Philipp Kurashev Reveals Details Of "Weird" Arbitration Experience

Nobody ever wants to go to arbitration. The player will likely hear things he doesn't want to hear, and the team will have to say things they'd rather not say with the player present. But that's where Philipp Kurashev and the Chicago Blackhawks found themselves earlier this summer. 

The 23-year-old forward was warned by other players to perhaps not be in the room during the hearing—let his agent take care of it. But Kurashev decided to go in with a positive attitude, and now he's opening up about the "weird" experience.

"Of course it's something you don't really want to do, but I didn't know what to expect at all," Kurashev told Blackhawks Insider Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago. "I talked with some people who did it before so they kind of told me, but still, you don't know what comes.

"It was definitely a different experience. It's weird, but it's part of the business. It's nothing personal, that's just how it is."

That was the key for Kurashev. He went in there determined not to take anything personally, He knows it's just a business.

"You always hear the stories about how it is, right?" Kurashev said. "But at the end of the day, you don't have to take it personally, you don't have to take everything they say to heart and just try to focus on what you know about yourself and what you think about yourself, because that's the most important."

Kurashev got the better of the Blackhawks, in the end. The arbitrator awarded him a two-year deal worth $2.2M AAV. He had sought one year, $2.65M, while the 'Hawks filed for two years, $1.4M. 

Now that all of that "business" is out of the way, it's time to get down to business on the ice. 

"I don't have any bad feelings or anything like that to anyone. It was an experience and I learned a lot about the business. It was interesting, but I'm glad it's over with and hopefully that's the last time that happens."

The middle-six forward had nine goals and 25 points in 70 games last season, playing 17 minutes a night. 

 Photo: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports