Czech Republic Bans Multiple Russian NHL Players Ahead Of Overseas Matchup

NHL teams are set to play in the Czech capital of Prague next month and there is already controversy before the puck even has dropped. The Czech Foregin Ministry has told the NHL via a letter that Russian players will not be allowed to play due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The teams set to play the regular season game are the Nashville Predators and the San Jose Sharks, the game will be held in the O2 Arena. The two teams have a total of three Russian players on the team as training camp starts this week. Czech NHL great Dominik Hasek led the opposition to Russian players coming to the country, after the ministry’s move Hasek tweeted, “Yes, we don’t want any promotion of the Russian aggression here.” as the Czech is one of the strictest European countries on Russian citizens and athletes entering since the Russo-Ukrainian war.