Red Wings Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom says his first reaction to Russia’s possible return to international hockey is that Sweden should stay away. Speaking to Swedish Hockey News (hockeynews.se) in an interview Detroit Hockey Now reported Sunday, Lidstrom said, “The first thought is that we should boycott this.”
Lidstrom, the seven-time Norris Trophy winner and four-time Stanley Cup champion who captained Detroit to the 2008 title, is a vice president of hockey operations with the Red Wings. He also advises the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, which gives his view added weight at home.
The background
The International Ice Hockey Federation has barred Russia’s national teams since February 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine. Detroit Hockey Now reported that a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling has ordered that Russia be allowed to take part again, with the IIHF expected to appeal, and the question of which events Russia could enter is still being worked out.
Lidstrom’s stance puts him at odds, for now, with the federation’s leadership. Swedish federation chairman Anders Larsson has said Sweden will not boycott international events if Russia takes part, according to the same report. Another former Red Wings great, Viacheslav Fetisov, now a member of Russia’s State Duma, has backed Russia’s return but wants the team to compete under its own flag and symbols rather than as neutral athletes.
Nothing in the report suggests the Swedish federation has changed its position. The Red Wings have not commented on Lidstrom’s remarks.
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