Global Hockey Competition: N.H.L. vs. Russia

NYTimes -- Alexei Yashin (pictured above) joined a growing movement among Russian hockey players, government officials and business leaders. They are seeking to reclaim a sport viewed here as a national tradition that has been crippled, many say, by the pilfering of hockey stars over the last decade and a half by the N.H.L.

Now, say these hockey patriots, it is Russia’s turn to have the best. The country’s professional league expects to catch and surpass the N.H.L. as the world’s premier hockey league. To do that, it must keep its best homegrown talent at home — or lure it back home.