a smile when Jagr leaves for the cloakroom. - At the time he told me: “The Rangers will play in the play-offs, therefore I must grow something like this.” When I saw this little beard I said “Oh my god!’” And gave him the condition: if it serves you well and you score goals, I’ll let it be. But if you don’t play well, you have to think up something else.

Now, when I arrived in Omsk and again see this creature, I exclaimed: “Jaromir, what is this? The playoffs have not yet begun!”

“But I like it!” he answered. He says it brings good luck. And how can you argue with these men? It’s pointless!

After receiving an update on the status of the investigation into Alexei Cherepanov’s death — the final findings aren’t expected for another two weeks — the KHL Board of Directors announced yesterday that it will move ahead with the following changes and recommendations with the goal of preventing a repeat of the tragedy in the future.

• The Board of Directors authorized the KHL Medical Center to institute a “common electronic medical passport for athletes” which will contain key information on a wide variety of medical issues for each player in the league.





• In November and December of this year the KHL’s Medical Center will perform comprehensive medical examinations on 67 young hockey players currently playing in the league. Teams will have until March 30, 2009 to have the remainder of their players examined at approved medical facilities.





• Effective immediately, two ambulances “equipped according to the established specifications” will be required at every game. Acknowledging that fixing the problems in the on-site and in-ambulance care Cherepanov received requires measures beyond the jurisdiction of the league itself, KHL President Alexander Medvedev has also sent a letter to the Russian Minister of Health and Social Development, demanding he take action to ensure that all ambulances are properly equipped at all times.





• The KHL will formally recommend that all teams have specialists in cardiology, opthalmology and surgery on-site at all games to provide medical assistance to players and spectators in the event of an emergency. Additionally, the league will hold a special training seminar for all team doctors in the near future.





• Through December 30th a special commission of the KHL will perform a complete examination of the infrastructure of all junior teams and schools, including their training facilities, medical treatment and safety procedures. All players eligible for the draft the KHL will institute beginning next year will be required to pass a thorough medical examination.





• In the near future a contract with the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RusADA), which is part of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), will be signed. All KHL players will be thoroughly tested on February 1, 2009.





• The league will expand its practice of having league commissioners perform inspections at games, and give them increased powers, including the ability to cancel games on the spot.

Finally, the KHL has announced that the Director of the Vityaz hockey club and the Director of the arena in Chekhov where Cherepanov collapsed have been disqualified from working within the league in any capacity in the future.