general director “Amur” Vadim Pokotilo said the Khabarovsk club had no reason to pay for the striker’s operation Ivan Nikolishin .
Earlier, media reported that there was a verbal agreement between Amur and the 27-year-old hockey player to pay for the surgery, which was performed in Germany. During the offseason, Nikolishin, who became the team’s top scorer in the 2022/23 season, refused to accept the club’s offer to qualify.
– So far, one of the leaders of last year’s squad, Nikolishin, hasn’t signed a contract with the club.
“The situation here is complicated. In April, we made Ivan a strong qualifying offer. In May, they sent out a ready-made two-year contract, adding impressive individual bonuses to the previous terms. He did not sign this contract. At the moment, the player is in “fixed rights” status and belongs to the club. But, as you understand, he didn’t make it to training camp.
– Earlier, reports appeared in the media that the club refused to pay for Ivan’s operation, which they did in the spring in Germany, despite the payment guarantees given to the player.
Yes, we have seen these articles and blogs by journalists. They only caused confusion. They didn’t immediately comment on these speculations in order to give Ivan the chance to make the right decision without pressure. But now it is already possible and necessary to clarify the situation.
The club had neither the right nor the possibility to pay for Ivan’s operation in Germany. We offered to pay for it in any Russian clinic of the player’s choice. He decided to go abroad and issued a written waiver of any claim against the club in this regard. The document is in our archives. Statements by respected journalists that the club promised to pay for the operation later on checks and other documents provided by Ivan have nothing to do with reality.
Separately, I want to note that over the past two seasons the club has not allowed a single violation of its obligations to players and not a single delay in the payment of salaries and bonuses. Paying for Nikolishin’s operation would not be a problem for us. But there is simply no reason for such a payment, with which Ivan himself agreed in writing.
– The media wrote that there was an agreement to include the cost of the operation in Nikolishin’s new contract. It’s true?
– I will say this: under the two-year contract offered to Ivan, he could earn seven times more than last year. And the cost of the operation, this amount exceeded ten times.
– What will happen next?
“Our previous contract offer is no longer on the table. Ivan was given the status of “fixed rights”, in the KHL / VHL system, he belongs to us. If Ivan’s side is ready to discuss new terms and seek a way out of the current situation, we are open to dialogue. If Nikolishin decides to spend the next season abroad or in Europe, that’s his right. But when he decides to come back to the KHL, he will always belong to Amur. We will only act in the interest of the club. First of all, this concerns the recently appeared rumors about the exchange of Nikolishin to another club. I cannot say that there is a stir in this direction, – Pokotilo quotes the Amur site.
Nikolishin last season played 67 games in the KHL regular season, scored 42 points (17 goals and 25 assists).
Source : MatchTV
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