Red Wings Russian Rhetoric: Hasek Responds to Zetterberg

Earlier this week, former Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg was expressing sympathy for Russian NHLers. He feels badly that they are unable to participate in international hockey events such as the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.

The International Ice Hockey Federation was banning Russian following that country’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I feel sorry for the players and athletes who are not allowed to participate,”  Zetterberg told Swedish website Expressen. “But it is a decision that is made over our heads.

“It is incredibly sad what is happening around the world and that is unfortunately part of it. But I feel sorry for the Russian players who have the right intentions.”

Former Red Wings Goalie Hasek Responds

Zetterberg’s expression of sympathy quickly brought a response from his old Detroit teammate Dominik Hasek. The two played three seasons as Red Wings teammates and won a Stanley Cup together in 2007-08.

“Me too (I feel sympathy for Russian athletes),” Hasek posted on X, the social media site once known as Twitter. “More precisely, only for those who condemn the Russian imperialist war, because of which more than a million people have already been killed and maimed.

Me too (I feel sympathy for Russian athletes). More precisely, only for those who condemn the Russian imperialist war, because of which more than a million people have already been killed and maimed. Unfortunately, every Russian citizen is an advertisement for the actions of his… https://t.co/wFqY4rlJkN

— Dominik Hasek (@hasek_dominik) February 10, 2025

“Unfortunately, every Russian citizen is an advertisement for the actions of his country. And every competition in which a Russian athlete now takes part is a huge advertisement for the Russian aggressive war and other Russian crimes.

“That is why, for example, because of a competition like the (NHL), many Ukrainian and Russian people have been and will be killed and maimed (NHL has to pay Ukraine billions of dollars for this).

“We must change this attitude towards Russian athletes. We must help them and give them a chance to officially condemn the Russian war and not let them advertise the war (then they can play). It costs a lot of lives and we must not allow this!”