Malkin secretly flees from Russian club - report
MOSCOW, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Evgeni Malkin, the Pittsburgh Penguins' number one pick in 2004, has fled from his Russian club Metallurg Magnitogorsk days after agreeing a new contract, local media reported on Saturday.
News agency Itar-Tass, citing a source within the club, reported that Malkin had disappeared from Metallurg's training camp in Finland.
"Malkin secretly left the club, taking his belongings and his passport," the source said. Metallurg officials were not immediately available for comment.
Earlier this week, Metallurg said that Malkin had annulled his previous contract with the club, which would have kept him in Magnitogorsk through April 2008. Instead, he had signed a new one-year deal after which he would become a free agent.
The Russian, who turned 20 two weeks ago, has always stated his desire to play in the National Hockey League (NHL), saying he wanted to prove himself at a higher level.
Malkin's sudden disappearance was reminiscent of that of another gifted 20-year-old, Alexander Mogilny, who defected to the United States at the 1989 world championship in Sweden. In an All-Star career in the NHL, Mogilny won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2000.
Pittsburgh drafted Malkin second overall in 2004 behind fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin, who took the NHL by storm last season winning the Calder Trophy as the best rookie.
Metallurg, however, had no intention of releasing their most prized asset after Russia refused to sign a transfer agreement with the NHL earlier this month.
Under the agreement Magnitogorsk would have received a basic $200,000 fee for Malkin whereas the Russian club wanted at least 10 times more.

Wow, nothing like this has happened since the late 80s/early 90s with Mogilny, Bure, and Federov. Crazy!

The details of this still seem to be sketchy to me as whether or not he will actually get to suit up for the pens.