[News] Sharks GM Grier Says Team will not go to Prague if Russians can't play

[FlamesAddiction]

I don't think there is anything wrong with a country banning citizens from unfriendly countries from entering.

But I also don't think teams should have to play regular season games without being able to ice their best rosters if every other team isn't facing the same penalty.

I wonder if we see any Russian players apply for Canadian or American citizenship if this thing carries on. If I was a young player hoping to have a long career in North America, I might consider it. It's not out of the question that Canada or the U.S. implements the same rule if an all out war with Russia breaks out.

[DoubleK]

Grier way over his skis before the pick drops on his first season. He is absolutely well within his rights to bring it up with the league, either directly or through the BoG, whatever works, but to come out publicly?

Not worth the risk IMO, and not the right time, the league didn't even have a chance to respond in any fashion.

Frontrunning the NHL on this was an incredibly poor decision.

[BloodFetish]

I'm with Grier and Locke. No way should they be playing NHL games in the Chechen republic.

Oh wait...

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

They're hockey players, they're not involved. Unless they're actively promoting Putin's regime (coughOvechkincough) just... whatever, let them shoot a puck at a net. Grier's right.

Uninformed geopolitical opinion confirmed.

Are you overr 56 or close? I do get what your saying but you DUMB at the same time .

This comment is the opposite of " If you know, you know " or the tried and true position of selling of " I know what I got ".

[Itse]

I think Czech reaction is understandable (not sure if good or bad but I get the idea), and I think Grier is also right to take this stance.

Just cancel the trip and call it bad timing.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

They're hockey players, they're not involved. Unless they're actively promoting Putin's regime (coughOvechkincough) just... whatever, let them shoot a puck at a net. Grier's right.

But they're not just hockey players, these players are mostly hero's in mother Russia and their fans might just take notice when one or more grows a pair and speaks out against Putin's madness but so far their lips are sealed or idiots like Ovechkin in somewhat support this crap.

As far as I'm concerned as long as Ukrainian civilians are being bombed and the women and children are being raped and brutalized every silent Russian player should be sent back to sharpen Putin's skates not making millions of $$$ in NA.

[カナダ人です]

I thought sport was supposed to transcend this kinda stuff...

I don't think Grier is wrong

[SebC]

Originally Posted by カナダ人です

I thought sport was supposed to transcend this kinda stuff...

I don't think Grier is wrong

Sports being apolitical as a concept makes the most sense while the Olympic Truce is also in place. If hostilities are ceased for a competition, then by all means that's a great result of allowing belligerent nations to participate.

The modern Olympic Truce has been violated three times, all by Russia, and one of those times is the invasion of Ukraine. If Russia won't respect peace through sports, then peace through sports can have no respect for Russia.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by FranksandBean

I would really like it if people who don’t understand the whole situation just stay out of commenting. This is like stating all Americans agree with Trump or all Canadians agree with Trudeau and should be treaded a certain way because that person is _____. The Russians are being forced to either go to the front they didn’t choose (get a vote on) and die or prison!!! Why should we also remove their ability to leave that regime?

Exactly.

As a fan: Who honestly cares where they're from? Do you want to watch a Minnesota game without Kaprizov? A New York game without Shesterkin? A Tampa Bay game without Kucherov or Vasilevskiy? These are the best of the best. We're over that. We love this league because it is best-on-best, no matter where you're from.

As the league: Wow, you really want to showcase your best players besides the Russian players? Barabanov and Trenin are highlights of each of their teams.

As San Jose: I'm happy Grier said that. And it puts the pressure on the league and the Czechs to let them play the game fairly.

As Nashville: I'm also happy Grier said that. Either let them forfeit or play without one of their good forwards.

This stuff should have been over when Jackie Robinson came into the major leagues. It shouldn't matter where you're from or what you look like, as long as you can play. These players have zero control over where they're born or who controls that country.

[McG]

100% within a country’s rights to determine who can and cannot enter and consequences for that decision.

100% within a person’s rights to decide not to go to that country or deal with the consequences.

100% within an employer’s right to decide who to send or not and deal with the consequences.

Looks like everyone is right. Sharks forfeit.

[calumniate]

The league should have moved swiftly on this, not Grier. Yeah let's play nhl games where some of the best players aren't even allowed to show up. Great work bettman.. what a clown

[Jason14h]

How can the NHL have a game in a country that doesnt allow certain players to attend through no fault of their own. I can't image the Players Association being ok with this

Imagine if the Flames were going to play a game overseas and the country decided Swedes couldn't play.

I can't see any scenario where the league has SJ forfeit. They will cancel and return the game to North America

[Itse]

Originally Posted by calumniate

The league should have moved swiftly on this, not Grier. Yeah let's play nhl games where some of the best players aren't even allowed to show up. Great work bettman.. what a clown

Yeah, this is a ball that should be with Bettman, leaving Grier to deal with it kinda sucks.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Chingas

That's basically like saying you are nuts if you go to Germany tomorrow. Like almost identical. FYI when we drove from Germany to the Chech Republic (named that at the time) we were doing 140kph as we crossed the border.

Check out a map sometime.

He's an anti-mappite.

Originally Posted by Locke

Its because Maps are for the intellectually challenged.

Who uses a 'Map' anymore? Probably Russian spies, thats who!

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by greyshep

I have no issue with what the Czech govt is doing here. If Grier doesnt like it, I dont care...stay home.

I do. I had an issue with Wimbledon banning Russian born players, too. It's one thing if they're coming direct from Russia, although even there there's an argument for letting people get away from that mess. But just excluding people from the country on the basis of where they happen to have been born, even if they don't currently live or work there, does not seem to me like a justifiable policy.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

The NHL needs to pipe in and say all NHL players will play, or they move the games back to North America. It isn't that hard. They can say they support the Czech's right to enforce their borders as they see fit, but that means no NHL games.

[The Fisher Account]

I'd like to see some data on whether these international games really do anything for the league.

[GhostCookie]

Originally Posted by SebC

Sports being apolitical as a concept makes the most sense while the Olympic Truce is also in place. If hostilities are ceased for a competition, then by all means that's a great result of allowing belligerent nations to participate.

The modern Olympic Truce has been violated three times, all by Russia, and one of those times is the invasion of Ukraine. If Russia won't respect peace through sports, then peace through sports can have no respect for Russia.

Agreed!

And as Snuffleupagus had mentioned, these players are role models to ruzzian citizens. There seems to be a general support for putlers actions in Ukraine amongst ruzzians, which is a result of years of a truly massive propaganda machine. The average ruzzian will be happy to support the war crimes for as long as they can believe it doesn't affect them too greatly. One of the results of their propaganda is a sense of exceptionalism that almost makes American exceptionalism look humble. They think they have an entitlement to whatever they want and that the world is too weak to stop them. Having parts of that propaganda eroded by things like removing the right to travel freely, and no longer having the world celebrate their heroes is a move required to put pressure on the ruzzia population. putler is their mess to clean up, any blood spent in doing so should be ruzzian, not Ukrainian or anyone else.
Slava Ukraini

[Flame On]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

How can the NHL have a game in a country that doesnt allow certain players to attend through no fault of their own. I can't image the Players Association being ok with this

Imagine if the Flames were going to play a game overseas and the country decided Swedes couldn't play.

I can't see any scenario where the league has SJ forfeit. They will cancel and return the game to North America

Bit of a false equivelency there. It's not like anything controversial is going on in Sweden. So yeah, that would be arbitrary.

[14Roman14]

Japan once was fighting a war against Americans and Canadians amongst many others. It was not ok at that time to treat Japan born Canadians poorly. At this time it is not ok to treat Russian born players living on our soil poorly.