The Czech foreign ministry told two NHL teams opening their seasons in Prague that they would not welcome Russian players because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It may not amount to an outright ban, and league officials downplayed the potential impact, but it added a layer of uncertainty to a World Series the NHL is proud of. The Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks are set to play regular season games on October 7 and 8 at the O2 Arena in Prague as part of a series designed to showcase the world’s top players, primarily in Europe. There aren’t many Russians on either roster: Nashville has forward Yakov Trenin and San Jose has Alexander Barabanov, along with Evgeni Sveznikov, who is in training camp on a tryout deal. “We can confirm that the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs has written to the NHL to point out that, at this time, the Czech Republic or any other state in [visa free] The Schengen zone should not grant visas to Russian players to enter our territory,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Smolek. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press on Thursday that he is “not concerned” with players either traveling to Prague or suiting up to take the ice. Neither Daly nor the ministry would say whether the league had responded to the letter. Agent Shumi Babaev, who represents Trenin, echoed Daly’s sentiment that he didn’t foresee any problems. Agent Dan Milstein, who represents Barabanov and Svechnikov, declined to comment. “We’re a team, so if they say somebody can’t go, it’s either everybody goes or nobody goes,” San Jose general manager Mike Grier said. “We’re a team. It’s not the players’ fault. They didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t think they should be punished for it. We stand with them and we’re all together as one in here.” While the Predators were suspended in the championship game, Sharks captain Logan Couture echoed Grier. “My point is we’re a team in here and if we’re going to go there, we want everybody on our team to be there,” Couture said. “All the guys who are going to make the team are part of our team.”

The NHL never considered the ban

The ministry said it informed the league “of the ongoing negotiations regarding the entry ban for those citizens of the Russian Federation who have already received a valid visa in the past.” One aspect concerns passports from other countries or visas issued by other European countries. The Czech ministry said the ban on Russian athletes at sporting events in European Union countries was also recommended by EU sports ministers. The Czech Republic was one of the first EU countries to stop issuing visas to Russian nationals after the invasion of Ukraine in February. Exceptions include humanitarian cases and individuals prosecuted by the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The NHL has never considered banning the Russians, many of whom are some of the most skilled hockey players in the world. Commissioner Gary Bettman told the AP during the spring, the Russians “are playing in the NHL for their NHL team for NHL fans.” The league banned Stanley Cup-winning players from going to Russia or closely allied Belarus this summer because of their role in the invasion of Ukraine. Valeri Nichushkin was the only Russian player on the Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.

First European games after the pandemic

The NHL returns to Europe for its first games outside of North America since 2019. After the two games in Prague, the Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets will play twice in Tampere, Finland, on November 4-5. The Finnish government’s position on the Russian players was not immediately clear. Czech NHL great Dominik Hasek has led the opposition to Russian players coming to Prague since the games were announced in April. Hasek approached the Upper House of Parliament, the Senate, the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the matter. “It is very important for the support of our Ukrainian ally and the security of our citizens,” Hasek said in an interview with Russian television. Since it was not shown in Russia, he published it in Czech media. “Yes, we don’t want any promotion of Russian aggression here,” Hasek tweeted after the ministry’s move. “We protect our lives and the lives of our allies first and foremost.” In Washington, Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, who is Russian, was asked Thursday about the latest developments in the war, including protests in his home country. Ovechkin, who has supported Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past but has also expressed a general desire for peace after the outbreak of war, said he would need to get more information, adding: “We’ll see what happens.”