Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux stated on Tuesday that he plans to find somewhere else to play if the NHL enacts an extended lockout against the players, according to Bruce Garrioch. Giroux took part in an informal practice held at the Bell Sensplex on Tuesday, which is the Ottawa Senators practice facility.
With the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and its player's association set to dissolve on Sept. 15, commissioner Gary Bettman has already made it clear that the players will be locked out if a new deal is not negotiated prior to the expiration of the current deal.
This has forced players to begin seriously considering alternative employment opportunities.
According to Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, Giroux won't be playing in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. In a foreign language interview from July, Bryzgalov stated that he and Giroux had already discussed the topic.
Via Yahoo!'s Puck Daddy:
"Claude and I had a conversation about this once at dinner. Giroux said that he was afraid of going to Russia.
"Claude says 'I have one friend who played in Russia. But he was kicked out from the club without paying. Hockey players in the KHL are absolutely unprotected.'"
The KHL has placed a set of strict rules that will limit the amount of NHL players that will be eligible to receive temporary contracts in case of a lockout. However, Giroux mets each of the categories and would assumedly be admitted to the league if he so desires.
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