NHL issues statement on Russia, Russian players in the league
The National Hockey League did what many other governing bodies of sports did on Monday - issued a statement condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and cut ties with Russian business partners.
In the statement, the league also said it is pausing the operation of all Russian-speaking social media and digital sites affiliated with the NHL and will not host any future tournaments in the country. The IIHF also banned Russia on Monday from hosting any of their events and is moving this year's World Juniors to a new location.
The NHL also added in its statement comment on Russian-born players who play in the league, saying it "remains concerned for the well-being of players from Russia" who have reportedly been receiving threats since the invasion of Ukraine began.
Last week, Russian-born NHLer Alex Ovechkin was asked about the invasion of Ukraine. Ovechkin, whose family lives in Russia, previously voiced support for Putin but called for peace in his most recent press conference.
"It's a hard situation. I have family back in Russia and it is scary moments," the Moscow native 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."
He added: "Please, no more war. It doesn't matter who is in the war — Russia, Ukraine, different countries — I think we live in a world, like, we have to live in peace and a great world."
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