Dominik Hasek calls Alex Ovechkin a 'chicken (expletive),' wants NHL to suspend all Russians

[jalan48]

Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek has called for the NHL to "immediately suspend contracts for all Russian players" amidst Russia's deadly invasion of Ukraine.

The 57-year-old Czech also had some choice words for Washington Capitals' Russian-born star Alex Ovechkin, a supporter of President Vladimir Putin.

Hasek, who played in the NHL for 16-seasons and is widely considered one of the best goaltenders of all time, called Ovechkin an "alibist," a "liar" and a "chicken (expletive)" after Ovechkin failed to publicly denounce Putin and his country's aggression.

"Every adult in Europe knows well, that Putin is a mad killer and that Russia is waging an offensive war against the free country and its people," Hasek, 57, tweeted Saturday.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2022/02/26/dominik-hasek-chicken-alex-ovechkin-wants-nhl-suspend-all-russians/6953510001/

[Kingofalldems]

1. Well there is this:

Link to tweet

[regnaD kciN]

5. I think Hasek was in response to that...

…a bland call for “peace” without any condemnation of his buddy’s aggression.

[jalan48]

6. And this.

Ovechkin had started a social movement supporting Putin ahead of the 2017 Russian presidential election, and a photo of the two of them is the winger's profile picture on Instagram.

[Kingofalldems]

7. Yes I knew that but

this Instagram post was a huge shift for him.

[empedocles]

2. Hmmmm

[exboyfil]

3. Well he doesn't have family in the Ukraine so what is he afraid of

"It's a hard situation. I have family back in Russia and it is scary moments," Ovechkin said, via The Athletic. "But we can't do anything. We just hope it going to be end soon and everything is going to be all right."

[Srkdqltr]

4. There is no "all right" it will never be the same again.

[GoCubsGo]

8. No doubt he saw what happened to Artemi Panarin last year.

Panarin has been a critic of Putin for a while. He spoke out against Alexi Navalny's arrest, and in return, Putin's toadies made threats against his family back in Russia. Panarin had to take leave in order to deal with the situation. I don't know exactly how that was resolved, but I wouldn't be surprised if he got them out of the country. The consequences would probably be even worse for a Putin supporter, like Ovie, to turn around and oppose him. Putin doesn't tolerate turncoats.

[Raven123]

9. Is his family at risk by choice? Could he have moved them out sooner?

[roamer65]

10. He remembers 1968.

Hasek is a righteous dude.

👍👍

[FakeNoose]

11. Well that doesn't solve anything

The Russian hockey players in the US, including Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Malkin and others, are among the few who got out of Russia to see what it's like here in the US and Canada. They can see that Putin is a tyrant, and I'm sure they hate his aggression against Ukraine. However these guys have families back in Russia and they plan to go back in a short time. Hockey season ends in April or June, depending on how far their teams go in the playoffs. So my point is the Russian players can only protest so much, otherwise they might endanger their own families.