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Canada Cup still on — LeFaiveBy BILL LEVITTOTTAWA (CP) - Preparations for September’s Canada Cup hockey tournament, which includes teams from the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia, are continuing despite the political furore surrounding the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.“It’s business as usual,” Lou Lefaive, Hockey Canada president, said Wednesday in an interview.Lefaive said Hockey Canada is considering a request from Sport Minister Steve Paproski to review its close links with the Soviet Union.But he said no decision will be made until it becomes clear what the Western world isgoing to decide about this summer’s Olympic Games in Moscow.The United States, Australia, China and some Arab states want to boycott the Games if Soviet troops do not leave Afghanistan next month. Canada and several European countries want the Games moved elsewhere.Lefaive said agreements with the International Ice Hockey Federation to hold the $6-million tournament in Canada have been completed and a television contract will be signed as soon as arenas are booked.Also competing in the tournament would be Canada, Finland. Sweden, and the UnitedBowling schedulesStates. Canada won the in-augual tournament in 1976.Lefaive said a 11 contracts will include clauses to protect Hockey Canada if organizers are forced to make changes because of the political situation. Teams from overseas also are guaranteed one exhibition game each against NHL teams.Hockey Canada is watching political developments and “if, it really heats up, I don’t think that hockey is going to say it’s above the world,” Lefaive said.Paproski asked sports organizations Monday, including Hockey Canada, to “assess the desirability of maintaining any sports contacts (with the Soviets) not covered in the 1980 sports protocol.”Paproski has already cancelled the protocol, which involved an exchange of amateur sports groups.And External Affairs Minister Flora MacDonald told the National Hockey League last week she might bar Soviet hockey teams from playing in Canada.Lefaive said the tournament would obviously suffer if the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia were barred, but it would not necessarily be cancelled.Although television revenues and gate receipts would be drastically reduced, Lefaive was cautiously optimistic about the chances of surviving without the two countries.“It’s like NHL expansion,” he said.
Newspaper Details
Medicine Hat News
Medicine Hat, Alberta, CA
Thu, Jan 24, 1980
Page 17
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason P.
USA 02 Dec 2018
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