Ottawa Senators to play Ukrainian anthem before home games

The Ottawa Senators will play the Ukrainian national anthem before each of their remaining 13 home games as part of a plan to support thecountry's people, owner Eugene Melnyk wroteWednesday.

Melnyk's parents were born in Ukraine and came to Canada before he was born.He writes in a letterreleased by the team and printed in a full-page Ottawa Citizen newspaper adthat heconsiders himself "a proud Ukrainian" as well as a proud Canadian.

As the seventh day of the war in Ukraine began Wednesday, Russian forces intensified their attacks on major urban areas, including the capital, Kyiv, as well as the strategic port cities of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

Amid the fighting, the humanitarian situation worsened. More than 874,000 people have fled Ukraine in search of safety in neighbouring countries, a UN refugee agency spokesperson told CBC News Network on Wednesday.

"The unprovoked assault and the ensuing carnage, unnecessary human, economic and social destruction of a sovereign country is unspeakable and unacceptable in a civilized world," Melnyk's ad reads.

"And while the images from Ukraine show courage and resilience, they also cry out for help."

Along withplaying the Ukrainian anthem, the Sensalso plan to donatesome proceedsfrom 50/50 draws to organizations providing humanitarian and medical aid inUkraine and find ways to use the Canadian Tire Centre as a drop-off point for supplies, the letterreads.

The next Sens home game isMarch 10 against the Seattle Kraken.

Sport-specific sanctions have targeted Russian and Belarusianathletes, teams, owners and events, including a move by the International Paralympic Committee Wednesday to haveRussians and Belarusiansin Beijing compete as "neutral athletes."

It won't be the first time theUkrainian national anthem has beensung ahead ofan NHL game in response to Russia's assault on the country.

WATCH | Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus sings before Jets-Canadiens game:

Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus sing Canadian and Ukrainian national anthems ahead of Canadiens-Jets game

3 years ago

Duration 4:04

The group performed both anthems as a showing of support for Ukraine.