This could be of interest to fantasy fans as players would now have an option of where to play. European players may not want to stay as long in the NHL, preferring to play back in their native lands as they near retirement. Dominik Hasek almost went back to the Czech Republic years ago as he wanted his nine-year-old son to learn the Czech way of life. If there was a team in Prague, there would have been a very good chance that he would have returned as the money would have been almost as good as in the NHL.
A big problem is that European Hockey Federations feel that the NHL is not paying them enough to develop players. The Russian Federation is not part of the collective agreement that states the NHL team drafting a player must pay the appropriate Federation a set amount of money ($200,000) if the player signs with the team. This season especially, the majority of the European players who just signed, are in the minors and the Federations think that if the players can not play in the NHL, they should come home. Sweden is set to opt out of the agreement and many other countries are thinking likewise.
The NHL has benefitted greatly from the influx of European players, the first major sport that has taken advantage of the lands across the pond. The NBA has followed suit of late and it is a much better league as a result. If a league in Europe takes place, it could severely hamper the NHL if players decide that they would like to play at home rather than in North America.