Canada sanctions Summit Series goalie Vladislav Tretiak
Canada has levelled sanctions against an icon of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union.
Vladislav Tretiak — the goaltender for the Soviet Union in the 1972 series against Canada that captivated hockey fans in both countries — is among 11 people sanctioned by the federal government over Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office announced the new sanctions package on Thursday during the G7 summit in Italy. The war in Ukraine is a major topic on the G7 agenda.
The sanctions target 11 people and 16 entities who "supply key technology and electrical components in support of Russia's war of aggression," the Prime Minister's Office said in a news release.
The sanctions also target individuals and entities "implicated in disinformation and propaganda operations," the news release said.
"Today's newest sanctions reflect our long-standing efforts to disrupt [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's ability to wage Russia's illegal war, including by conducting gross disinformation campaigns," Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in a separate news release.
Tretiak, 72, is the president of the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia. CBC News reached out to Global Affairs Canada on Thursday to ask why he was sanctioned.
On Friday afternoon, a Global Affairs spokesperson said that Tretiak was actually first sanctioned in February 2023 because he voted in Russia's lower house of parliament in favour of legislation related to the invasion of Ukraine. But he was listed with the wrong birth date.
He was re-listed on Thursday with the correct date of birth.
Canada has issued sanctions against hundreds of Russian individuals and entities since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Tretiak gained international fame after Summit Series
Tretiak is regarded as one of hockey's greatest goalies. He was one of the most notable players in the 1972 Summit Series that saw Canada narrowly beat the Soviet Union. Canada won the series in the final game thanks to a last-minute goal by forward Paul Henderson.
Tretiak later went on to star for the Soviet Union in international play, winning two Olympic gold medals and playing in the 1976 Canada Cup.
Team Canada's Paul Henderson (left) shoots on Team USSR's Vladislav Tretiak while Gannady Tsygankov defends during the 1972 Summit tournament in Toronto on Sept. 4, 1972. (Peter Bregg/The Canadian Press)
The Montreal Canadiens drafted Tretiak in 1983, but the Soviet government would not let him leave the country to play in the NHL.
After his retirement as a player, he worked for the Chicago Blackhawks as a part-time goaltending coach for 15 years. He also ran a goaltending school in Toronto.
Russia banned from international play
The International Ice Hockey Federation has barred Russia and Belarus from international competition over Russia's war on Ukraine.
Earlier this year, the organization renewed the ban through the 2024-25 season, saying "it is not yet safe to reincorporate the Russian and Belarusian teams back into IIHF competitions."
Ice hockey is a favourite sport of President Putin.
