Canadians Ice Russian Hockey Players from CHL Draft

BUCK: For a moment, I want to talk about the situation with the war in Ukraine, which is looking very much like it’s going to drag out for many months — some are even talking about years now. For one thing, you have the Biden administration I think often taking exactly the wrong lesson away from things.

BUCK: Again, they’re almost right here except the real issue is being hostile to fossil fuels and domestic production of it in this country. Instead, they want to talk about windmills and solar. And, Clay, there’s also the… Tell me about what’s going on with Canada and hockey right now.

CLAY: I saw this story and I couldn’t believe it, so I had to go research it. Canadian Hockey League, which is — and I’m not a hockey expert for some of you out there that are — a big feeder to the NHL. They draft a lot of young guys and develop them, and then a lot of those guys end up playing in the NHL which obviously is the best hockey in the world.

So the CHL this year, Canadian Hockey League, is banning the drafting of anyone from Russia. So if you are a 17- or 18-year-old kid who was born in Russia and you are a really good hockey player and you were hoping to come to North America, continue to develop your skills, and then grow into the NHL, they are not allowing you to be drafted because of the Russia invasion of Ukraine. My mind is almost exploding over this, Buck, that you’re holding individual athletes responsible for the choices that their country makes.

BUCK: And I think this is also counterproductive because now the six-Ukraine-flags-in-their-bio Americans are creating the situation where Russians — rational nationals all over the world and at home in Russia — are thinking, “So even if we have nothing to do with this, we can’t stop this, we’re now punished.”

CLAY: That’s right.

BUCK: They’re creating a siege mentality that’s actually going to, in many ways I think, bolster support internally for Putin because it’s the world against all Russians, not against Putin. That’s not the right message.

CLAY: Yeah. And they’re building on Wimbledon’s not allowing the Russians to play. I mean, all of this is crazy. Individual athletes! We’re not talking about the country itself.