The planned induction of a Russian ice hockey player, formerly of the Detroit Red Wings, into the Hockey Hall of Fame is spurring calls to cancel the honour over the athlete’s reported participation in an event endorsing his country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is protesting the selection of retired NHL player and ex-Olympic champion Pavel Datsyuk, calling plans to honour him “deeply offensive.”
The UCC said in a Facebook post earlier this month that Datsyuk should not be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame nor allowed entry into Canada to attend the ceremony later this year.
The group, citing Russian media reports, said Datsyuk attended an event in February to honour members of the Russian army who participated in the war against Ukraine. It also accused the retired player of being a “long-standing” supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Datsyuk’s evident participation in an event honoring individuals involved in the genocide of a nation signifies his endorsement of Russia’s invasion, the terror Russia has brought to Ukrainian cities and towns, and the systemic, brutal atrocities that Russia has committed against Ukrainian civilians,” the UCC said in an Aug. 8 statement on its website.
The UCC has taken up its complaint in letters to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s president as well as the federal government.
Jeff Denomme, Hockey Hall of Fame president and CEO, told Global News that Datsyuk’s selection is “reflective of his individual accomplishments on the ice” and it would be unjust to hold him responsible for Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
“To be clear, the Hockey Hall of Fame condemns the Russian Federation’s actions in Ukraine. But we do not hold Mr. Datsyuk responsible for those actions, and we believe it would be unjust were we to do so,” Denomme said in an emailed response.
He said an invite has been sent to Datsyuk for the induction ceremony, which will be held on Nov. 11 in Toronto.
The UCC wrote to both Immigration Minister Marc Miller and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly on July 30, urging officials to reject his application if Datsyuk applies for a visa to come to Canada.
Global News reached out to the office of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland — who has Ukrainian heritage, has been a vocal critic of Putin and is a Toronto-area MP — but was referred to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada declined to comment on the specific case for privacy reasons, but said it was “committed to the fair and robust application of immigration procedures.”
“Applications from around the world are assessed equally and against the same criteria, regardless of the country of origin, on a case-by-case basis,” Isabelle Dubois, an IRCC spokesperson, said in an email to Global News.
“Visa officers review each application to assess whether the foreign national meets the requirements for the type of application they’ve submitted and they are admissible to Canada.”
Seven people will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 11 at a ceremony in Toronto.
Datsyuk, 46, won Olympic gold for Russia at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.
In the NHL, he played centre for the Red Wings from 2001 to 2016, during which the team won two Stanley Cups.
Besides Datsyuk, other 2024 inductees are Canadians Shea Weber and Colin Campbell, Americans Natalie Darwitz, Jeremy Roenick and Krissy Wendell, and Canadian-American David Poile.
The question of how to deal with athletes who support Putin or Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year, has emerged as a challenge in the international sports arena.
Washington Capitals player Alex Ovechkin openly supported Putin with a social media movement three years after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, and in 2022, when asked about the invasion of Ukraine, he kept Putin in his social media profile picture and said that “he is my president” while also adding, “please, no more war.”
The NHL in 2022 also suspended business partnerships and other activities online in Russia, while adding it was concerned about the “well-being” of Russian players in the league.
Athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus who do not “actively support” the Ukraine war were allowed to compete under a “neutral” flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the ongoing Paralympics.