We can never disregard the loss of human life, the displacement of families and the atrocity of war. We have seen this take place in real-time with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Hockey will always pale in comparison to what's happening in that part of the world right now. As the NHL marches on, and with this being a sports network, we will do our best to relate what’s happening as it pertains to hockey. There are a number of teams that have shied away from drafting Russian players in the past, especially early in the draft. Some teams fear that a player may not want to play in North America, or that they may try their hand playing on this side of the pond and then decide to leave. There’s also the concern of players wanting to earn big money back home as opposed to developing in the AHL. Contract concerns also enter into the discussion and, lastly, some players fear the backlash of leaving their home country to pursue their dreams in the best league in the world.
The Hockey Writers
The Athletic
