“I would forbid Russians from going to the Olympics” Dominik Hasek called on Russians to refuse to participate in international tournaments

Olympic champion, two-time Stanley Cup winner Dominik Hasek addressed Russian hockey players and officials on his social media page.

The former athlete said that not a single Russian athlete can participate in international tournaments because of the events in Ukraine. In his opinion, no political position should influence the exclusion of Russians from competitions.

Hasek's statement was a response to criticism from Russian hockey veterans

The former Czech athlete did not like the statements of Olympic champions Boris Mikhailov and Vladislav Tretyak about the low level of the 2024 World Youth Championship without the participation of the Russian team in it. President of the Russian Hockey Federation Tretyak countedthat only thanks to domestic athletes did the MFM attract the attention of a large audience.

Boris Mikhailov, two-time Olympic champion and member of the coaching council of the Russian Hockey Federation, agreed with him. He refused to follow the World Youth Championship and said that the Russian team would have taken first place in the tournament. Mikhailov notedwhich does not consider it necessary to respond to Hasek’s statements.

Hasek openly opposes the participation of Russians in international tournaments

Since February 2022, Hasek has been actively promoting initiatives against Russian athletes. First, he proposed that the Czech authorities punish citizens for working in Russia, which, according to the national team veteran, harms the country. In addition, he addressed members of the European Parliament with a demand to remove representatives of Russia and Belarus from any tournaments. The Czech discussed with politicians the possibility of reviewing the decisions of sports federations, which approved the return of Russians to the competitions.

The Olympic champion also did not like the fact that the Russians continue to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). He called on league leaders to resign over their stance on Russia. He refused to consider the NHL All-Star Game a holiday and called the presence of Russian hockey players in the event disgusting advertising.

In 2010, Hasek played in Russia for Spartak Moscow.

Hasek is known for playing in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabers, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators. He won the Stanley Cup twice and became an Olympic champion with the Czech national team. Moreover, in 2010 – the last year of his career – he defended the colors of Spartak Moscow.

In his defense, Hasek said that performances in Russia in the early 2010s cannot be compared with the current situation. He emphasized that he was not educated enough to conclude how Russia would develop. “If I had been smarter, if our politicians had explained this to us and set better rules, everything would have turned out differently,” he considered.