President of Russian Hockey Federation on CCCP jerseys: 'no one will forbid us'

Russia caused a bit of a stir at the Channel One Cup recently with their retro jerseys. The uniforms were a throwback to ones worn by the Russian National Team in the 1960s, and came with CCCP stitched on the front, and connotation that didn't sit well with many, including the former Prime Minister of Finland.

"I am surprised and disappointed that Russia was allowed to wear CCCP-shirts in an EHT match against Finland," wrote Alexander Stubb on Twitter. "That letter combination and the regime that stood behind it symbolises authoritarian imperialism and killed millions of innocent people people in the process."

For those unaware, CCCP translates to USSR in English; or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. USSR lasted from 1922 to 1991 and was a brutal period in Russian, European and world history. The Continuation War was a conflict between Finland and USSR in the 1940s and a major reason Finland has mandatory military service to this day.

Following the complaints, Vladislav Tretiak, president of the Russian Hockey Federation and a goaltending legend for the former Soviet Union, was asked about his stance on the issue. He was firm that Russia would not be told what to do.

"Both I and the veterans took it very well - it's tradition, there's no politics, as they want to present in Europe," said Tretiak when asked about first seeing the jerseys. "We don't scare anyone, we just remember our history, and no one will forbid us to do so. We want to remember the people who gave their lives for the sake of victories. This is a tradition and we want our young players to remember it. This uniform obliges our hockey players to remember our veterans."

Finland won the Channel One Cup. Russia took second place, with Canada in third.

Source: Sport-express.ru

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