19 record remains identical to the crosstown rivals

MOSCOW - The Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League saw itself as the oil-rich rival to the NHL, offering a tempting, if less prestigious, alternative to playing in North America.As the league planned to expand as far as Britain, the money on offer even attracted Russian stars like Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov, who walked out on lucrative NHL deals to return home.Then came the crash of the ruble this week.The financial crisis has threatened the plans of players like former Vancouver Canucks goaltender Curtis Sanford, who came to Russia to save for his retirement.Its just really happened all of a sudden, the 35-year-old Sanford told The Associated Press. These are some things that you dont expect when you sign a contract. Right now, you just have to ride the rolls of how its going and hopefully it stabilizes and gets better.The ruble had been sliding against the dollar for most of the year against the backdrop of low oil prices and economic sanctions against Russia, but went into freefall Monday and Tuesday. Following a slight recovery, it has still lost almost half of its value against the dollar this year.With KHL rules stipulating ruble-only contracts, that is bad news for the many U.S., Canadian and European imports on the rosters of the leagues 22 Russian teams. Russias economic woes are starting to spread into neighbouring nations like Belarus and Kazakhstan, potentially shrinking the incomes for players on KHL teams there.Some players have already started to rebel. Revealing that he had not been paid for three months at Russian club Yugra Khanty-Mansiisk, except small amounts to buy food, forward Ilari Melart told the Ilta Sanomat newspaper in his native Finland that he was not in Siberia for charity.Another Finn, goaltender Mikko Koskinen, was accused by Russian media earlier this month of having refused to play for Sibir Novosibirsk because his ruble salary had dropped. Koskinen, who denies the claims, was traded to SKA St. Petersburg two days later.For the first time since the league was founded in 2008, KHL management has been forced to deny the league could collapse.The leagues financial situation is stable and were looking calmly at the current economic situation. The season will be finished as planned, league president Dmitry Chernyshenko told local media after meeting with club heads Thursday. He also dismissed rumours the league could enforce across-the-board pay cuts for players.Chernyshenko, who led the organizing committee of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, did suggest that some clubs could be removed from the league if they lacked the money to function properly.There are completely clear criteria for taking part in the league, including financial guarantees, he said. Well demand . that the financial guarantees are provided and not just that some pieces of paper are handed in.Smaller KHL teams like Yugra, which depend on the generosity of benefactors in Russian regional government and state-run companies, have long struggled financially. Delays in paying players have been common in recent years, but have reportedly increased this season as government budgets come under strain and Russian state oil and gas companies struggle with low prices for their products.Without large-scale subsidies, many clubs could become financially unstable. Compared to players wages, income from ticket sales and TV rights is typically far from enough to keep a club viable. Despite posting league-record crowds last season and reaching the KHLs Gagarin Cup finals, Czech team Lev Prague withdrew from the league for financial reasons in July.Sanford, who tends goal for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, says he has received all his pay on time. Regardless of what happens to the ruble, Sanford will be heading back to Canada soon. He plans to retire at the end of the season and acknowledges that the falling currency is playing on his mind.My wife and I, we try to do our best with how we save and how we use our money, Sanford said. Weve done pretty good concerning that and obviously well have to try and do even better for the foreseeable future and just try and hope things work out. Cheap Sneakers Online Free Shipping .com) - The Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics both entered Wednesday nights game riding lengthy losing streaks. Cheap Sneakers Website . -- New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has no concerns about the health of shortstop Derek Jeter, who was limited to 17 games last season due to leg injuries. http://www.sneakerscheap.net/ . Coverage on TSN is underway now while action resumes on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. TSN GO also offers TSN subscribers bonus online coverage, with live streams of all four venues. Cheap Sneakers Online China . Their 9-19 record remains identical to the crosstown rivals in Brooklyn and trails both Toronto and Boston in the Atlantic Division. Raymond Felton, their declining point guard, is back on the sideline nursing his third injury of the season. Cheap Wholesale Sneakers Free Shipping . - Zac Leslie scored two goals and assisted on two more, and Justin Nichols made 34 saves as the Guelph Storm blanked the Kitchener Rangers 6-0 in Ontario Hockey League action on Sunday.MILAN - Samuel Etoo is in talks with Everton to leave the Premier League side and join Sampdoria according to the Italian clubs sporting director Carlo Osti.Sampdoria has been in talks with Etoo and his representatives in recent weeks with a view to completing the move for the 33-year-old, who joined Everton from Chelsea in the summer.On Tuesday, Ostti says the deal is almost finalized and that Etoo is negotiating his exit from Everton.ddddddddddddIt would be a return to Italy for Etoo, who spent two seasons at Inter Milan.The former Cameroon striker was part of Jose Mourinhos treble-winning Inter team, which lifted the Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League trophies in 2010. ' ' '