Isolation

For everyone who wants to keep politics out of hockey, the developing attack on Ukraine by Russian forces will plunge sports directly into the political arena and vice versa. I've said it before on this blog that sports is a microcosm of society, so we need to treat sports like a smaller, specialized version of the world. In saying that, it's fairly well-known that Russia's performances on the international stage are something that Vladimir Putin takes pride in, especially when it comes to winning against other hockey nations like Canada, the US, and Sweden, so it might be time to impose "sanctions" on something he holds so near and dear to his heart.

Domestically, the KHL will likely see non-Russian teams protest quietly, but it sounds like there is pressure on Finnish team Jokerit to step away from the KHL as Finland throws its support behind Ukraine. Jokerit is in a bit of a strange situation, though, as Russian billionaires own the team while a lot of the team's sponsors are Finnish-based companies. We'll see what comes in the next few days as this pressure on Jokerit mounts to do the right thing, but they're in a particularly tough spot thanks to their Russian ownership.

Beyond Jokerit, the Dinamo Minsk team is based in Minsk, Belarus where it seems Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko is more fond of Russia than his neighbours to the south. Dinamo Riga plays out of Riga, Latvia, and the Latvians seem to support Ukraine from their initial comments today. The Kunlun Red Star play out of Beijing, China, and it would seem that Putin and China's Xi Jinping are colleagues if not allies. Barys Nur-Sultan are based in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, and they seem to be worrying about their own independence as Russia invades Ukraine. Needless to say, this invasion has a number of KHL teams in tough spots when it comes to playing in the Russian league.

While there isn't a lot that can be done to assist these teams in making difficult decisions, there is a governing hockey body who can carve the heart out of Russia: the IIHF. With all of the international tournaments run by the IIHF, Russia almost has an automatic invitation to all of them due to their usual competitive nature, and this is where hockey federations from across the globe should aim their anger.

We know the IIHF is a mostly-cowardly organization that would never suspend Russia from its tournaments thanks to the money spent by Russia to stay in the IIHF's good books. They offer to host tournaments where they spend lavish amounts of money, they have former IIHF President Rene Fasel working for them as a consultant, and they have been permitted to participate at international events despite there being suspensions for Russian athletes over doping. For all of the goodwill that Russia has bought, it might be time to call them on their own self-serving needs.

The 2026 Olympics in Italy? Sorry, Russia.
World Championships for both the men and women? Nope.
KHL teams at the Spengler Cup? Nein, non, and no.
Anyone playing at the Channel One Cup? Nyet.

Russia's absence from all IIHF tournaments would be a clear message from the sports world that Russia's aggression towards Ukraine not only won't be tolerated, but will serve as a reminder to anyone else who may have the same idea when it comes to invading a sovereign and independent country. If the world cuts off a country through international sanctions, the hockey world should follow thanks to it being a microcosm of that larger world.

If the IIHF is truly looking out for the good of the game in all its member countries, this is a necessary step. Isolating Russia from all major international events and denying them entry into the biggest tournaments may seem like a harsh step to take, but it's not like the IIHF is bombing their capital city and putting the lives of civilians in harm's way. After all, it's just hockey where politics shouldn't live or be talked about or enter the scene, right?

Let's be honest: sports and politics are intertwined in the DNA of Russians. The old Red Army teams that competed internationally were hockey legends thanks to military funding. The KHL's Admiral Vladivostok takes its name from the historical naval base that exists in Vladivostok that once had the Red Banner Pacific Fleet stationed there. Yekaterinburg, home to the KHL's Avtomobilist team, was the headquarters of the Ural military units during World War II while the city produced armoured vehicles. Traktor Chelyabinsk was named for the tractor plants that occupied the city that produced diesel engines for tanks, resulting the industrial section of the city to be called "Tank City".

Hockey was an outlet for the men working in all these factories across the Soviet Union at that time, and all of it was funded by the Soviet Union's regime. Saying that politics and hockey aren't related in Russia is like saying bacon and eggs aren't related at breakfast - it's simply and wholly false on every level.

If Russia's hockey success grew out of its military, the best thing to do in terms of sending a clear message to the country is to remove the sports component from Russia. By preventing the national teams of Russia from competing in IIHF tournaments, the world is making it clear that sanctions are not only economic, but it also involves the morale of the country and its citizens. It's hard to celebrate and to have national pride for a hockey team that isn't allowed to compete for any major hockey trophies.

It's time for the world to send a message to Russia through the sports world: your rather terrible behaviour has consequences. It's time for a "time out" when it comes to partcipating in competitions, and that isolation in the hockey world will go on for as long as it's needed. That's the price Russia should pay for being a terrible world citizen.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!