Russian club files antitrust suit against NHL, Penguins over rookie Malkin

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published October 20, 2006

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NEW YORK - A Russian hockey club filed an antitrust lawsuit Thursday against the NHL and the Pittsburgh Penguins, saying rookie Evgeni Malkin shouldn't be allowed to play in the league because he remains under contract in his native country.

The Metallurg Magnitogorsk hockey club, which filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, also demanded unspecified damages from the NHL and the Penguins over Malkin's deal to jump teams this summer.

NHL spokesman Frank Brown said he hadn't seen a copy of the complaint and couldn't comment. Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan said the team hadn't received the lawsuit and doesn't comment on litigation.

Malkin, 20, left the Russian Super League team during August's training camp in Helsinki, Finland, slipping quietly into the United States to begin his NHL career.

BLUE JACKETS: Defenseman Bryan Berard, who missed much of last season with a back injury, had a second surgery to repair a herniated disc.

Berard could be back before the end of the season.

FLYERS: Center Petr Nedved and left wing Niko Dimitrakos were sent to the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League.