Earlier today during the USA/Czechia game at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, I mentioned that the Red Deer Rebels were in the process of being sold. That is not correct, the Sutter family is maintaining majority ownership of the franchise.
Gord Miller 🇨🇦 🇺🇦
@gmillertsn.bsky.social
TSN NHL and International hockey commentator
The question international sports federations (IFs) are asking is: why did the IOC provisionally lift its ban on Russia now, when nothing has materially changed in Ukraine? And why leave it up to the IFs? There are two possible explanations being floated and they may be linked.
The IIHF council made its decision based on two factors: security and consistency. Organizers of the upcoming Men’s and Women’s Worlds (Germany and Czechia) had serious security concerns about hosting Russia and its fans, with the Germans saying the inclusion of Russia would be a security nightmare.
TSN@tsnofficial.bsky.social · 6d agoThe IIHF has announced that Russia will not participate in the 2026–27 IIHF Championship season's Men's World Championship, World Junior Championship, or U18 World Championships following an event-by-event review.
Another long international hockey/sports thread coming.
The IOC’s announcement that it is provisionally lifting its ban on Russia, shifted the responsibility to international sports federations to decide on how to proceed. Two IFs, UEFA (European Football) and FIBA (basketball) have announced they are maintaining their bans on Russian teams. (1/12)
A (very) long 🧵 coming on Russia, Belarus, the @iihf.bsky.social and the complex issues it faces.
Remember when the government of Nova Scotia closed access to forests and parks last year due to extreme forest fire risk and certain elements were complaining about the “infringement of their rights”? Are they the same ones criticizing Canada now for not doing enough to prevent forest fires?
Nice to see that the self-appointed social media epidemiologists and vaccine scientists appear to have turned their attention to forestry and become experts on that. As my ER doctor friend said during COVID: “Social media is full of experts, all they’re lacking is expertise.”
If UEFA refuses to readmit Russia, that would mean no Russian club teams in the Champions league and no Russia in the 2030 World Cup. (FIFA runs the tournament but UEFA runs European qualifying)
UEFA could block Russian return to international soccer
UEFA is prepared to block the return of Russian teams to international soccer after the IOC provisionally lifted the country’s suspension from global competition.
leadersgroup-sbj-prod.web.arc-cdn.net
I am appalled by the IOC’s decision to provisionally lift their sanction on the Russian Olympic Committee. Please see my statement on behalf of the Government of Canada, below:
The decision opens the door for International Federations (IF) to readmit Russia. This will be a difficult choice for the @iihf.bsky.social, 2027 Men’s Worlds are in Germany, the Women’s is in Czechia. Neither country wants the security issues that would come with having the Russians there.
Gord Miller 🇨🇦 🇺🇦@gmillertsn.bsky.social · 4w agoThe initial reaction from senior sports federation officials in Europe is that reinstating Russia while the occupation of Ukraine is ongoing will likely lead to a mass European boycott of the LA Olympics, and there will be pressure on Canada to join it.
The initial reaction from senior sports federation officials in Europe is that reinstating Russia while the occupation of Ukraine is ongoing will likely lead to a mass European boycott of the LA Olympics, and there will be pressure on Canada to join it.
TSN@tsnofficial.bsky.social · 4w agoThe International Olympic Committee announces that it has provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee which had been in effect since October 2023.
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla
Big Handsome@mayorofguelph.com · last mo.I dunno, Jerome Iginla's full name is pretty awesome.
There will never be a better middle name (or full name for that matter) than that of Hal Gill (Harold Priestley Gill III). He also had a wonderfully ironic nickname (skillzy).
NHL (Bot)@notnhl.bsky.social · last mo.A thread of some middle names for the halfway point of 2026! 🧵 Did you know these players' middle names?
Happy Canada Day to my Canadian followers 🇨🇦 Our country is an ongoing work in progress, but it is still regarded around the world as a beacon of respect, fairness, justice and civility. There are some who consider those attributes to be signs of weakness. On the contrary: they define who we are.
The “Inside The Volcano” experience in Iceland is absolutely spectacular.
There’s something odd about the Hart Trophy voting totals: Kucherov got 72-60-52-12-0 (196 votes) McDavid got 68-62-56-10-2 (198 votes) That means two voters didn’t rank Kucherov in their top five. He won by a razor-thin margin, imagine the outcry if he had lost.
Cliff Fletcher was a legend in so many ways: for his work as a hockey executive, his mentorship and for the old-school gentleman he was. He was also my dear friend, and while I’ll miss him, I’m enterally grateful for having known him. I’ll be lifting a very good glass of red tonight in his honour.
Norwegian broadcasters in the final seconds of their country’s 2-0 win over Latvia. Norway advances to the SF of the #iihfworlds for the first time.
I am part of this campaign; please join in; you can save lives.
UNITED24@u24.gov.ua · 2mo ago#SkyDefense Update: 🛡️ $2,679,915 raised 🛡️ 2,251 people subscribed On the night of May 23rd, 604 out of 690 aerial weapons were intercepted. Air defense saves lives. Thank you to our global community of donors — your support means the world to us 💙💛 u24.gov.ua/sky-defense?...
Thank you for the kind words @matttomic.bsky.social (and to @c0sm0s.bsky.social for pointing them out). I’m not sure I could pull off that example of names that you gave 😊I really enjoy what I do, I take pride in getting the names right and as much as it bothers me I do make mistakes now and then.
ℳatt@matttomic.bsky.social · 2mo agoTo me, Gord Miller's the best hockey PBP guy, and to know why you really need to hear him on a World Juniors game calling Finland-Latvia on a Monday afternoon and the call is like "Kippokaken, Käikopakken & Kerkokäikonnen gain the zone against Beržnieks & Birznuējs" and my goat doesn't STUTTER
Don't tell Pete Hegseth, but the most lethal and effective fighting force in the world today might be Ukraine. ICYMI @brynntannehill.bsky.social:
Let’s Re-Do the Math on Ukraine
The deadly arithmetic of Russian casualties may add up to Putin’s defeat.
lnk.thebulwark.com
