KHL Awaiting Final Word on Lockout Resolution

MOSCOW, January 6 (R-Sport) - The KHL is eagerly awaiting confirmation that the NHL lockout has been resolved, the Russian-based league's vice president told R-Sport on Sunday.

The KHL has a lot riding on the fate of the lockout because at least NHL 40 players have signed deals with its teams to get ice time during the impasse, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin being the highest-profile examples.

"They have a few days to sort everything out," Vladimir Shalaev said. "We're on the pulse; we know what's going on over there."

"We'll see what conditions the new collective agreement will be signed on."

There have been calls from hockey pundits in Russia for Ovechkin, Malkin and the other stars to see out the KHL season regardless of what happens in North America.

Shalaev said that was not realistically on the cards, but he insisted it was the job of the NHL to announce who exactly would have to return.

"Those who are on those contracts will have to leave."

The lockout reached its 113th day on Sunday, when the NHL announced an imminent breakthrough.

"The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association reached agreement on the framework of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement early Sunday morning," the NHL said.

"After a marathon 16-plus hour negotiating session ... that began Saturday afternoon, the sides announced an agreement in principle."

The NHL said the new CBA must still be drafted and formerly approved by both parties.

More than 620 NHL games through January 14 have been canceled to date.

The following NHL players are on lockout contracts in the KHL:

CSKA Moscow: Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Bryzgalov, Mikhail Grabovski

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl: Dmitry Kulikov, Semyon Varlamov, Artem Anisimov

SKA St. Petersburg: Ilya Kovalchuk, Vladimir Tarasenko, Sergei Bobrovsky, Kris Letang

Donbass Donetsk: Anton Babchuk, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Ruslan Fedotenko

Lev Prague: Zdeno Chara, Jakub Voracek, Roman Cervenka, Jiri Hudler (released)

Slovan Bratislava: Lubomir Visnovsky, Andrej Sekera

Dynamo Minsk: Pekka Rinne, Evander Kane, Joe Pavelski

Dynamo Moscow: Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom

Atlant Moscow Region: Anton Khudobin, Fedor Tyutin, Viktor Stalberg

Dinamo Riga: Kaspars Daugavins

Vityaz Chekhov: Andrei Markov

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod: Anton Volchenkov, Alexander Semin

Metallurg Magnitogorsk: Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, Nikolai Kulemin

Avangard Omsk: Nikita Nikitin, Sergei Kostitsyn

Traktor Chelyabinsk: Andrei Kostitsyn

Barys Astana: Nikolai Antropov, Ryan McDonagh, Victor Hedman

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk: Nail Yakupov

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg: Joffrey Lupul

Ak Bars Kazan: Nikolai Emelin