Ice hockey star is powerless
Almost nobody believes Putin friend Ovechkin
03/02/2022, 4:35 p.m
On his Instagram profile picture, Alexander Ovechkin poses with Vladimir Putin. The ice hockey superstar is nevertheless apolitical and avoids criticism of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. This brings the NHL professional a lot of trouble, contradiction and incomprehension.
Russia’s ice hockey star Alexander Ovechkin has had to put up with heavy criticism after his statements on the Ukraine war. Not only North American media show little understanding for the attitude of the striker from the NHL team Washington Capitals, Czech goalkeeper legend Dominik Hasek had previously found clear words.
“Please, no more wars. We have to live in peace,” Ovechkin recently said, but refrained from direct criticism of Russia. He was “not a politician,” said the 36-year-old, and said of Vladimir Putin: “He’s my president.” He has “family in Russia,” says Ovechkin. The situation is “scary. We can’t do anything.” The Montreal Gazette says it “isn’t true that Ovechkin can’t do anything.” The paper urged the professional to “use his considerable strength to knock the tyrant off his pedestal.”
With 762 goals, Ovechkin is currently the fourth-best scorer in NHL history.
(Photo: imago images/ZUMA Wire)
The sports blogging network SB Nation was even more explicit. “To say he feels helpless is a disingenuous attempt to downplay his importance,” it said. As one of Russia’s most internationally prominent athletes, he could “express himself differently. He decided against it.” Ovechkin, on whose Instagram profile picture he can still be seen at Putin’s side, is a “cowardly toady”.
Previously, Hasek, a two-time Stanley Cup winner in the NHL, sharply attacked the Russians on Instagram. Ovechkin was a “liar” and “chicken shit” was written in the post, “every adult in Europe knows very well that Putin is a maniac killer and that Russia is waging an offensive war against a free country and its people.” The NHL must immediately suspend the contracts of “all Russian players. Every athlete not only represents himself and his club, but also his country and its values and actions.”