“Banning staff sports activities, significantly ones that characterize Russia, is definitely justified,” he mentioned. “However it might be laborious to exclude the hockey gamers. The toughest one to justify can be banning Vasilevskiy or Shesterkin.”
Frye has traveled to Russia usually since 1985 and has been to a couple of half-dozen hockey video games there, each earlier than and after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He mentioned that when he watches the N.H.L. now, he wonders why the Russian gamers aren’t extra of a dialogue in hockey because the invasion, versus in soccer and tennis.
However he understands why the gamers are reluctant to talk publicly in regards to the state of affairs.
“Particular person Russians tackle nice threat to precise opposition,” Frye mentioned. “Numerous them even have household again in Russia who’re susceptible, and everyone understands that. There may be nice price in talking out. It’s an actual factor.”
Frye mentioned there may be additionally the chance that gamers could possibly be excluded from Russian nationwide groups sooner or later, like tennis’s Davis Cup, the Olympic groups or the nationwide hockey and soccer groups. He mentioned even taking a impartial place is frowned upon, and there may be the specter of lengthy jail sentences for many who criticize the invasion.
Regardless of the battle and uncertainty, the N.H.L.’s Russians play on.
“It must be a particularly tough state of affairs,” Cooper mentioned. “Once you’ve received an enormous ocean in between what’s occurring, it most likely makes just a little little bit of a distinction.” He added: “Finally, it comes right down to the blokes having to do their job. However it will probably’t be simple. You simply really feel for everybody.”
There have been 327 N.H.L. gamers born in Russia or the Soviet Union, in response to Hockey Reference, and solely 26 of them had been goalies, beginning with Sergei Mylnikov, who made his debut with the Quebec Nordiques in 1989. Of the Russian-born goalies, 10 had been energetic this yr (11, should you embody the Russian-trained Georgiev), and all had been born after 1993.
