The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) has expressed outrage at the decision of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto to include Russian hockey player Pavel Datsyuk among its athletes of distinction. Datsyuk expressed support for Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine.
In July, as the news of this decision emerged, the UCC wrote directly to Jeff Denomme, who is President of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The UCC urged him to reconsider the decision and make a more appropriate ruling. However, the response claimed that “requisite eligibility criteria and basis for election do not contemplate matters relating to a candidate’s nationality.”
The UCC pointed out that their appeal against Datsyuk’s inclusion hadn’t mentioned his nationality at all. “The issue of concern we raised was his apparent attendance (widely reported in Russian media) – at a tournament “dedicated to the memory” of two “veterans” of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” the UCC stated.
Only in February this year, Datsyuk participated in a hockey tournament in the Russian city of Novy Urengoy. The tournament had been dedicated to so-called “heroes of the special military operation” [the term used by occupiers to refer to the war against Ukraine – ed.].
“Our question, therefore, is whether the Hockey Hall of Fame deems it appropriate to honour an individual who … signals his support for the genocide Russia is committing against the Ukrainian people” the UCC wrote.
The UCC has called on the Hockey Hall of Fame to give a reasoned explanation for their adjudication. The UCC added that Datsyuk ought to publicly condemn Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine; and to clarify the circumstances that led Russian media to report his participation in such a propagandistic tournament.
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