As if the critical nature of Monday’s emergency meeting by the International Ice Hockey Federation council wasn’t already apparent, Wayne Gretzky did a fine job of defining what’s at stake.
Gretzky, a gentleman and hockey’s most prominent torchbearer, has never been one to use his platform to wade into delicate matters. But after seeing three men’s national soccer teams respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by withdrawing from World Cup qualifiers against Russia, the Great One called on the IIHF to follow suit with one of its big events.
“I was so glad to see the Polish soccer team step up and say, ‘We’re not going to play against them,’” Gretzky said Saturday during TNT’s broadcast of the Stadium Series game. “And I think international hockey should say, ‘We’re not going to let them play in the world junior hockey tournament.’
“I think we’ve got to, as Canadians, take that stance since the games are going to be played in Edmonton.”
Pressure was mounting on the IIHF’s 14-member council as it prepared to weigh that decision Monday.
What seems rather obvious already is that they’ll have to find a new host for two tent-pole events in 2023, because the world junior tournament is currently scheduled for Omsk and Novosibirsk and the men’s world championship is slated for St. Petersburg.
The idea of sending the top teenage hockey players to Russia in 10 months is inconceivable. And how could the IIHF possibly take its marquee attraction there in 14 months?
Gretzky called on decision-makers to go even further by taking away Russia’s ability to participate wherever tournaments are held. That’s no small thing, given his stature and considerable influence, and especially with the rescheduled 2022 world juniors being held in August at an arena that features his statue outside.
His words were later echoed by the Swiss and Latvian hockey federations, which put out statements Sunday demanding Russia be excluded from international hockey and stripped of hosting rights to the two events in 2023. Czechia, meanwhile, urged its citizens to leave Russia, including players and staff in the KHL.
External pressure carries weight at times like these.
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The biggest hockey domino to fall in the days after Russia’s unprovoked attack was having Jokerit withdraw from the KHL playoffs. The Helsinki-based club had little choice after Hartwall and Barona were among the prominent sponsors to pull their support — leaving Jokerit without the game-day employees needed to staff their arena.
(The building formerly known as Hartwall Arena is partially owned by Russians and due to be the secondary rink used for the men’s world championship in May, but now that’s in question, too.)
And Dinamo Riga followed Jokerit’s lead by withdrawing from the KHL over the weekend, saying in a statement: “In such a military and humanitarian crisis, we do not see any opportunity for co-operation.”
The IIHF’s response is so critical because of how significant Russia is as a hockey nation, and how often President Vladimir Putin has used the sport to further his own aims. In fact, one of his last public appearances before the invasion of Ukraine was at the Olympic men’s gold-medal game in Beijing alongside former IIHF president René Fasel.
Being denied the opportunity to compete for world hockey titles would not go unnoticed at the Kremlin, even amid their unlawful military action.
The power rests with a council composed of representatives from 14 nations, including Canadian Bob Nicholson and Russian Pavel Bure.
They could do worse than follow Gretzky’s lead when they convene on Monday.
Freddie’s revival
It may not be possible to challenge Igor Shesterkin for the Vezina Trophy, but Frederik Andersen has earned something almost as sweet this season.
Redemption.
The veteran goaltender was down and out at this time a year ago, playing through a painful knee issue until he couldn’t play anymore. Andersen was only able to make one start after March 19 in his final season with the Maple Leafs, and dealt with plenty of doubt during a long process where his knee was slow to respond to treatment.
With his 32nd birthday on the horizon and one of the NHL’s most demanding workloads in his rear-view mirror, few would have predicted this level of dominance after joining the Carolina Hurricanes as a free agent: Andersen picked up his league-leading 29th win on Sunday and sat third overall with a .930 save percentage, trailing only Shesterkin and Ville Husso.
He’ll garner Vezina consideration, for sure, when NHL general managers cast their ballots at the end of the season. But what Andersen is most proud of is how he navigated the disappointing end to his tenure in Toronto, and found a treatment and training regimen with California-based high-performance coach Scot Prohaska last summer that allowed him to return to old form.
“The best part so far has been just leaving that worry behind and knowing that I can play at a high level still,” Andersen said during a recent interview. “That’s one of those things I think as an athlete. The uncertainty is really hard on you. And I think that was the toughest part about last year, just not really knowing if this was something that’s going to last for a long time, because it was a long process both during the season and throughout the summer to try to correct those things that I needed to be more healthy.”
He’s settled in with the Hurricanes and enjoying playing hockey again — a welcome relief after last year’s empty-arena season and the persistent knee issues.
On a team with serious Stanley Cup ambitions, Andersen has asserted himself in the No. 1 role ahead of Antti Raanta after both joined the organization in July to replace the departed James Reimer and Petr Mrázek.
