The military offensive, which began last week, is continuing to cause a widespread backlash against Russia across the business world. Sports is an area where Russia is also facing immediate consequences. FIFA has said Russia won’t be allowed to take part in this year’s World Cup, and the International Olympic Committee called for a far-reaching boycott of Russia and Belarus over what it called “a breach of the Olympic Truce.
“We also remain concerned about the well-being of the players from Russia, who play in the NHL on behalf of their NHL clubs, and not on behalf of Russia. We understand they and their families are being placed in an extremely difficult position.” Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek, who is Czech, called for the NHL to “immediately suspend the contracts of all Russian-born players.” He also ripped Washington Capitals standout Alex Ovechkin, who has previously expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, tweeting a number of pejoratives over the weekend.
Asked in recent days for his assessment of Putin in light of the invasion, the Russian-born Ovechkin told reporters, “He’s my president but … I’m not in politics.” He added, “I’m an athlete and how I said, I hope everything is going to be done soon. It’s a hard situation right now for both sides… I’m not in control of the situation.”
More so than any other major pro sport in North America, Russia plays a significant role in shaping the NHL. The roots of that go back to the many matchups between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, none bigger than the Americans’ 1980 upset win en route to a gold medal. After the fall of the Soviet Union, a wave of talented Russian players started lacing up their skates for the NHL.