Russia was banned from international sport in 2022 after it reinvaded Ukraine, and it was obvious the pariah nation would try to worm its way back in.
asserted
nation → ban → way
Russia did the same after being caught running the biggest state-sponsored doping program in history.
asserted
Russia → do → history
And predictably, Russia — and Donald Trump’s America — pushed effectively enough that the International Olympic Committee provisionally reinstated Russia after the Milan Olympics this year.
asserted
Committee → push → Olympics
And last week Russia was steered back into international hockey.
asserted
Russia → steer → hockey
The International Ice Hockey Federation had banned Russia and its client state, Belarus, on the basis of safety and security of events and athletes, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport — which tends to rule the way the IOC wants it to rule, on big issues and beyond — decided that was unpersuasive.
asserted
that → ban → issues
Perhaps the good folks at the court should read a newspaper now and again.
asserted
folks → read → newspaper
But hockey is uniquely situated along the axis of a fracturing world, notwithstanding the American midterm elections Tuesday.
asserted
hockey → situate → elections
The backlash started in Finland, which shares a border with Russia.
asserted
which → start → Russia
The national hockey federations of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Norway, and Czechia said they will refuse to play Russia.
asserted
they → say → Russia
The Finnish town of Turku said it would pull out of hosting the 2028 world junior tournament if Russia is involved, and longtime sponsors of hockey in Europe pulled out as well
asserted
sponsors → say → Europe
Beyond Ukraine, Russia has been probing Europe with various acts of sabotage for some time.
asserted
Russia → probe → time
It is seen, rightly, as an enemy.
asserted
It → see → enemy
Which left Canada.
asserted
Which → leave → Canada
Hockey Canada offered a statement last week filled with muted disappointment, but this had to be a call from the government, not the federation.
asserted
this → offer → government
Canada made it clear Tuesday: There are red lines in hockey.
asserted
it → make → hockey
“We respect the decisions of the Finns, the Czechs, the Swedes, other nations, but this is a decision that we take on our own, which is that while Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal and unjustified horrific war in Ukraine, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada
asserted
Russia → respect → Canada
,” Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters.
asserted
Carney → tell → reporters
“So if you’re asking specifically about the world juniors (in Edmonton and Red Deer), the Russians will not be there.
asserted
Russians → ask → Edmonton
Other nations will likely deny Russia visas, too.
asserted
nations → deny → visas
The boycott is on, and Canada and Europe are acting like an immune system.
asserted
Canada → act → system
In hockey, as in life, Russia’s legacy is as much myth as reality — the Big Red Machine was a wonder but it’s long gone, and the program has been uneven since.
asserted
program → go → reality
The last time Russia won a gold medal of any significance in international hockey was at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, without NHL players.
asserted
Russia → win → players
They were wearing cut-rate uniforms that read Olympic Athlete above the number and From Russia below the number, in a shade of red that wasn’t Russian but had been agreed to by a committee.
asserted
that → wear → committee
But it meant so much to them.
asserted
it → mean → them
Fans sang the Russian anthem and brandished the flag, both of which were banned from those Games.
asserted
both → sing → Games
Pavel Datsyuk called it the crowning achievement of his Hall of Fame career, and Vladimir Putin called the coach on the bench.
asserted
Putin → call → bench
Anyone can tell you a big international tournament feels different with Russia in the field.
asserted
tournament → tell → field
But that’s beside the point.
asserted
that → ’ → point
The United States under Trump has aligned with Russia on issue after issue.
asserted
States → align → issue
That puts Canada in a difficult place in both hockey and in the world.
asserted
That → put → world
So Carney, who is working to forge closer ties to Europe as the United States has descended into moral and multilateral collapse during the Trump era, chose both the pragmatic and the moral side, in this case.
asserted
States → work → case
Czechia and the U.S. will host the upcoming women’s and men’s under-18 tournaments, and the men’s world championship is in Germany next year.
asserted
championship → host → Germany
(If Russia and Belarus are reinstated, that would likely mean the removal of Ukraine and Kazakhstan.)
asserted
that → reinstate → Ukraine
Even if the U.S. allows Russia to play in the U18s, what respectable hockey nation will take the ice against Russian players?
asserted
nation → allow → players
No, hockey has returned to sport as a geopolitical tool.
asserted
hockey → return → tool
The Czech games against the oppressive Soviets in the 1960s, the Summit Series, the 4 Nations last year — hockey lives in Canada, the U.S., Russia and Europe.
asserted
hockey → live → Canada
How with the IIHF handle this?
asserted
IIHF → handle → this
The NHL is about to play a pair of games in Finland as part of its global series, and what position will the league take?
asserted
league → play → position
When Russia won gold in Pyeongchang their goal song was Mary Hopkins’ version of “Those Were The Days” and it floated through the arena when they won: “Those were the days, my friend, we thought they’d never end, we’d sing and dance forever and a day.”
asserted
we → win → arena
Russia has long envied its own past, but hockey at large seems determined to chart a different future.
asserted
hockey → envy → future
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
