Opinion: Canada And Other Nations Deserve Credit For Drawing A Line On Russian IIHF Participation

We're living in a complicated world where politics increasingly finds its way into our everyday lives. The hockey world is no exception.

The most recent example of this is the impact of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

After the baffling decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that has forced the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to reinstate Russian teams to its tournaments, seven countries — Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Norway, Latvia and Denmark — have spoken out against the decision and have agreed to actively boycott any events with Russian participation.

Whether or not you agree with that decision, those seven nations deserve credit for taking a stance against Russia.

Meanwhile, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that athletes representing Russia in all sports would not be permitted to play on Canadian soil as the war against Ukraine continues. That includes the world junior hockey championship, which begins next month in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.

Give Canada and the other seven countries credit. 

None of them had to do anything. They could have simply shrugged their shoulders and announced to the world that they had no choice but to abide by the CAS's decision and allowed Russia back into international competition. That would've been the path of least resistance. 

Instead, they stepped up and took a stance.

By choosing to boycott Russia, they made it clear that there are things more important than a hockey tournament.

That's not easy. It takes guts and courage. And it won't be forgotton.

It may sting for players in the boycotting countries to not be able to participate in prestigious tournaments the Russians are in. Those are significant consequences for athletes who have worked their entire lives for these opportunities.

However, there are principles that matter more to a country than hockey, and decisions like these put them on the right side of history.

This isn't about alienating Russian hockey players. While we fervently disagree with Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin's political support of president Vladimir Putin, we understand Russian players shouldn't be held responsible for the political choices their country has made. But there must be consequences for those political choices. Boycotting international tournaments is a price that has to be paid.

We're still waiting to see if other major hockey nations, including the United States, will add its name to the growing list of boycotting countries. If not, they will look like they've accepted Russia back into the international hockey community.

In this writer's opinion, that will be a stain on each of them.

When — or if — this war ends and Russia eventually withdraws from Ukraine, then there can be a serious conversation about Russia's eventual return to international hockey. But as their invasion continues, the ruling that allows them back into international competition feels very premature. And just plain wrong. 

For now, it's a positive sign that at least eight countries have drawn a hard line when it comes to Russian participation in international competition.

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