Czech government tells NHL Russian players not welcome for Prague series | CBC sport

The war in Ukraine has thwarted plans for the National Hockey League to return to Europe next month to play its first games outside of North America since the pandemic began.

The Czech Foreign Ministry told two NHL teams opening their season in Prague that Russian players were not welcome in Ukraine because of the Russian invasion. It might not amount to an outright ban, and league officials downplayed the potential impact, but it added a layer of uncertainty to a Global Series the NHL is proud of.

The Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks will play regular-season games on October 7th and 8th at Prague’s O2 Arena as part of the series designed to showcase the world’s best players, primarily in Europe. There aren’t many Russians in the two squads: Nashville have forward Yakov Trenin and San Jose have Alexander Barabanov, along with Evgeny Svechnikov, who is at the training camp under a trial arrangement.

NHL Assistant Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press on Thursday that he had “no worries” about players either traveling to Prague or dressing up for the ice. Neither Daly nor the Ministry would say whether the League responded to the letter.

Agent Shumi Babaev, representing Trenin, reiterated Daly’s opinion that he foresees no problems. Agent Dan Milstein, representing Barabanov and Svechnikov, declined to comment.

The Predators moved to the league. Sharks captain Logan Couture said: “The way I see it, we’re a team here and if we go there we want everyone on our team to be there. All the guys that will make the team are part of our team.”

The NHL never considered a ban

The ministry said it had informed the League “of ongoing negotiations on an entry ban for those citizens of the Russian Federation who had previously obtained valid visas.” A fold concerns passports from other countries or visas issued by other European countries.

The Czech ministry said a ban on Russian athletes at sporting events in European Union countries had also been recommended by EU sports ministers.

The NHL never considered banning Russians, many of whom are among the most experienced hockey players in the world. Commissioner Gary Bettman told The AP in the spring that the Russians “perform in the NHL for their NHL team for NHL fans.”

The league has barred players from bringing the Stanley Cup to Russia or close-ally Belarus this summer because of their role in the invasion of Ukraine. Valeri Nichushkin was the only Russian player at the Colorado Avalanche Cup winners.

First European games since the pandemic

The NHL is returning to Europe for its first games outside of North America since 2019. After the two games in Prague, the Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets will play twice in Tampere, Finland on November 4th and 5th. The Finnish government’s position towards Russian players was not immediately clear.

Czech NHL legend Dominik Hasek has led opposition to Russian players coming to Prague since the games were announced in April. Hasek addressed the upper house of parliament, the senate, the government and the foreign ministry in this regard.

“It is very important for the support of our Ukrainian ally and the safety of our citizens,” Hasek said in an interview for a Russian channel. After it failed to air in Russia, he released it in Czech media.

“Yes, we don’t want to promote Russian aggression here,” Hasek posted on Twitter after the ministry’s move. “We protect our lives and the lives of our allies first and foremost.”