While I still consider the KHL to be more Red Menace chum for hockey pundits than an actual threat to the NHL, this summer has created a sense that we're at the dawn of Hockey's Cold War. And there is going to be a contingent of nationalists in North America that are completely fine with this, because they yearn for the simplistic days of common enemies.

It's the Don Cherry crowd, the one that never believed there was a Russian word for "Rock'em Sock'em"; the one that's been waiting for Martin Straka to head back "where he comes from" because they believe there's a surge of BC-bred Milan Lucics waiting for his job. In other words: There's already a built-in audience for an NHL/KHL Summit Series, bringing this international animosity to the ice.

The original Summit Series was born of a much different era, of course, with Canadians cheesed off about getting their asses handed to them in international competitions by Russian hockey teams that were about as amateur as Jenna Jameson. In fact, the script would be flipped: North America would be the superior talent, and the Russians would be clawing for respect.

Garrett of Puckhead's Thoughts blogged about this idea, and it was the first time I really thought about the rivalry between these leagues beyond Alexander Radulov and transfer agreements (which has, by the way, raised the level of off-season tedium to near-record levels):

With now two seemingly good leagues separated by the globe, could an interleague super series be in the future? It's an interesting question and many on the KHL side would like to see NHL franchises compete with their teams. A thought that I am sure has crossed the mind of Gary Bettman. A super series with games both played here in North America and over in Russia.

Imagine Alex Ovechkin playing in his home town of Moscow in a Capitals sweater against his former team Dynamo Moscow or Jaromir Jagr suiting up for Omsk to play against the New York Rangers. Both games heavy with storylines that both Russian and North American fans would understand and both be interested in.

The pros and cons for this NHL/KHL series are entrancing, perplexing and in many ways insurmountable.

The advantages are rather obvious: The inherent drama and the stakes at hand, even for an exhibition series, would make the Winter Classic look like a Peanuts snow globe by comparison.

The thought of Alexander Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk suiting up for the NHL in order to prove its superiority over a fledging League back in the homeland. The notion of an ex-pat like Jagr exacting revenge on a League that turned its back on him. Canadians and Americans teaming up against Russians on the ice, reproducing the king of athletic tension their fathers used to recall with tales of Paul Henderson or Herb Brooks.

For the NHL, it would be a world stage on which to curb-stomp the competition. An eight-game series with a decisive victory and a goal differential of 45-10 would cement the League as the superior product, at least symbolically. ("In Russia, puck plays goalie...") Suddenly "take the money and run" will be accompanied by "to that inferior garbage league" for bitter GMs seeing free agents skate across the pond.

But the cons for the NHL probably outweigh any benefits. Simply put, there's nothing tangible to gain for Gary Bettman and the League. The KHL can crow about capital and expansion into other parts of Europe. But the NHL is the gold standard; simply inviting the KHL to the party increases its cache. It'd be like an eight-game infomercial on a global stage.

There's a reason third-party candidates don't get invited to Presidential Debates: The perception of equal footing.

God forbid the NHL actually takes it on the chin from the feisty Russians ... that's a PR nightmare that would make the Chris Simon incident seem like a love-tap. You didn't exactly see an NFL/USFL Pro Bowl, did you?

I keep coming back to the NFL/USFL comparison, but in the end (depending on the KHL's foray into other European countries) it could be more NFL/AFL. I've said since the beginning that, ultimately, I expect the NHL and the KHL to create some sort of global super league down the line. If KHL President Alexander Medvedev's goal is indeed to "find a way to develop hockey worldwide," competitive interaction between the leagues would serve that end and potentially lead to a more long-standing relationship many moons from now.

From a fan perspective, I'm sure this idea has many of us already salivating. The hockey could completely suck, but the dramatic tension of this "international conflict" would keep us watching from the drop of the puck. Especially for the fans who just want to root for the home colors and bash the commies again.

That's the underlying narrative buried beneath all the backroom maneuvering we've had in recent weeks: That NHL players aren't the only ones eager to have a rival league in Russia; it's pretty good business for flag-waving jingoists, too.

There are likely too many philosophical and economic pitfalls to make a new "Summit Series" happen, but it's foolish to think it wouldn't sell to the "Rocky IV" crowd and that the Leagues couldn't handsomely profit from a venture like this. 

As long as Rocky wins the fight, of course. Or else you can forget "NHL v. KHL II."

Related: Hockey Fans, Gary Bettman, Commissioner for Life, Crosby vs. Ovechkin vs. Malkin