Breaking: Shipachyov rips GM George McPhee apart with upsetting declaration.

Wow.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Breaking: Shipachyov rips GM George McPhee apart with upsetting declaration.
Keystone Press Agency

When he officially announced his retirement from the NHL this week, we thought we may be nearing the end of the Vadim Shipachyov saga. But it looks like it is far from being over. The 30-year-old forward signed a one-year, $500,000 contract with the St. Petersburg SKA today, and didn't miss the opportunity to bash his former NHL team.

Here's what he said about the Vegas Golden Knights and general manager George McPhee, according to KHL insider Aivis Kalnins:

"The promises which I was given in America didn't come off, but everything works out for the best."
"I was told to go to the AHL, but I was immediately given a transfer card. In doing so, they let me know that I need to search for a new team. I read what was being written, and I didn't understand what was happening. It was like they wanted me to cancel my contract. Vegas didn't search for other options, despite it being the better option for them. They obviously wanted me to cancel the contract and give them money."

That's where he specifically mentioned McPhee and how the GM mishandled this whole thing:

"Also, I heard that if I play well in the AHL, I still won't be played in the first team. After all of this, I decided that I didn't want to be there. My agent spoke with the general manager, they agreed that we need a few days to search for a new team. Because of that, I left Chicago for Las Vegas. McPhee didn't tell the Chicago Wolves about that discussion, so it was assumed that I left the team on purpose."

He also says the story that was spread by various media organization about him needing to go back to Vegas because his wife didn't speak English wasn't true... And he has no idea where it came from...

"In the press, there was a story that I travelled to my wife because she doesn't speak English. Where did that come from?"

Was it McPhee who slipped this story to journalists? Was it a pure assumption from reporters? It's hard to tell. For now, we'll wish Shipachyov good luck in his home country!

The 30-year-old Russian only had the occasion to play three games with Vegas this season. He scored one goal and ended up with a +/- ratio of +3. He recorded 26 goals and 50 assists, good for 76 points last year with the SKA, last year.

Source: Twitter