Hasek and the Russians

[K-9]

21 minutes ago, Quint said:

So does anyone have a new opinion on Kisakov, Poltapov, Neuchev, Novikov etc. etc? 

They’re all good prospects. Beyond that? No. They’re just athletes subject to potentially being negatively impacted as hockey players due to political issues far beyond their control. They wouldn’t be the first athletes to pay the price and they won’t be the last should that come to pass.

[Cheektorado]

22 hours ago, SabresBillsFan said:

If that was the case Mexico and many other countries south of the US should overthrow their government since the cartels and criminals gangs are running those countries.

I was being sarcastic.  Anyone going against Putin is shot, poisoned or thrown from windows.

[RangerDave]

6 hours ago, Quint said:

So does anyone have a new opinion on Kisakov, Poltapov, Neuchev, Novikov etc. etc? Should we not draft any more Russians? Should we give up on these guys and write it off as a mistake where at least one or two of them might work out?

I personally don't have anything against common Russian people.  The few I know are good, decent people.  It is the people wielding power in Russia and oppressing its citizens as well as its neighbors that I despise.  I don't agree with Hasek's notion of throwing out all NHL players from Russia.  I think that is extreme, as well as a bit nutty.  But I don't begrudge him having such strong emotions.  He has always been a loose cannon.  The war in Ukraine undertsandably amps him up even more.

[SABRES 0311]

4 hours ago, RangerDave said:

I personally don't have anything against common Russian people.  The few I know are good, decent people.  It is the people wielding power in Russia and oppressing its citizens as well as its neighbors that I despise.  I don't agree with Hasek's notion of throwing out all NHL players from Russia.  I think that is extreme, as well as a bit nutty.  But I don't begrudge him having such strong emotions.  He has always been a loose cannon.  The war in Ukraine undertsandably amps him up even more.

I don’t agree with making Russian athletes pay for the actions of their government for a couple reasons.

1. The Ukraine invasion is not the fault of the athletes.

2. I do not think it will change anything. 

[FrenchConnection44]

On 7/8/2023 at 2:45 PM, Quint said:

So does anyone have a new opinion on Kisakov, Poltapov, Neuchev, Novikov etc. etc? Should we not draft any more Russians? Should we give up on these guys and write it off as a mistake where at least one or two of them might work out?

You can see my post above in terms of my perspective on Hasek and the situation in Eastern Europe. Quite understandable. Difficult situation and reasonable people can disagree, but I am OK with drafting the Russian players. Hard to blame an 18-year-old. Hopefully by the time they come into the NHL, this will be over. It’s an awful situation and there are different perspectives on how to actually approach it. I am very pro Ukrainian and pro military support of them because this is such an awful attack. But I also differ a bit from Hasek even though I absolutely understand and respect his perspective. As a friend of mine used to say,

 

“I always think I’m right [in any given moment], but know I’m not always right.”

[PerreaultForever]

On 7/8/2023 at 5:11 PM, Cheektorado said:

I was being sarcastic.  Anyone going against Putin is shot, poisoned or thrown from windows.

Panarin's still standing. 

[Huckleberry]

On 7/8/2023 at 7:51 PM, FrenchConnection44 said:

This is spot on. 

I lived in the Czech Republic for two years from 1990-92 just after the collapse of the Eastern bloc (also traveled to Ukraine while there - while it was still under the Soviet Union. The ppl we met hated Russian oppression). Russia was horribly oppressive. Ruined the Czech country. It was like traveling back 60 years when I arrived and many people were psychologically ruined. One of my best friends there had parents born in the 1930s and he noted that 60 years of their life was ruined. It’s easy, living so far removed from such oppressive regimes, to think Hasek too extreme. But when you see remnants of it up front one becomes far more empathetic. Just look at how most of the eastern euros (Poland; Latvia; etc) see it. They know. 

While I am okay with some of these athletes participating, I also get why Hasek is so outspoken. He knows the evil.

At the same time, most of the Russian athletes have family living under a threat if they speak out so I understand why they would not. It’s just a terrible situation for all brought on through no fault of their own; but by a deranged tyrant. 

Just this, People in Western-Europe and USA/Canada don't get how deep the anti-Russian sentiment is over there.

Poland/baltic states / Romania ( though not owned by Russia was still a puppet state )/ Moldavia/Czech republic/ Slowakia / Finland.  And maybe surprising but Belarus too, A lot of people there hate Russia, they have a lot fighting for Ukraine and sabotaged the Russian Advancement first week of the war.

The people in those countries are itching to go and fight in Ukraine and help out, and many already do.   I can see NATO/EU even splitting between an Eastern and Western block if this keeps going.

The only eastern countries with some sympathy towards Russia are Turkey, Serbia and Bulgaria ( mostly the politicians besides the president who has delivered a lot of bullets to Urkaine).