THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING... TO THE BARCLAY CENTER

Another interesting deal has gone down at the Barclay Center, or "The Mos Eisley Space Port of sporting venues," as I prefer to call it. Last week Kontinental Hockey League President Alexander Medvedev said that the Barflay Center will host regular season games and exhibitions starting next year. Just to clarify, KHL is a hockey league comprised of teams from Russia, Belrus, Latvia, Slovakia and some other countries with a lot of K's and Z's. Basically it's the Eastern Block on ice, and Brooklyn will be their first home in North America! This will be sweet for hockey fans (though I am not one of them).

Here's what Medvedev had to say [via Yahoo Sports]: 

I had a good meeting with the head of the NHLPA, Gary Bettman and Bill Daly, discussed many important questions. I watched two games: New Jersey Devils vs. Anaheim Ducks and the New York Rangers vs. Chicago. We decided that when the basketball club finishes building its arena in Brooklyn, KHL Legends Game and regular season games will be held there. We are continuing to improve the relationship between the KHL and the NHL. I am hoping that the situation with [Alex] Radulov will not spoil it.

What would Joseph McCarthy say if he were alive today? Something about Commie Reds taking over right under our noses? Well Joey, you can cool your jets, 'cause this is good ole' fashioned capitalism: a product of a rich boy bromance between, Mr. Medvedev and Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire and owner of the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets. No red here, only green. 

Does the NHL have anything to say about this? Medvedev says:  "the NHL promised that they won't oppose [having KHL games in Brooklyn]." Am I the only one who thinks his unabashed confidence in that statement is scary? On second thought, it's gets the Barclay peeps off the NHL's back about putting the Islanders over there. And to quote an astute commenter from the Yahoo Sports post: "Brooklyn has a huge Russian population, so the KHL games will probably draw better than the Islanders."

My suggestion: NHL v. KHL and it'll feel like the 80's all over again. Am I wrong here?