04-11-2023, 02:10 PMDuff101 Wrote: I know I'm no longer involved in the fed in any official leadership capacity but I'd like to pipe in here at the very least as a member of the fed who was at one point the head I'd like to chime in.

We're in kind of a tough spot here, because both situations have a negative outcome. What Russia is doing right now is unequivocally wrong and evil, and it does feel wrong to continue to fly those colors. But at the same time, a change of this magnitude is pretty much unprecedented here. I don't want to use this as an excuse because people's lives and livelihoods are far more important than the fate of a fake hockey team, but all I'm asking is to hear me out.

The only time I can remember (and granted I am much less active now than I used to be) a fed changing countries was the Austria -> France change. This was accompanied by a clause that allowed existing players who created for Austria to remain unlocked for a period of time. Now if Russia were to change, you can either implement this or not. If you do, players could transfer out which wouldn't help the fed and feels a little unfair to our new head, and if you don't it feels unfair to players who have little/no input or control over what fed they now play for. I think it's important to remember that despite our team name and colors, we are not an extension of Putin, Russia, the Russian MoD, Wagner Group or any number of groups and people from Russia and elsewhere committing atrocities in Ukraine. We are a bunch of people who either made our fake hockey players from there (in some cases predating the invasion). I can't speak for everyone, but I imagine you would be hard pressed to find an unironic supporter of Putin or Russia's actions in our fed.

That being said I am not necessarily opposed to a name change, but I am opposed to one that risks further damaging the fed that I do feel somewhat of a personal connection to. The invasion has already not been good for our image and player count, and I fear that this would only make things worse either way. Frankly, I'm kinda asking HO for some sort of out here that lets everyone be satisfied.

I appreciate your input and agree that it would be important not to further damage the Fed Head's/players' ability to succeed in the IHF while finding a way to remove Russia's symbolism that represents a lot of messed up things.