Ohio’s Ukrainians secure cancellation of Russian Heritage Night event at NHL game

An advocacy campaign conducted by the United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio (UUOO) has led to a scheduled Russian Heritage Night event being cancelled less than 24 hours before the Columbus Blue Jackets-Washington Capitals hockey game on Dec. 12. 

A member organization of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, the UUOO had written letters of protest to the National Hockey League (NHL), the Ohio state governor, the Blue Jackets team and to all of its corporate sponsors leading up to the scheduled event. 

The group engaged audiences on social media to raise awareness of what they considered an inappropriate event given the context of Russia’s ongoing genocidal war against Ukraine. 

The Russian Heritage Network (RHN), a self-proclaimed informal group whose official mission is to “celebrate” the contribution that Russians have made to the growth of hockey, had promoted the event. RHN has staged similar “Russian Heritage Nights” at other NHL games before and after the all-out Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 

The UUOO says the RHN is actually a covert initiative through which Moscow seeks to circumvent Western sanctions, the community stated in a letter to Ian Wilkinson, the manager of group sales for the Blue Jackets.

Subsequently, less than 24 hours before faceoff on Dec. 11 the Columbus Blue Jackets sent email messages to the Russian group’s ticket buyers notifying them of the event’s cancellation and that they would be refunded. 

“We sincerely thank the corporate sponsors and individuals who raised their concerns and contributed to this outcome,” UUOO stated.

The promotional organization, the RHN, appears to have little to no active presence in Ohio. Its official mission focuses on using soft power to advance the economic interests of the Russian Federation and strengthen the Kremlin’s global influence, the community added.

“This situation serves as a critical teaching moment,” UUOO stated. “We call on the Columbus Blue Jackets, the NHL, and all corporations to exercise greater diligence and responsibility when considering partnerships.“