VHL Fans For Russian Players to be Banned

[Bojovnik 487]

A vocal minority of VHL fans have called on the league’s management to enforce a ban on all Russian players in light of recent political events. A movement spread across Twitter and other social networks under the hashtag #BanTheR*ssians due to the current geopolitical scenario.

 

There are a large number of Russian players in the VHL, many of whom have not set foot in their home country for years on end. The VHL’s strict social media policy forbids any of the Russian players, likewise players of any nationality, from making any political statement or engaging with any political movement.

 

Nevertheless, the heated online discourse prompted one Russian player, Yaroslav Bogatyrev, to comment on the recent movement.

 

“These fans are entitled to their own opinion. However, I do not choose where I was born, what nationality I have. I’m here to play hockey, I’m here to bring joy to the fans who come and watch us play. I don’t speak on anything other than that,” Bogatyrev wrote in an Instagram story on Sunday.

 

According to social media posts accessed by editorial staff, Bogatyrev’s comments fell on deaf ears, as several vocal Twitter users began lashing into the Nizhnii Tagil native. We’ll have more on this story as it develops.