There will be no Ukrainian team in the KHL next season as the hockey world begins to wonder about the effects of a long-term conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Donbass Donetsk — Ukraine’s only entry in the KHL — is on sabbatical for one season, a decision reached in June after the team’s arena was sacked, looted and set afire in May.

While most believe hockey will carry on as usual — or at least with blinders on — there is a belief that should tensions worsen, the KHL will suffer in terms of the level of play and from U.S. economic sanctions.

So far there has been no mass migration from the KHL, but it’s worth noting that the league’s signing season occurred largely before the current escalation that includes the downing of a passenger jet in Ukraine.

“I don’t anticipate that as a cause and effect at this point,” said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly when asked about the possibility players would leave Russia. “I assume if the conflict is prolonged and/or worsens that may change, but I think it’s a fairly remote consideration for most players right now.”

There are other ways the Russian-based league can be hurt. The U.S. has imposed economic and travel sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, many with significant ties to the league, including:

Gennady Timchenko, a Putin confidante and chairman of the board of the KHL.

Billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, president of Alex Ovechkin’s former team, Dynamo Moscow.

Vladimir Yakunin, president of both Russian railways operator RZD and its team, Yaroslavl Locomotiv.

“To the extent their businesses suffer as a result of possible sanctions against them — asset freezes, travel bans — does that spill over into having an impact on the KHL? Possibly,” said agent Allan Walsh.

Meanwhile, HC Spartak Moscow has withdrawn due to financial problems from its chief sponsor, InvestBank.

The Russian-based league still draws players from across Europe and North America, even after it was predicted the league would suffer following the 2011 crash of an airliner carrying most members of Lokomotiv, killing all on board.

“Players are still going there because the money is still very good,” said agent Don Meehan. “We’re placing people there. We haven’t had people come back and say they’ll never go back because of this or that.

“There’s an independence aspect of people accumulating more money over there than they can here. People are still going there because of the opportunities.”

There are many issues with Russian hockey: the travel is far more widespread than the NHL, the facilities aren’t as good and there are apocryphal stories of players not getting paid. And when they are paid, it’s often in cash after a game with players feeling unsafe carrying large amounts of money with them out of the arena late at night.

And even if matters worsen between Ukraine and Russia, hockey players are most likely going to keep their noses out of it. The advice agent Mark Gandler — who has a large Russian clientele — gives his players is to stay quiet.

“Hockey and sports in general in Russia is very political,” said Gandler. “So any statement by a player is widely read by everyone in Russia and every time there is a quote from a player in the press, the president of the team immediately receives a call from the government from different people who think their job is to censor the press.”

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The Donbass hockey team has essentially disbanded for a year, allowing its players to sign elsewhere for this coming season. It had hoped to participate in a Ukrainian championship, but abandoned those plans as well. Its youth hockey team won’t travel this year either, for security reasons, according to the team’s website.

The Donbass player NHL fans might know is Ruslan Fedotenko, now looking for a job back in the NHL.

“We’ve had multiple discussions with multiple NHL teams,” said Walsh, his agent. “The goal is to play in the NHL next year.”

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