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Ukrainian-American Organizations Urge NHL to Reject On-Ice Matchups With Russian KHL

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Amira Barkhush
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Ukrainian-American Organizations Urge NHL to Reject On-Ice Matchups With Russian KHL
Alexander Ovechkin №8 of Russia challenges Cory Schneider №35, goaltender of the United States, during the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Slovakia quarter-final on May 23, 2019, in Bratislava, Slovakia. (Source: Getty Images)

One day after Alexander Ovechkin, a Russian professional ice hockey player, became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, over two dozen organizations are urging the North American league to reject the notion of on-ice matchups with Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

In a letter sent on April 7, a coalition of 31 Ukrainian-American and Ukrainian-Canadian organizations urged NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to “express prompt, public and unequivocal opposition to this suggestion.”

“We call on you to reject any collaboration between the NHL and the KHL, or any competition between players from the two leagues. Such initiatives would permanently tarnish your organization’s reputation, aid in the broader reintegration of the Russian Federation into global sports bodies, contradict the NHL’s stated values, and alienate millions of hockey fans,” the letter stated.

The letter follows a call last month between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, during which Putin proposed that American and Russian skaters compete against each other. According to the Kremlin, Trump “expressed support” for the idea.

In May 2024, Matvii Bidnyi, the Head of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, reported that over 450 Ukrainian athletes had been killed since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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