Taylor McKee, Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Brock University, had a piece recently published in The Hamilton Spectator about what, if any, action should be taken against Russian hockey players in the NHL in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

He writes:

“World sport organizations have been signalling their intent to stand with Ukraine in recent days, hoping the exclusion of Russian teams and players will pressure Vladimir Putin into ending his invasion efforts. While these moves are commendable gestures, nothing short of military intervention is likely to accomplish this in the near future.

Should the situation drag on, could exclusion from the world sporting community be successfully used to convince Russia to reverse course? It could — if the world can live without watching some of its favourite athletes for what might be a very long time.

I recently asked some of my students if they were in favour of excluding Russian athletes from the Paralympics. About 70 per cent of their hands went up. I then asked if the NHL should send Russian-born players home. Only a few hands were raised. It seems the students, like many of us, are more concerned about athletes on their favourite hockey teams. Knowing this is key to understanding how sport boycotts — any boycotts, really — can be effective: they must be kept up, even when they become inconvenient or detrimental to us.”

Continue reading the full article on The Hamilton Spectator website.