The key facts
- Three Czech NHL players criticized Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka
- Macinka called hockey a 'male sport' and Russian female hockey players 'manly'
- The minister's criticism was supported by the Czech women's national team and the hockey federation's leadership
NHL players' reaction
Three Czech NHL players publicly criticized Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka after his remarks about Russian athletes. Calgary Flames forward Adam Klapka demanded that the minister stop making such statements, and according to Gazeta.Ru, wrote: 'Enough of this idiot, please.' Colorado Avalanche forward Martin Necas expressed bewilderment: 'How could anyone even say that?' Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal spoke out most extensively, stating that hockey is a sport for everyone and condemning the words of the high-ranking official.
What the minister said
The outrage was prompted by Macinka's appearance on CNN Prima News on November 8. Discussing the possible participation of the Russian team in the U18 Women's World Championship, to be held in Ostrava from January 8 to 16, 2027, the minister called hockey a predominantly male sport, described Russian female hockey players as 'manly,' and said the tournament would lose nothing because of their absence. He also noted that the Czech Republic does not issue visas to Russian athletes.
Context: the CAS ruling and the visa issue
The minister's remarks came amid a dispute over Russia's return to the international stage. On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) fully upheld the appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and overturned the IIHF's suspension decision; the IIHF said it would assess the steps and timing needed to implement the ruling, but expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict. According to Life.ru, citing journalist Josef Kopecny, the Czech authorities are considering denying Russian female hockey players entry to the junior tournament despite the CAS ruling: the country's Interior Ministry noted that the arbitration decision by itself does not lift the visa restrictions. The IIHF, meanwhile, warned that the return of Russian teams would require coordination with tournament organizers and the authorities of host countries.
Criticism within the Czech Republic
Outrage over the minister's remarks was not limited to NHL players. According to Life.ru, members of the Czech women's national team came out in defense of the Russian athletes, and the leadership of the national federation expressed disagreement with the minister's assessment. At the same time, Czech Ice Hockey Association general secretary Jan Cerny had previously stated that Czech hockey opposes the return of the Russian national team to international tournaments — that is, the federation's position concerns the question of Russia's admission, not assessments of the athletes themselves.
