An icon of hockey raised his voice in opposition to Russian’s attack of Ukraine, saying the IIHF should ban Russia from its rescheduled world junior competition this summer.
Wayne Gretzky, speaking on the NHL on TNT on Saturday said, “It’s not good. This is a senseless war.”
Gretzky, originally from Brantford, Ont., and whose family is of eastern European heritage, said international sports needs to make sure Russia gets a message long before the world junior championship in Alberta this August.
“I was so glad to see the Polish soccer team step up and say we’re not going to play against them,” Gretzky said, referring to Poland’s decision not to play Russia in World Cup qualifying next month. “And I think international hockey should say, ‘We’re not going to let them play in the world junior hockey championship.’ I think we’ve got to, as Canadians, take that stance since the games are going to be played in Edmonton.”