Russia comeback to IIHF events for 2023-2024

[Hanji]

This can’t be serious - LOL

It's getting ridiculous. Anybody with a differing opinion is labeled a Putin agent.
Its nothing more than an easy way to quell discussion and/or different opinions. Strawman argument. You see it everywhere nowadays.

Stop, just stop.

 

[Icarium]

Russia should go play with the countries which support it in the UN. Should be a grand tournament against, checks notes, Belarus, North Korea, Syria, Eritrea, Mali and Nicaragua.

 

[Slats432]

They can f*** off. The only ones that care are the Russians, we can do without them.

 

[Three On Zero]

Hard not to get political on this topic, but don't punish those who are not directly involved with the current proceedings. Let them play!

 

[Agalloch]

They never should've been banned in the first place

Agree.

 

[Joka12]

Hard not to get political on this topic, but don't punish those who are not directly involved with the current proceedings. Let them play!

But who are they representing? Just themself or the country that is invading another?

 

[Realgud]

But who are they representing? Just themself or the country that is invading another?

Why does that matter?

 

[Three On Zero]

But who are they representing? Just themself or the country that is invading another?

They would obviously be representing themselves on behalf of Russia

 

[Joka12]

Why does that matter?

Because they are representing something that is directly involved in the russian invasion of Ukraine as the Russian hockey federation is connected with the Russian state

 

[Hanji]

Hard not to get political on this topic, but don't punish those who are not directly involved with the current proceedings. Let them play!

Some Euro countries are even banning their own players from the national team who play in Russia.

Ironically that's some old school Soviet Union-type coercion. That's how far they are taking this.

 

[Joka12]

They would obviously be representing themselves on behalf of Russia

Yep so then they are representing something that is directly involved in the war

 

[Albatros]

The Russian athletes are invading Ukraine? New to me

The Russian military is by far the single largest employer of Russian athletes. Out of the 335 Russian athletes at Tokyo Olympics 109 belonged to the Central Sports Club of the Army (CSKA Moscow) alone. Most of them are at least lieutenants of the Russian army.

 

[McGarnagle]

Nobody thought to ban the US from all sporting events when they invaded Iraq.

 

[Hanji]

The Russian military is by far the single largest employer of Russian athletes. Out of the 335 Russian athletes at Tokyo Olympics 109 belonged to the Central Sports Club of the Army (CSKA Moscow) alone. Most of them are at least lieutenants of the Russian army.

At least as it pertains to hockey, CSKA has nothing to do with the military anymore. This is common sense. No current players in the KHL are in the military.

 

[Realgud]

Because they are representing something that is directly involved in the russian invasion of Ukraine as the Russian hockey federation is connected with the Russian state

If you have a concrete reason on how them being unable to represent russia has any effect on the war, I'd like to hear it. Otherwise, I don't see the reason why you'd want to ban athletes.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The Russian military is by far the single largest employer of Russian athletes. Out of the 335 Russian athletes at Tokyo Olympics 109 belonged to the Central Sports Club of the Army (CSKA Moscow) alone. Most of them are at least lieutenants of the Russian army.

This is like when people say the "football coach is the highest paid state employee"

Like it may be "technically" true, but it's obviously not in a more practical sense.

 

[Joka12]

At least as it pertains to hockey, CSKA has nothing to do with the military anymore. This is common sense. No current players in the KHL are in the military.

Russian athletes was granted millitary ranks as an honor after the Olympics.

 

[Three On Zero]

Yep so then they are representing something that is directly involved in the war

That they have no control over or input in

 

[Seras]

Maybe the IIHF woke up and realized they let Americans play for years while they were destroying countries left, right and center and decided to either punish equally or stop taking sides.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

The Russian military is by far the single largest employer of Russian athletes. Out of the 335 Russian athletes at Tokyo Olympics 109 belonged to the Central Sports Club of the Army (CSKA Moscow) alone. Most of them are at least lieutenants of the Russian army.

What does the CSKA team have to do with invading other countries? Is Sergei Plotnikov leading an invasion towards Kiev? (LOL)

 

[Garl]

Nobody thought to ban the US from all sporting events when they invaded Iraq.

Remind me please, how many provinces of Iraq did the US declare as their new territories?

 

[Coaches Coroner]

They should keep them banned and they should retroactively ban the U.S. for their invasions and war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for selling weapons to Saudi Arabia that are being used to facilitate a man-made famine in Yemen at present.

I think it's fine to want Russia to stay out, but if you hold that point of view while not having a similar view about your own nations wars and terribly problematic foreign policy over the years and now, I have no time for you.

 

[Hanji]

Russian athletes was granted millitary ranks as an honor after the Olympics.

If this was the case for hockey why do players need military deferments? AFAIK, the deferement thing is now a big issue considering current events.

That Fedotov goalie, a silver medalist and CSKA player, was taken into the miitary because he was caught with a fake deferment ID. Kaprizov, gold medlaist and CSKA player has talked about his deferment.

 

[GX]

What does the CSKA team have to do with invading other countries? Is Sergei Plotnikov leading an invasion towards Kiev? (LOL)

Apparently no one in Russia has to do anything with the invasion. Russians are, of course, terrible victims of their own actions. CSKA? Sure, Soviet Red Army team has nothing to do with the military.

 

[Cas]

Russian athletes are free to emigrate to another country and seek its citizenship to allow them to represent that country in IIHF events. They can also work to alter their government's policies, by whatever means are available and necessary to them. I have no sympathy otherwise.

The Russian Federation, and its associated sporting associations, have no place in international tournaments or organizations. They can go form their own organizations if they want (and can get anyone else to join them).