NHL » Coyotes want Tikhonov back, he refuses

Coyotes want Tikhonov back, he refuses (Photo © AP Photo, Fred Chartrand)

Viktor Tikhonov’s father, Vasiliy, gave an interview to a Russian newspaper Sport-Express where he stated that the Coyotes want Tikhonov to come back to the North America.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation.

– Were there any problems with the Coyotes when Viktor decided to leave for the KHL?
– Yes. In Viktor’s contract with the Coyotes there is a clause saying that he can return to Russia if he gets sent to the AHL. We used this clause and now he is going to play for Severstal of the KHL on a loan basis. But recently we have been contacted by the Coyotes, they want Viktor to return to the North America*. They say he has a contract.

– Is he going to return?
– No. We want him to play in the new Russian league. We hope Viktor will do great there.

Update:
* – in the original post I wrote ‘return to Phoenix’ and some visitors thought that the Coyotes’ would grant him ice time in the NHL. Now I changed it to ‘return to the North America’ because this is what actually was written in the original interview. Beg your pardon.