The Russian hockey star has given his support to the president of his country.
Aleksandr Ovechkin handed Vladimir Putin the jersey of the Russian national team in honor of the 2014 Ice Hockey World Cup gold medal. EPA/AOP
NHL star Aleksandr Ovechkin The profile picture of the Instagram account has attracted disapproval, especially after February 24, 2022. On that date, Russia started a war of aggression against Ukraine.
Next to Ovechkin in the picture is the President of Russia Vladimir Putin.
From a player agent who represents many Russian hockey players From Dan Milstein was asked in an interview how the captain of the Washington Capitals is viewed in the United States, which is arming Ukraine.
Milstein declined to comment on the grounds that Oveshkin is not his client, but addressed the criticism the profile picture has received.
– All I can say is that a better question would be: what would have happened or what would have been said if he had deleted the photo with the president after February 24, the Ukrainian-born agent asked.
New York Times wrote in March 2022 that Ovechkin considered replacing the Putin photo with a peace sign, but ended up keeping it for fear of sanctions. According to the newspaper, the decision was influenced by the presence of the hockey player’s family in Russia.