Ex-NHLer Kevin Dallman’s family reportedly expelled from Kazakhstan due to wife’s blog

Kevin Dallman is one of KHL's best defensemen. He joined Barys Astana in Kazakhstan in 2008 and in his very first season set the scoring record among defensemen in Russia/USSR dating back to the times of Slava Fetisov, scoring 58 (28+30) points in 53 games. Dallman is also a four time KHL All Star.

Dallman was so popular in Kazakhstan that in 2010 it was reported he was offered Kazakh citizenship to be able to play for the country at World Championships, Olympics and the like. Dallman said he wouldn't do it because he didn't want to lose his Canadian citizenship.

It appears the "love story" is ending for Dallman and Barys. Dallman reportedly had his contract terminated and kicked out of the country.

Why is this at all interesting?

Because Dallman had his contract terminated at the same time a blog post by his wife, criticizing widespread corruption in Kazakhstan, went viral.

In her personal blog, Stacy Dallman talked about difficulties getting reimbursed by the team for travel expenses, "employees are given lump sums of cash wrapped in newspaper to pay bills," and "constantly pay[ing] off traffic police for offenses such as a dirty car."

Stacy said she "began hating everything about the Kazakhstan because the lifestyle is so unfair."

[To be honest I have years of experience with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and was involved in a number of investigations concerning violations of the Act as well as the SEC Books and Records rules involving doing business in Kazakhstan. Transparency International ranks Kazakhstan towards the lower end of the table, well below countries like Liberia, Tonga and Gabon. But I have never heard of a situation like the one with Dallman].

Stacy Dallman's blog post was cited by numerous media in Kazakhstan — see here and here and here — especially those of the opposition to the current regime.

The same regime, it seems, now pushed the Dallman family out of Kazakhstan. All for the blog post.

"My expulsion from the country only verifies each and every point that I have witnessed over the past four years spent in Astana," Stacy Dallman said in her last post.

Stacy Dallman was a driving force behind the Lokomotiv Wives Fund and has done a lot to bring awareness and help to those affected by the tragedy.