OHL, WHL and QMJHL to ban Russian players from Draft

Earlier this week Sportsnet NHL insider Jeff Marek reported that the CHL (parent league of the OHL, WHL and QMJHL) is considering the possibility of banning both Russian and Belarusian players from the 2023 CHL Import Draft.

Now, prominent junior and NHL player agent Dan Milstein is reporting that the league will make it official today. 

What!?

How does this solve anything?!

This is EXACTLY what the Russian Hockey Federation wants! They don't want their best players heading to North America anyways! Now, this is their wish come true!

These kids have absolutely no connection to what's happening in Russia and the Ukraine right now! Aside from sharing a passport with Vladimir Putin, these kids may as well be from the moon.

Earlier this week the IIHF banned Russian and Belarusian club and national teams from all upcoming international events including the World Championships and the World Junior Championships. While I can understand the IIHF's reasoning for making that decision, I cannot understand the CHL's decision to keep teenagers from furthering their careers. While I realize that hockey is not meant to be a fair game, this just doesn't seem right to me.

If anything, the CHL should be doing everything they can to get these kids OUT of Russia and Belarus and over to Canada and the United States where they will be much safer. The real progressive thing would be for the CHL to welcome ALL Russian and Belarusian junior players to Canada as refugee athletes.

More to come including official confirmation from the league.