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Ovechkin Fires Shot at Former Red Wings Goalie Hasek

Ovechkin responding to Hasek criticism

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2 weeks ago

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Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin appears to be unmoved by criticism from former Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek.

Of the 822 regular-season goals he’s scored during his NHL career, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was netting once when the opposition goalie was former Detroit Red Wings netminder Dominik Hasek.

After years of silence, Ovechkin is finding himself again taking aim in Hasek’s direction. Only this time, it’s in response to shots that Hasek has been firing at the Russian NHL star for quite some time.

The legendary Czech goalie, an Olympic gold medal winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings, has been lashing out at Ovechkin over his support for Russian president Vladimir Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Hasek has called Ovechkin a chicken and a liar, while citing Putin as a mad killer.

Such talk is leaving Ovechkin unmoved.

“I’m not very interested in his statements,” he told Russian news site Izvestia of Hasek’s harsh assessment. “Of course, I know him as a good goalkeeper in my time.”

Ovechkin Gives Credit To NHL Leadership

The IIHF has banned Russian teams from any involvement in international hockey since the invasion of Ukraine began. Hasek has also been calling on professional sports leagues and organizations to prohibit Russian players unless they are speaking out against the war. While some leagues are following this policy – there are no Russians playing pro hockey in Sweden’s SHL, for instance – the NHL has taken no action to prevent the participation of Russians in their league.

Ovechkin believes this to be the way all leagues should be operating.

“NHL clubs select players based on skill and ability, not nationality,” Ovechkin said.

The Washington captain was also praising NHL leadership for not imposing any sanctions on players like Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers and current Red Wings goalie James Reimer over their refusal to participate in NHL-sanctioned Pride Night events in support of the LGBTQ community.

“Well, what can I say here?,” Ovechkin asked “Well done. It would be like this everywhere.”

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Byronleemarley

Pretty ironic that the same people who were or would’ve been up in arms over McCarthyism now want others to denounce something in order to be allowed to make a living. How would Hasek and like-minded individuals like it if the shoe were on the other foot and they were the ones being forced to do something?

First we had the mask police. Then it was the vaccine police. We don’t need thought police. Enough with the fascism already. Learn something from history for God’s sake!

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Gordon Cheswick

Putin supporter = Trump supporter.
Putin is an International murderer, with a mandate by the World Court to be arrested in almost every country in the world!!!

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Emil Paul Serafino

The same court the US doesn’t even recognize and we even have a hague invasion act to threaten them from charging any American leader or citizen. The court has no legitimacy in light of that and the countless US led invasions and crimes go unpunished. The cognitive dissonance and war propaganda is insane. We never held American players to the actions of our govt so we shouldn’t any Russian. Politics should have nothing to do with sports period.

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Stéphane Beauregard

Hasek is correct. Ovechkin’s support or Putin is pretty appalling and he should either issue a statement retracting it or stay in Russia.

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