Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes defended a scouting trip to Russia in December, stating that the visit was purely focused on player evaluation and not meant to endorse the Russian government or its actions in Ukraine.
Ivan Demidov, front left, heads to the podium after being selected by the Montreal Canadiens during the first round of the NHL hockey draft in Las Vegas on June 28, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP - Steve MarcusMontreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes says he doesn’t regret visiting a prospect in Russia, despite facing widespread backlash amid the country’s ongoing war in Ukraine. “No regret,” Hughes said in French on Wednesday at the Canadiens’ practice facility.
“I think we were criticized mostly on the political side, for us this was about work.” Hughes, scout Nick Bobrov and special adviser Vincent Lecavalier raised eyebrows for flying overseas in December to watch fifth-overall draft pick Ivan Demidov play for SKA Saint Petersburg in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek, a vocal critic of Russia’s invasion, condemned the Canadiens for visiting. The Czech goaltender labelled it “sad for an organization with such a hockey history” after a photo of Montreal’s brass posing with SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg surfaced on social media. “Do you realize that the KHL is a huge supporter of the Russian leadership and a huge advertisement for Russian crimes, which have more than a million victims in 3 years of war? And that SKA coach Rotenberg is a supporter of the biggest criminal of our time, Putin,” Hasek posted to X on Dec. 20. “Do you realize that by doing this you are advertising the Russian imperialist war and crimes and that you will also bear a share of responsibility for the lost and crippled human lives?” Responding to the criticism, Hughes said the Canadiens were not the only NHL team to make such a trip. “I can tell you that while we were in Russia there were several other teams that were there,” he said. Hughes maintained the visit was strictly about scouting, echoing prior comments by Canadiens executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorto
HOCKEY NHL MONTREAL CANADIENS RUSSIA SCOUTING
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Canadiens GM Hughes Defends Russia Trip for Prospect ScoutingMontreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes defends a trip to Russia to scout top draft pick Ivan Demidov, despite facing criticism due to Russia's war in Ukraine.
Read more »
Canadiens GM Defends Russia Visit Amid Ukraine War CriticismKent Hughes insists the trip was purely for scouting purposes.
Read more »
Canadiens executives travel to Russia to scout draft pickAmidst the ongoing war in Ukraine, Montreal Canadiens executives, including general manager Kent Hughes, travelled to Russia to scout their first-round draft pick.
Read more »
Canadiens' hockey boss has 'no concern' about GM's trip to RussiaDETROIT — Montreal executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton says he has “no concern” about members of the Canadiens’ front office travelling to Russia amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Read more »
Canadiens' hockey boss has 'no concern' about GM's trip to RussiaDETROIT — Montreal executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton says he has “no concern” about members of the Canadiens’ front office travelling to Russia amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Read more »
Canadiens’ hockey boss has ‘no concern’ about GM’s trip to RussiaCanadiens GM Kent Hughes raised eyebrows by flying to Russia this week to visit first-round draft pick Ivan Demidov
Read more »