(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Canada’s Junior Hockey League decided to bar all Russian players from the upcoming draft. Meanwhile, a major hockey company has dropped top Russian players from their sponsorships.
Drawing a mixed reaction from the public, the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CHL) announced that they will ban all Russian and Belarusian teenagers from being drafted into the league over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and hockey equipment giant CCM announced they are cutting ties with one of the top National Hockey League (NHL) players, Russia’s Alexander Ovechkin, as well as other Russian star players.
“At 3pm EST the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CHL) will announce that Russian and Belorussian 16 & 17 year old children would be banned from the upcoming draft,” NHL hockey agent Dan Milstein tweeted Wednesday
“I am Ukrainian born and want peace. I do not believe banning teenagers for something they do not control is the answer,” the agent added.
With respect to CCM, chief executive Marrouane Nabih told TSN on Wednesday that “Although Mr. Ovechkin is not responsible for the Russian government’s actions, we took the decision to not use him (or any Russian player) on any global CCM communication at this point.”
Both the CHL and CCM were met with praise and criticism for their decision to sever ties with Russian players. While some insisted the move was wise because it might put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his troops, many others felt as though the move changed nothing and was merely punishing Russians for a decision they did not make.
“So rather than give these boys a chance for a better life, and a path out of such turmoil, the [CHL] has decided to take that away … ” one user wrote on social media, disagreeing with the decision to ban Russians.
“Tough luck for the kids but that’s how it goes in war. We must put maximum pressure on Russia and the Russian people while their dictator threatens us all with nuclear war,” countered another user, supporting the move.
Sanctions placed against Russian athletes are not exclusive to Canada or to hockey. The Paralympics, currently underway in Beijing, China, have also barred Russian and Belarusian players from competing.
Even tech companies such as Apple have taken moves to implement sanctions on Russians by announcing they will no longer be shipping merchandise to the country and stating that they have axed the ability of Russians to use their financial transaction service Apple Pay.
While putting sanctions on Russia has not been seen as controversial in the West, there are those who worry that heavy-handed measures by governments and companies will spur anti-Russian attacks on ethnic Russians living abroad.
Last Saturday, CTV news reported that a Russian Orthodox church in Calgary, Alberta was vandalized with red paint in what many presume was a vindictive act over Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Fr. Dmitry Grygoryev, the parish priest of the vandalized church, told CTV News that he understands the vandal’s “motivation” and the desire to express emotion, but sees the attack as misplaced because “church is outside of politics.”
While the church is Russian Orthodox, nearly one-third of the parishioners are Ukrainian, according to the priest, who added that he himself was “born and raised in Ukraine before going to school in Russia.”
Grygoryev also mentioned that everyone at the parish was “praying for the peace and unity [between] the Ukrainian and Russian people” as “pretty much everyone has either relatives or friends in Ukraine and we feel worried.”