Former Olympian believes all Russian players should be suspended

«Sport means a lot to [Vladimir] Putin and to Russia for their international legitimacy,» Kidd said. «They use sports to show how powerful and successful they are in the world. By denying visas to athletes like junior hockey players and professionals who want to hone their skills in Canada, we're saying, ‘The actions of your state are so offensive and beyond the realm of civilized conduct.'» Kidd suggested Canada should also reject future visas to Russians in other occupations, including academia, research, music and entertainment.