The AHL hockey player became Russian. He is by no means the only athlete to acquire a Russian passport recently.
Cam Lee moved from AHL to Russia. ZUMAwire/MVphotos
Canadian ice hockey player Cameron “Cam” Lee, 26, has received Russian citizenship. Russian state sports channel According to Match TV Lee was naturalized in September by the president Vladimir Putin by declaration.
Governor of Khabarovsk Region Mikhail Degtyarev told about it in Telegram.
– Congratulations to Cam on this important event. I am happy that there is now one more good and skilled person in our country and in my region. Above all, a countryman, the governor wrote.
At the same time, Degtjarev posted a photo of Lee holding a document confirming citizenship.
The Canadian Lee played in the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 seasons for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the farm club of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored 3+31 in 92 AHL games.
From the AHL, the defender moved to the KHL and Amur Khabarovsk. This season, there have been seven power points in 13 regular season games. Lee has also played in Slovakia’s main league.
Others too
Lee is not the only North American who, despite the war, wanted Russian citizenship.
American heavyweight boxer Kevin Johnson said he applied for citizenship in August. Also an American KHL defender Brennan Menell became the first North American KHL player to become a naturalized citizen in July.
A Canadian hockey player who also made a career in the NHL Brendan Leipsic announced his citizenship dream in July. Freelancer Jeff Monson received a Russian passport already in 2018, but announced in the spring that he was renouncing his US citizenship.
The KHL will limit the number of Western European and North American players playing in Russian teams to three next season. In the future, Menelli and Lee will not be counted in this number.