From death threats to corporate backlash, Russian NHL players in difficult spot
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin bolted out of the tunnel for pregame warmups Thursday night, the first Washington Capital onto the ice. The usual complement of No. 8 jerseys bearing his name dotted the crowd, and in a few hours that crowd would chant his name. If Ovechkin peered across the ice and into the corner, he would have seen a small Ukrainian flag pressed against the glass, next to a placard with Vladimir Putin’s face superimposed over an image of Adolf Hitler.
Amid the churn of the NHL season, Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has been inescapable for the league’s several dozen Russian players, including some of the top athletes in the sport, headlined by Ovechkin. They have faced online threats and alleged verbal abuse, prompting the NHL and some teams — including the Capitals — to bolster security. Sponsors have backed away from their connection to Russian players, while lower leagues have limited their participation.
Across the world, athletes and federations have ostracized Russian athletes, part of a global push to isolate Russia and Putin. FIFA suspended Russia from international competition. Facing pressure from athletes from other nations, the International Paralympic Committee banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Paralympics. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich said he would sell the celebrated London football club Chelsea FC. Droves of leagues and federations have excluded Russian teams and athletes.
The bans have made Russian NHL players at once some of the most visible Russians in North America and some of the only Russian athletes competing on a major stage. While under immense, implicit pressure from the Russian government, they have faced backlash in arenas, on social media and in cities where they play.
“My clients have been receiving death threats,” agent Daniel Milstein, who represents more than two dozen Russian players, said Tuesday in a phone conversation. “My clients’ babies on Instagram have been called Nazis. My clients on the streets in different towns, on the road or at home, have been told to get the f out of the country and go back to Russia. And this is all in the last six days.”
Milstein has felt a distinct emotional toll. He is a Ukrainian Jew who fled Kyiv for the United States in December 1991, during the final days of the Soviet Union’s existence. He immigrated, he said, with one suitcase and 17 cents to his name. As his heart breaks for Ukraine, he is also speaking up for Russians who may lack the wherewithal to speak out for themselves.
“Most of them are in a tough spot, because they can’t publicly speak,” Milstein said. “Some of them are concerned for the well-being of their family members who are still at home. And so I can tell you one thing: Nobody wants war. With that said, they’re in a very difficult spot. One of the guys who said ‘no war’ publicly, his family was one of the families that has gotten ill wishes and death threats, too. Even he got it.”
Milstein said the NHL has been “phenomenal” in arranging extra security for Russian players. In a statement last week, the league condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and announced it had suspended all business relationships in Russia and shut down its Russian-language media outlets. It also acknowledged the challenge Russian players face.
“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,” the statement read. “We understand they and their families are being placed in an extremely difficult position.”
“There’s stress,” said Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan, whose 23-man roster includes four Russians. “They’re constantly thinking about the situation back home and here. There are conversations with family, conversations with people they know in both countries. They have relationships with Ukrainian people, too. I think they’re just trying to process that.”
Many Russian players — including stars like Pittsburgh’s Evgeny Malkin and St. Louis’s Vladimir Tarasenko — have offered no public comment as their country cracks down on dissent. Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov is a notable exception. As the invasion began, Zadorov posted an Instagram photo consisting solely of the words “NO WAR” above his caption: “Stop it!”