PRAGUE — The NHL opened its common season in Prague final week with two International Sequence video games between the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils. Czech hockey legends have been prominently featured. Jaromir Jagr dropped the ceremonial first puck forward of the sport on Friday. Patrik Eliáš, the Devils’ all-time main scorer, was across the group all week and dropped the puck for the second recreation of the collection.
However one Czech hockey nice was notably absent. Dominik Hašek, the Corridor of Fame goalie who helped lead the Czechs to an Olympic gold medal in 1998 and one of many biggest gamers in Sabres franchise historical past, didn’t attend the video games or take part in any promotional supplies within the lead-up to the video games. Final Thursday, Hašek launched an announcement on his X account condemning the NHL for permitting Russian gamers to play within the league whereas Vladimir Putin continues Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Friday afternoon, hours earlier than Jagr dropped that ceremonial first puck, Hašek met with The Athletic to debate his ongoing problem with the NHL.
Expensive residents, expensive hockey followers,
The brand new season of the NHL will begin tomorrow in Prague.
Which, as an individual for whom human lives are the primary place on the imaginary scale of values, I can not stay detached. Sadly, I’ve to state that this would be the third…
— Dominik Hasek (@hasek_dominik) October 3, 2024
“My motivation is big,” Hašek mentioned. “I think about every thing I do on this subject to be vitally necessary. What is occurring now in Russia, that’s, the Russian imperialist battle in Ukraine and different crimes linked with it, is similar to what Hitler did within the Nineteen Thirties. And everyone knows how that turned out. This should not occur once more. And that’s the reason I’m making an attempt to publicly clarify to folks all around the world what’s necessary and the way to act in order that the Russian battle of aggression doesn’t unfold and ends as quickly as potential. And naturally, the primary motivation is saving human lives. For me, human life at all times comes first.”
Russia escalated the battle between the 2 nations in February 2022 when it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That month, the NHL launched an announcement condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and asserting it had suspended relationships with companions in Russia. Hašek has made his emotions clear because the day Russia invaded. He wrote an e-mail to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and mentioned he obtained solely a short response. Within the years since, Hašek mentioned the league has made no effort to have a dialogue with him. The NHL declined to remark for this story.
Throughout that point, Hašek has known as for the NHL to pay billions of {dollars} to Ukraine as compensation and was outspoken about Russian athletes being allowed to take part within the Olympics. Russians collaborating within the NHL serves as an commercial for what the nation is doing and improves morale in Russia, he says.
Hašek additionally ran for senator in Czechia this 12 months. In September, Hašek didn’t advance previous the primary spherical of voting. He’s taking the downtime to find out his subsequent step, however he desires to remain concerned in politics.
It wasn’t till 1989, when Hašek was 24, that the Czech Republic grew to become separate from the Soviet Union. Hašek is intimately aware of life underneath authoritarian rule. He doesn’t need his kids to know what that’s like. Hašek has a soon-to-be 3-year-old son, Honza, along with his present accomplice, and two grownup kids, Michael and Dominika, along with his ex-wife. Hašek returned to the Czech Republic after retiring from the Detroit Pink Wings to boost his kids in his residence nation.
Hašek additionally performed the ultimate 12 months of his profession within the KHL again in 2010-11. Putin has been both the prime minister or president of Russia since 1999, making him the longest-serving Russian chief since Joseph Stalin.
However whereas Hašek majored in historical past in school, he didn’t develop into eager about politics till after his taking part in profession ended. He has since develop into extra outspoken on sure points, together with this one.
Many in Czechia share Hašek’s fears and views, and for hockey followers, it extends past the NHL. In 2023, Rytíři Kladno, the Czech Extraliga group owned by Jaromir Jagr, signed goalie Julius Hudacek, who was born in Slovakia however had spent the earlier season taking part in for a Kazakhstan-based group within the KHL. Followers threatened to protest video games, and Kladno launched Hudacek days later.
That is the second time the NHL has come to Prague since Russia invaded Ukraine. The San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators performed right here in 2022, and every group had a Russian participant on its roster. Whereas neither the Devils nor the Sabres introduced a Russian to the International Sequence, Hašek nonetheless didn’t wish to be a part of it. He thinks the NHL wants to talk publicly on the difficulty and never “bury its head within the sand.”
The NHL’s preliminary assertion after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 mentioned, “We additionally stay involved concerning the well-being of the gamers from Russia, who play within the NHL on behalf of their NHL Golf equipment, and never on behalf of Russia. We perceive they and their households are being positioned in a particularly tough place.”
