The decision to drop all Russian players has raised questions.
The Washington Caps have a practice at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
The photo was taken by Dean Pilling.
Patrick Cartlidge has been a fan of Canada Cycle and Motor Co., known as CCM Hockey, for three decades. He collects and personalizes vintage jerseys when he isn't working as an English teacher.
He has a 1996 LA Kings 3rd jersey, in purple, grey and white, with a fierce purple-bearded Kings logo over the heart. The 1995 NY Islanders jersey has a blue, orange, and white logo on both shoulders.
He doesn't have anything bearing the name of Alexander Ovechkin in his collection. Cartildge had no issue with the company's decision to drop the Washington Capitals captain and other Russian hockey players from its global advertising campaigns.
It is fair for Ovechkin to align himself politically with Putin and the Russian state, according to Cartlidge.
Marrouane Nabhih, the chief executive of CCM, said that the organization was putting distance between itself and its Russian athletes. The company confirmed the report but refused to name the other Russian players on its promotional roster.
CCM Hockey chief executive Marrouane Nabih: “Although Mr. Ovechkin is not responsible for the Russian government’s actions, we took the decision to not use him (or any Russian player) on any global CCM communication at this point.” https://t.co/ZF4rctB8Fu
— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) March 1, 2022
The company, owned by Toronto-based Birch Hill Equity Partners, said in a statement that it was sad for the Ukraine population and hoped for a peaceful resolution.
Among the players of Russian descent with ties to CCM are the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have a three-time winner of the Stanley Cup in Evgeni Malkin, and the team's teammate in Russia, Dmitry Orlov.
The hockey establishment was against Russia and Russians over Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. The NHL, Hockey Canada, USA Hockey, and the International Ice Hockey Foundation have all taken steps to condemn Russia. The national teams and clubs teams of Russia and Belarus have been suspended by the IIHF.
While understandable on the surface, the decision to drop all Russian players, not just Ovechkin, has raised questions about its business ethics and strategy. Discrimination was one issue. It didn't have to go as far as it did. Bauer Hockey, whose roster includes Russian star Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild, condemned the invasion, but stuck by its players.
Bauer supports the decisions made by the NHL, IIHF, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey regarding international team competition.
Alison Kemper is an expert in business ethics at the Ted Rogers School of Management.
I don't know how you can tell the difference between a Putin supporter and a non-Putin supporter.
At the same time, companies such as CCM are learning the hard way that there is no escaping politics now, not even at the ice rink.
She said that most marketing departments are not that sophisticated. She said that when the social tides turn, you're paying a lot of money to have your reputation harmed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian national ice hockey team member Alexander Ovechkin were at a residence outside Moscow.
The photo was taken by SERGEI KARPUKHIN/RIA NOVOSTI.
In an interview in 2011, the man who has always been close to Putin mentioned that he had the president's phone number. Putin sent a wedding gift to the couple after he called to congratulate them on their wedding. In November of last year, just weeks after he signed an endorsement deal with CCM, Ovechkin published an IG post calling for a social movement called Putin Team.
At the press conference, his demeanor was not very cheerful. He was tired as he was questioned about his views on the war.
I'm Russian, right? I can't control it. I hope the war ends soon, and there will be peace in both countries.
He said that he still supported Putin. I said that it was a hard situation for both sides.
Cartlidge said it wasn't enough and that he needed to make a stronger statement.
Cartlidge is not alone in avoiding companies that support unethical practices. The trend of conscious consumerism among Canadians is reflected in him. Consumers expect their favourite brands to get involved in social issues.
According to the Consumer Insights Report from the consulting firm, consumers, governments and shareholders now consider environmental, social, and governance initiatives to be must-haves.
As companies step forward to take a stance on issues like Black Lives Matter and the Russian-Ukrainian war, it is part of a broader global trend of social responsibility. Kemper said it doesn't matter if it's inauthentic or not.
The modern notion of a corporation is not about authenticity. Corporations are not thinking, feeling entities but contracts.
The debacle is not about social responsibility at all, but about strategy. The company made a mistake when they signed endorsement deals with the Russian players.
They didn't game it out.
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