Citing war in Ukraine, dozens of groups call on NHL to reject hockey matchups with Russian league
As one Russian hockey star is being lauded for his accomplishments in the NHL, more than two dozen groups are calling on the North American league to reject the idea of on-ice matchups with the league from his homeland, Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.
As one Russian hockey star is being lauded for his accomplishments in the NHL, more than two dozen groups are calling on the North American league to reject the idea of on-ice matchups with the league from his homeland, Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.
The day after Alexander Ovechkin became the top goal scorer in NHL history, a coalition of Ukrainian-American and Ukrainian-Canadian organizations argued that such matches “would be an affront to millions of American and Canadian NHL fans and to people of Ukrainian descent in both countries.”
The group urged NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in a letter Monday to “express prompt, public and unequivocal opposition to this suggestion.”
It was signed by more than 30 humanitarian and community organizations.
“We call on you to reject any collaboration between the NHL and the KHL or any competition between the two league’s players. Such initiatives would forever stain your organization’s reputation, facilitate the broader reintegration of the Russian Federation into world sporting bodies, undermine the NHL’s own stated values, and alienate millions of hockey fans," the letter said.
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