Official KHL statement on HC Sochi player Michal Kristof

Sochi player Michal Kristof, who is under a valid contract with a KHL club, took to the ice for a team in Switzerland on Friday, Oct. 18.In its work, the KHL has always adhered to a policy of respecting valid contracts in other leagues and calls upon other leagues to follow the same principle, whether that’s a pro league in Europe or a junior league in North America.Transfer cards are just one of the tools available to uphold the principle of mutual respect for contracts. However, in the situation with Sochi’s Michal Kristof, whose transfer card from the Russian Hockey Federation was in force until the end of the 2024/2025 season, this offered no protection against actions taken outside the sport’s legal framework.The IIHF’s international transfer regulations state that all IIHF members, their leagues and clubs must respect valid player contracts playing for all organizations, regardless of whether they are IIHF members (section 8.1 of the IIHF transfer regulations). Thus, all IIHF members – leagues and clubs – must respect player contracts with the KHL, even though the KHL is not an IIHF member.The IIHF’s violation of its own fundamental principle of respect for contracts, and its international transfer regulations, once again demonstrates the IIHF’s inconsistent and politically motivated position towards the KHL and Russian hockey as a whole. It creates a dangerous precedent that could destroy the mechanism of international transfers based on the goodwill of all its participants.Before the 2024/2025 season, the KHL left the jurisdiction of the Russian Hockey Federation and became a “non-member organization” for the IIHF. Nonetheless, when clubs submitted their applications, the league continued to strictly adhere to the principle of mutual respect for contracts and checked that players did not have valid agreements with clubs in other leagues.The KHL condemns the behavior of Kristof. The KHL’s regulations and legislation offer various mechanisms that Sochi can use to protect its rights in relation to this case. The KHL is ready to offer comprehensive support to the club.In respect of Kristof’s transfer to the Swiss club Langnau, the IIHF’s decision to permit the transfer puts clubs in the Swiss championship and the protection of their players’ contracts at risk. The practice of violating contracts can work both ways.The KHL is open to direct dialog with Europe’s pro leagues to develop the rules of interaction regarding the transfer of players.