“That was a big concern, because we got rid of both guys and now we’re bringing in two new goalies,” said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour. “He’s been lights out. If I could pinpoint where we really leaned on this year — where we’re that much better — Freddie’s been the answer.”
#AskCJ
Former Leafs Frederik Andersen and Nazem Kadri are both having great seasons. Auston Matthews is also having a great season and will probably win the Rocket. From these 3 players, who do you think has the best chance at winning another NHL award?
@LTL1917
I’ll take Matthews. I think he’s established himself as the Hart Trophy favourite at the moment and he’s building a strong case for Selke Trophy consideration as well. Andersen is in tough for the Vezina because of Shesterkin’s historic season, and Kadri is going to have trouble garnering MVP support with so many talented players around him in Colorado.
Do you think the Flames do anything else before the deadline?
@Galaxy_91122
Calgary has already made its big move, and the Tyler Toffoli acquisition is paying immediate dividends for the smoking-hot Flames. They remain in the market for a left-shot defenceman if the price is right, and will look at potentially adding a depth centreman as well.
If you had to pick over under on #Canucks trades before deadline where would you set the bar?
@wiley_canuck
I’ll set the bar at 2.5 trades and I’d personally lean toward taking the over. Jim Rutherford loves the art of a deal more than any of his colleagues, and he’s already made it clear that regaining some cap flexibility is a priority for an organization in transition.
Who is your Mount Rushmore of current NHL players?
@mcduster705
This is an agonizingly hard question — at least after the two obvious choices, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Connor McDavid gets the third spot and Auston Matthews rounds out the group. It might seem a tad early for Matthews, but he’s trending toward being both the greatest American-born NHLer and the greatest Leaf ever.
What made you want to become an NHL Insider?
@mikeydem72
I was obsessed with the sport from the time I first put on skates, and I’ve always had a keen interest in how things work. That led me to start saying I was going to be a hockey journalist when I was five or six years old, and I never seriously considered doing anything else. I’m extraordinarily fortunate to be living my dream.
Favourite snack?
@SDPNmemes
You can’t go wrong with guac and chips. Mmmm. I’m also a big peanut butter fan.
Which Great Lake is the greatest?
@jesseredditt
At the risk of sounding like a homer, I’m going with Lake Ontario. I swam in it as a kid, I run alongside it regularly today and it makes a wonderful backdrop for the two places I’m most fond of: Toronto and Cobourg.
Tidbits
The Maple Leafs fell to 16th in team save percentage following Saturday’s shootout in Detroit, and have no choice but to explore the goaltending market before the trade deadline … Jake Muzzin doesn’t have a concussion history, but he won’t be rushed back into action after suffering two head injuries in two months … Filip Forsberg is having a monster season and the range for his Predators extension is clearly set on an internal scale between the $8 million (U.S.) paid to Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen and the $9.059 million paid to Roman Josi, which is why rival teams doubt he’s traded … The Anaheim Ducks are the team to watch in the next three weeks with a new GM in Pat Verbeek and three pending UFAs in Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Rickard Rakell … Buffalo has oodles of cap space and is willing to use it as a third-party vendor for cap-strapped teams … If Jeff Petry is a potential fit for Philadelphia, would James van Riemsdyk work for Montreal? … Marc-André Fleury’s $7-million cap hit is a barrier of entry for contenders, but goaltenders with his pedigree are almost never available at the deadline … Don’t look now, but Los Angeles is playing at a 100-point pace … After an 11-month layoff and the first artificial disk replacement surgery ever for a NHLer, Jack Eichel has four points in his first five games with the Vegas Golden Knights … It warmed the heart to see the hockey community step up with such strong support for longtime Pittsburgh Penguins beat writer Rob Rossi over the weekend. Donations are still being accepted here at gofundme.com.
C.J.’s Top Five
The Calder Trophy race is getting pretty tight. Here are my top five rookie of the year contenders:
1. Moritz Seider Detroit
No rookie plays more minutes and no rookie is having a bigger impact on his team’s performance.
2. Michael Bunting Toronto
It’s obviously nice to play on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, but it’s impossible to ignore his production over the last month.
3. Lucas Raymond Detroit
Another reminder about the better days ahead for the Red Wings.
4. Anton Lundell Florida
Away from the spotlight on an extremely deep team, Lundell is making a strong impact at both ends of the ice.
5. Trevor Zegras Anaheim
More than just a producer of flashy offensive highlights, the 20-year-old forward is second in scoring on the Ducks.
Parting thought
The NHL and NHLPA must find a way to make the 2024 World Cup happen. Those discussions are ongoing, and deputy commissioner Bill Daly will soon head to Europe to advance talks with federations, but the appetite for a best-on-best event is extremely high with McDavid, Matthews and so many of their peers not yet having a chance to represent their own countries in one.
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