American Fans Bully Ovechkin During Games. Whenever He Touches the Puck, They Whistle and Roar in Anger

It has been two weeks since the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine, and one of the best NHL players, Aleksandr Ovechkin, still did not change his profile picture on Instagram. He continues to use the photo, in which he poses with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the man responsible for ordering the aggressive occupation of a neighbouring country under the senseless pretext of denazification. In Ukraine, civilian targets, children's hospitals, nurseries and residential areas are being bombed, killing hundreds of innocent people.

Ovechkin spoke about the whole situation only once, very briefly, after the start of Russian aggression, when he asked the countries to agree on peace. "Please, no more war. It doesn't matter who fights in it, Russia, Ukraine, other countries… I think we need to live in peace," said the popular NHL hockey player. He did not distance himself from the actions of the Russian president.

Before the match between Edmonton and Washington, you could hear the Canadian anthem in English and Ukrainian played at the stadium

He became a thorn in the side of American fans because of his reluctance to condemn Vladimir Putin's actions. In the games with Calgary and Edmonton, fans in the stands made him feel their anger by whistling and roaring every time Ovechkin made contact with the puck. 

In the meantime, thousands of people are posting on Twitter about American fans not letting the Russian player get away with his blazing ignorance of the current social and political situation. The vast majority gets behind this position. Fans brought large Ukrainian flags and banners condemning the war to Ovechkin's final game with Edmonton. The hockey striker did not comment on the situation after the game. All signs point to the fact, that other fans, present at games against Washington are ready to make the experienced sniper feel, that the current social situation is felt and important to sports fans as well. The NHL itself has not yet taken any restrictive action against Russian hockey players, although other sports organisations have already announced various types of restrictions.

Political expert Sergei Radchenko told TSN that it can be dangerous for many popular athletes to comment on the current political situation, as they could have trouble returning home, for example. In addition, although it is more common for NHL players to move their immediate family overseas, Ovechkin's wife and parents continue to live in Russia.