The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) is advocating against adding retired NHL star Pavel Datsyuk to the Hockey Hall of Fame because he’s Russian. 

Following the announcement of Pavel Datsyuk’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF), the UCC expressed strong dissatisfaction in a letter sent to Liberal Ministers Marc Miller and Melanie Joly, who are in charge of Immigration and Foreign Affairs, respectively.

In their letter, the UCC urged the Government of Canada to refuse Datsyuk’s entry into Canada over “deep concern” over the fact he participated in an event to honour members of the Russian Armed Forces. 

“Datsyuk’s evident participation in an event honouring individuals involved in the genocide of a nation signifies his endorsement of Russia’s invasion,” the letter reads.

“He should not be inducted into the @HockeyHallFame or allowed entry into #Canada,” the UCC added.

The UCC further said that Datsyuk “openly supports Russia’s terror and aggression” and endorsing an individual who failed to condemn the country’s actions is “deeply offensive.” 

Hockey fans are reacting to the UCC’s statement on X, arguing that politics should be kept out of sports and that the focus should remain on athletes’ achievements and contributions to the game.

HHOF Defends Datsyuk’s Induction

Addressing a separate letter sent on July 31 to the HHOF, the President and CEO Jeff Denomme stated a candidate’s nationality is not considered when picking a player to honour in the museum, but rather their “individual accomplishments as an athlete.”

In the letter, the UCC stated the player would bring public shame to the HHOF and “will be seen as honouring someone who supports Russia’s murder of innocent children, the destruction of Ukrainian families, and the devastation of an entire nation.”

Denomme added that the recent selection of players nominated for the Hall of Fame is justified as all candidates were carefully considered and adhered to the HHOF’s institutional mandate and corporate by-laws.

The UCC stated that Datsyuk’s nationality is not a concern; rather, the issue lies in his participation in commemorating the memory of two fallen Russian soldiers.

Datsyuk scored 314 goals and 604 assists in 953 career regular season games across 14 seasons in the NHL, winning 2 Stanley Cups.

In the first decade of the 21st Century, amazing plays were commonly referred to as “Datsyukian.”