The future of Russian NHL players has been in limbo because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Russian government requires its male citizens to serve in the military for at least one year, regardless of their professional status. Noncompliance with military obligations can result in up to two years in prison and a $3,200 fine.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has finally spoken out on the matter. He stated that he does not want to interfere with Russian politics or events.
“It’s probably not a good idea for us or the clubs to get involved in the politics of what’s going on in Russia,” Bettman said at the NHL draft on Thursday.
Players currently in Russia, on the other hand, must make “the best possible decisions for themselves and their families” when considering returning to the United States for the upcoming season.
“I don’t want to say anything that could be misconstrued or cause the inflammation of a sensitive situation. Russian players that still reside in Russia need to make sure they’re making the best possible decisions for themselves and their families.” he added.
Russian players who are still in the US are advised not to return home during the offseason. There is widespread concern that Russia will use international sanctions and its ongoing invasion of Ukraine to prevent players from coming back to North America.
Russian Players on NHL
One such emerging incident is the arrest last week by Russian authorities of Philadelphia Flyers goalie prospect Ivan Fedotov on suspicion of evading military service. The Associated Press was informed by Fedotov’s agent that he had been transferred to a remote military base in northern Russia.
In another case reported from Russia, Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov wanted to supposedly acquire a falsified military ID card in 2017 while playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Kaprizov is still in Russia, according to Wild general manager Bill Guerin, despite reports that he escaped to the United States. Kaprizov’s father also clarified that his son is an undergraduate and thus not obligated to serve in the military.
Furthermore, Bettman stated that the NHL is still looking for evidence related to these incidents, stating that they do not have a complete picture from which to draw conclusions and that they must respect the process by which the situation will unfold.
“We probably don’t have the full story as to what is going on in terms of what each player’s relationship is in Russia with respect to the government. We’re going to have to respect the process as to what goes on,” he said.
Bettman, known for his discretion in public, refuted that the NHL had in any way hindered teams from drafting Russian players in the 2022 NHL draft.
“No. I don’t think that would be appropriate. I saw there was a report that we were advising clubs not to draft Russians. That’s not true. Clubs will draft anybody who is draft eligible.” he argued.
However, he believes that using specific country athletes may impede the draft process if they are not available to play.
“Obviously when you draft a player from a particular country may be impacted by whether you can get them to play,” Bettman said.
Gleb Trikozov, another Russian-born prospect, will face increased pressure from teams to conduct due diligence on his availability before the NHL Draft begins tomorrow.
There were 57 Russian-born players in the NHL last season, with several more on the frontlines of being drafted. Danila Yurov, who played in the KHL last year, is regarded as having top-10 potential, but uncertainty about his status may prevent him from competing.