The very fact the NHL has not modified its place since that assertion is disappointing to Hašek.
Russia’s battle in Ukraine will doubtless develop into a extra outstanding NHL storyline as Alex Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky’s aim report. Ovechkin nonetheless has a photograph with Putin as his Instagram profile image and has not made any robust statements towards the battle. He hasn’t spoken concerning the battle since 2022.
“I’m Russian, proper?” Ovechkin mentioned in 2022. “One thing I can’t management. It’s not in my fingers. I hope (the battle)’s going to finish quickly. I hope it’s going to be peace in each nations. I don’t management this one.”
Hašek mentioned he believes solely Russians who condemn the battle ought to be allowed to play within the NHL. Nonetheless, he understands the tough place Russian gamers are in. Hašek lives in a free nation and isn’t an worker of the NHL, which he says offers him the liberty to talk his thoughts. It’s harder for many who concern for his or her security or their household’s security, Hašek added. And even those that might face job loss or different financial repercussions primarily based on their phrases.
Hašek doesn’t place the blame on the person Russian gamers for not talking out.
“Guidelines have to be set in order that Russian gamers have an incentive to come back out publicly,” Hašek mentioned. “Some gamers might make one of the best peace ambassadors. Sadly, the NHL doesn’t assist the Russian hockey gamers one bit.”
The New York Rangers’ Russian star Artemi Panarin has been outspoken towards Putin up to now. Hašek additionally cited Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov, a Russian who spoke out towards the battle when he was a member of the Calgary Flames in 2023. He posted “No Warfare” on his Instagram account with the caption “Cease it!!!” He additionally did a two-hour interview with Russian journalist Yury Dud on YouTube through which he defined his opposition to the battle. Hašek felt the NHL didn’t supply him sufficient help.
“It have to be mentioned that it is a subject that individuals are very afraid to speak about publicly,” Hašek mentioned. “Within the Czech Republic, there’s nice concern of Russia, which our parliament has designated as a terrorist state. With Russia, now we have expertise on this path and, sadly, additionally victims. Folks don’t understand how the scenario will develop and if Ukraine falls, we’re one of many different potential victims.”
Hašek mentioned he want to hear extra ex-players communicate out on the subject, as a result of they’re now not depending on the NHL for work. He is aware of these aren’t simple conditions to navigate. He admitted to what he now views as a mistake of his personal final 12 months.
Final season, Hašek got here to Buffalo as a part of an annual go to to do charity work along with his basis, Hašek’s Heroes. Whereas on the town, he went to a Sabres recreation and took part within the begin of the sport by banging the drum to excite the group. He nonetheless loves Buffalo and considers it among the best hockey cities in the US. However he realized that even collaborating in that means went towards what he had spoken about. Days later, he apologized on X.
Assertion on my participation within the occasion 01/18/2024 and to the general public and the media inquiries: On my annual go to (enterprise, charity) to Buffalo USA, I accepted an invite from my buddies to the @NHL recreation (1/18/2024). On the similar time, (proceed)
— Dominik Hasek (@hasek_dominik) January 23, 2024
“I think about my participation within the match and its opening as my large mistake,” Hašek wrote. “Hereby, I wish to apologize to all Ukrainian troopers and all Ukrainian people who find themselves heroically defending not solely their homeland, but in addition the entire of Europe towards the imperialist enemy. And additional to the followers who supported me and proceed to help me and to everybody whom I disenchanted with my act. I discover this private failure of mine very tough to excuse. I’ll attempt even tougher to repair it. At this second, I can promise you {that a} comparable scenario is not going to occur once more. And that I’ll battle to the utmost and assist defend every thing that the Russian state-controlled terrorist regime assaults. And criticize all those that help it with their actions.”
Final week, Hašek did meet with Sabres coach Lindy Ruff and some others he is aware of from his time in Buffalo. He additionally met with the video group for the Sabres’ web site to assist them with a challenge they’re doing on his upbringing.
“I’ve little interest in breaking ties,” Hašek mentioned. “I’m eager about serving to the NHL as a lot as potential with my conduct, and nothing is altering about that. In any other case, after all, I can’t take part in any of the 2 matches, nor something associated to the beginning of this 12 months’s NHL. The reason being clear. I don’t wish to be a part of an occasion that’s an commercial for the Russian battle.”
(Photograph: Petr David Josek / AP Photograph)