MOSCOW, April 12 (R-Sport) - Russian hockey prodigy Valery Nichushkin will be allowed to suit up for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the next two Gagarin Cup final games but must report for the national team for the junior world championships next week, the federation said Friday.
The announcement by federation chief Vladislav Tretiak gives the 18-year-old forward, touted as a potential top-five NHL draft pick, one game more in the KHL finals than previously promised.
"We want Nichushkin to travel to the national team after the fifth game of the series," Tretiak said, a day after Nichushkin had helped Traktor win game three to trail reigning champion Dynamo Moscow by two games to one.
Ditching the series after game five on Monday would give Nichushkin three days with the national team before its world championships opener against the United States at the tournament in Sochi.
"There is a law that nobody has repealed: A hockey player must play for his national team. ... It's very pleasing that he's one of the top players in the KHL, but I believe the national team takes precedence."
Tretiak is one of hockey's greatest goaltenders, having led the Soviet team to three Olympic gold medals and 10 world championship titles in the 1970s and early 80s.
The fourth game of the Gagarin Cup finals is later Friday.
Initially, Traktor chief executive Vladimir Krechina had said he was ready for “any confrontation, any war” to keep Nichushkin for the entire series, but Tretiak insisted "common ground" would be found.
