OHL player under fire after uttering a xenophobic slur
With the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was only a matter of time before that bled into hockey, not just off the ice but on it as well. Sadly it didn't take too long.
According to TSN's Rick Westhead, the incident happened during a game in North Bay on Thursday night. A Russian-born player on the North Bay Battalion was targeted with a xenophobic slur. The Ontario Hockey League appears to be investigating the matter. This was corroborated by both Adam Dennis, the General Manager for the Battalion and the player's agent Dan Milstein.
Earlier this week, the Canadian Hockey League cancelled this year's Canada-Russia Series and may also ban draft picks of both Russian and Belarusian descent. This is the statement in which the league firmly stood behind Ukraine.
Opinion: Citizens of Russia, especially young hockey players are not responsible for the actions of their government. Did the CHL's statement prompt these attacks on teenagers? I don't necessarily think that they did, but it certainly set a precedent that Russian and Belarusian players may not be welcome.
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