"Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson and Rollie Hedges, the agent for right winger Maksim Mayorov, are both denying reports this morning that Mayorov has signed to play with AK Bars Kazan of the KHL in Russia.

"There's nothing to this," Hedges told The Dispatch. "He's just training with them; he's not playing there. I talked to him yesterday.

"Max knows this is the best chance he's had to make the (Blue Jackets). When players are over in Russia, they have to train; and the best way to train is with a Russian club team. He wants to be ready this year."

The story was first reported by Russia outlet www.sovsports.ru. Here's a link, if you can read the language or translate. Here's a link, translated to English, for the less adventurous.

Respected journalist Dmitry Chesnokov, who reports for www.sovsports.ru and contributes frequently to Yahoo!'s Puck Daddy, reports that AK Bars has been pursuing Mayorov for many months."