PRAGUE — The Czech Foreign Ministry has told two NHL teams opening the season in Prague that any Russian players would not be welcome because of the war in Ukraine.
It may not amount to an outright ban and league officials downplayed the potential impact, but it added a layer of uncertainty to the Global Series, which will mark the NHL’s first games outside North America since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks are set to play regular-season games Oct. 7 and 8 at Prague’s O2 Arena as part of the series that is intended to put the world’s top players on display, primarily in Europe. There are not many Russians on the rosters: Nashville has forward Yakov Trenin and San Jose has Alexander Barabanov and Evgeny Svechnikov, who is in training camp on a professional tryout agreement.
“We can confirm that the Czech Foreign Ministry has sent a letter to the NHL to point out that, at this moment, the Czech Republic or any other state in the [visa free] Schengen zone should not issue visas to the Russian players to enter our territory,” Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Smolek said in a statement.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press on Thursday he has “no concern” with players either traveling to Prague or suiting up to take the ice. Neither Daly nor the ministry would say if the league replied to the letter.
Agent Shumi Babaev, who represents Trenin, echoed Daly’s sentiment that he did not foresee any problems. Agent Dan Milstein, who represents Barabanov and Svechnikov, declined comment.
“My view is we’re a team in here, and if we go over there, we want everyone on our team to be there,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said. “All the guys that are going to make the team are a part of our team.”
Why some people would support this while simultaneously freaking out when a player is forced to stay in Russia and fight instead baffles me.
Sport unite people!
I don’t understand why people would support it while freaking out when a player is unable to leave Russia and must instead go to war.
4 comments
PRAGUE — The Czech Foreign Ministry has told two NHL teams opening the season in Prague that any Russian players would not be welcome because of the war in Ukraine.
It may not amount to an outright ban and league officials downplayed the potential impact, but it added a layer of uncertainty to the Global Series, which will mark the NHL’s first games outside North America since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks are set to play regular-season games Oct. 7 and 8 at Prague’s O2 Arena as part of the series that is intended to put the world’s top players on display, primarily in Europe. There are not many Russians on the rosters: Nashville has forward Yakov Trenin and San Jose has Alexander Barabanov and Evgeny Svechnikov, who is in training camp on a professional tryout agreement.
“We can confirm that the Czech Foreign Ministry has sent a letter to the NHL to point out that, at this moment, the Czech Republic or any other state in the [visa free] Schengen zone should not issue visas to the Russian players to enter our territory,” Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Smolek said in a statement.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press on Thursday he has “no concern” with players either traveling to Prague or suiting up to take the ice. Neither Daly nor the ministry would say if the league replied to the letter.
Agent Shumi Babaev, who represents Trenin, echoed Daly’s sentiment that he did not foresee any problems. Agent Dan Milstein, who represents Barabanov and Svechnikov, declined comment.
“My view is we’re a team in here, and if we go over there, we want everyone on our team to be there,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said. “All the guys that are going to make the team are a part of our team.”
Why some people would support this while simultaneously freaking out when a player is forced to stay in Russia and fight instead baffles me.
Sport unite people!
I don’t understand why people would support it while freaking out when a player is unable to leave Russia and must instead go to war.