Have Puck, Will Travel

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Tomas Krejci, a 30-year-old policeman from Prague, used to go to 20 ice hockey games a season. But he gave up in the early 1990s; in his view, the quality of the 14 teams in the Czech league slipped because all the best players were lured across the Atlantic by the higher salaries of North America's National Hockey League. But this season, thanks to an NHL salary dispute, much of the top talent is back — and so is Krejci, who has already attended more than 15 games. "They have brought the game to life," he says. "It's faster, rougher, more attractive."

The NHL lockout announced on Sept. 15 has been devastating for the more than 730 players left jobless. In December, the National Hockey League Players' Association proposed a 24% rollback on all players' salaries; the league, which says it has lost some $500 million in the last two seasons, insists on capping players' salaries. The standoff seems likely to scupper the entire NHL season. But the NHL's loss is Europe's gain. Rather than sit out the dispute in North America, more than 300 NHL players have signed up with European teams and dozens more are expected. The new arrivals — many of them from Eastern Europe to begin with — have reinvigorated a European game that's been losing popularity to soccer. Hockey audiences have increased by 10-15% across Europe's top seven leagues, as fans turn out to see players they'd previously known only from satellite television. "The [Czech] league has become the equivalent of the NHL," boasts Karel Knap, a sports journalist with the leading Czech daily Mlada Fronta Dnes.

That might be a stretch, but it's undeniable that some of the game's European greats are back on home turf again. Jaromir Jagr, the Czech star forward for the New York Rangers and one of the NHL's best-paid players with a salary of $11 million, is

	No one gets pleasure from the day-to-day grind in Russia. If the NHL salary is the same as here, they'll all go back — RUSLAN SALEI, Anaheim Mighty Ducks defenseman

breaking attendance records everywhere he goes. Playing for his hometown team, HC Rabat Kladno, he scored 11 goals and made 17 assists in 17 games. (In November, he moved to Siberia's Avangard Omsk, sponsored by billionaire Roman Abramovich.)

The transitions have not all been smooth. The European emphasis on elegant skating and fancy puck control, for example, has challenged some NHL players accustomed to North America's narrower rinks and more aggressive play. But many are relishing the experience. "The biggest thing is the ice surface; it gives you that much more time with the puck," says Rick Nash, the 20-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets' left-winger, currently with Switzerland's HC Davos. "And you'll go back hopefully a better skater."

The money's not too bad, either — at least for the best players. Jagr, who has kept his signature jersey No. 68, a reminder of the 1968 crushing of the Prague Spring by Soviet troops, is reportedly earning $400,000 a month after taxes. Most, however, are not making anywhere near the NHL average of $1.83 million, and some are only receiving meals and lodging. A few Russian oil barons may be willing to throw around millions, but the broader economics are just not there. A typical NHL game attracts roughly 16,500 spectators, who each pay about $47. In Europe, the average game attendance is around 5,000 and tickets are between $5 and $25 apiece, depending on the country. Do the math.

Indeed, the International Ice Hockey Federation in Zurich has already warned clubs against overspending. "Many clubs are treating this extraordinary situation as if there was no tomorrow," says spokesman Szymon Szemberg. "It's like pennies from heaven. Nobody can really blame you for stuffing your pockets, but you shouldn't adjust your lifestyle according to this." Szemberg says increased ticket sales and sponsorship are unlikely to cover the extra cost of the players.

Can this reunion last past the NHL lockout? Russian hockey legend Alexei Kasatonov, who now trains teams in New York City, seems to think so. "If a salary ceiling is introduced, then you'll see that the majority of the NHL's Russian players will stay at home," he says. But most are skeptical. Says Anaheim Mighty Ducks defenseman Ruslan Salei, a Belorussian who now plays for AK Bars Kazan: "No one gets pleasure from the day-to-day grind in Russia. If the salary in the NHL is the same as here, they'll all go back." Szemberg agrees: "You should treat this as a very extraordinary situation that won't last." But as long as the NHL stars are in Europe, fans like Krejci are thrilled to keep seeing them play live.