Andrei Svechnikov has two locations listed in his Instagram bio. One is Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Carolina Hurricanes star has played for the past four seasons. The other is Kazan, the Russian city where his family lived after stops in Moscow and Siberia.
Svechnikov is Russian, a designation that’s taken on a different context over the past two weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his army to invade Ukraine. The NHL, never known for emphatic political stances, released a statement that “condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urges a peaceful resolution as quickly as possible.”
It also expressed concern for the well-being of players, like Svechnikov, “who play in the NHL on behalf of their NHL clubs, and not on behalf of Russia,” acknowledging the players and their families “are being placed in an extremely difficult position.”
For some Russian players, that’s meant online harassment and public disparagement since the war began. The NHL has offered security resources to its teams, and the teams have beefed up their own security to protect these players.
Their teammates also are looking out for them, as Svechnikov’s teammate Jordan Martinook explained on Tuesday.
“It’s not anything that Svech can control. It’s out of his hands. Obviously, you want to support him. You’ve seen it with other players in the league. People are getting some criticism,” Martinook said. “If anybody tries to make him feel bad about the situation, then he’s got 23 brothers who will stick up for him.”
Dan Milstein believes the treatment of Russian players now is tantamount to discrimination. In some ways, he isn’t wrong.
Milstein is Ukrainian. Proudly Ukrainian. He is a political refugee who escaped the Soviet Union on the last day of its existence and has lived in Kyiv. He has watched, from afar, as Russia invaded Ukraine. He said his heart has broken many times over. When he talks with his friends back in Ukraine, he hears bombs exploding in the background.
“I’m sick. The building that I lived in for the first 16 years of my life is under attack right at this moment,” he said. “But I’m a Ukrainian, defending innocent people. I feel if I don’t defend Russians, who will?”
“Most Russian people that I know, and especially hockey players, want world peace. Nobody likes the war,” the agent said. “They’re being discriminated against right now because they’re Russian. Their lives are being threatened.”
Response from the hockey world
It’s been staggering to see how swiftly the hockey world has responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The International Ice Hockey Federation has pulled events from that nation and banned both Russia and Belarus from participating in any IIHF events. The now-canceled world junior tournament was scheduled for December 2022 and January 2023 with Russian cities Novosibirsk and Omsk, both in Siberia, as the hosts. Novosibirsk was constructing a new arena facility specifically for the event.
“The IIHF is not a political entity and cannot influence the decisions being taken over the war in Ukraine,” IIHF president Luc Tardif said. “We nevertheless have a duty of care to all of our members and participants and must therefore do all we can to ensure that we are able to operate our events in a safe environment for all teams taking part in the IIHF World Championship program.”
Tardif’s predecessor as IIHF president was Rene Fasel, who is known for his friendly relationship with Russian hockey. Fasel told Russian media that the IIHF’s actions were “a sad moment” for the organization.
“Even during the Cold War, the Soviet Union played with the United States and with Canada. Even in such a tense situation as today, sport must carry the message of peace and united people,” he said.
This is usually the kind of utopian naivety you might expect from the International Olympic Committee, which prides its events as being apolitical — except when it comes to Russian aggression in Ukraine, apparently. While a facile Fasel is asking for campfire singalongs with Russia, the IOC executive board recommended to each member nation’s governing sports bodies that they “not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.”
The NHL, meanwhile, has discontinued “any consideration of Russia as a location for any future competitions,” while also pausing its business relationships with a Russian sports wagering company and Yandex, one of Europe’s largest internet companies that streams the league’s games in Russia.
There’s additional fallout in media and sponsorship. EA Sports announced that because the IIHF has suspended Russian and Belarusian teams, it will be removing those teams from “NHL 22” because “we stand with the people of Ukraine.”
CCM Hockey vowed not to use any Russian players in its global marketing for the time being. That includes Alex Ovechkin, whose commercial with MassMutual — one of the funniest NHL-adjacent ads ever, featuring him and Nicklas Backstrom eating cereal and discussing their on-ice partnership — has been pulled from U.S. television.
Alex Ovechkin
No player has had his reputation tarnished by the Russian invasion more than Ovechkin. Overnight, it seemed like the conversion turned from the Wayne Gretzky record chase and potential MVP honors to his support of Vladimir Putin.
Ovechkin, 36, has been an ardent supporter of Putin over the years. In 2017, he campaigned on behalf of Putin by starting a social media movement called Putin Team, writing, “I never made a secret of my attitude toward our president, always openly supporting him.” He has actively recruited other players to the cause.
He also has supported Russian military action in the past. In 2014, when Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, Ovechkin posted a photo to Instagram holding a sign that read “Save Children From Fascism,” writing that “our Grandparents have seen all the horrors of fascism! We will not allow it in our time!”
It says a lot about the reaction to his association with Putin when Ovechkin — the most marketable NHL star since Gretzky — is persona non grata in marketing campaigns. Ovechkin didn’t help himself during his news conference on Russia’s invasion last week. Sure, he grabbed some headlines for his plea for peace. But he didn’t mention Ukraine. Didn’t mention Ukrainians. And certainly didn’t condemn Russia’s attack on that nation.
And Ovechkin, with sponsors running away from him, still has a photo of himself with Putin as his Instagram avatar. Some have speculated that Ovechkin is in a bind, fearing for friends and family in Russia. Others have speculated that he is simply a Putin fan — who is in turn an Ovechkin fan — and supports the military action.
Ovechkin has earned some condemnation after years of supporting a politician while simultaneously claiming the support wasn’t political; it’s going to be fascinating to see the reaction when the Washington Capitals hit the road next week for visits to Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
But what about other Russian players, the ones who weren’t fronting “Putin Team”?
Impact on Russian NHL players — present and future
If you’re a hockey fan and harassing a player for simply being Russian or Belarusian, please stop. You don’t know what their personal considerations are in speaking or not speaking, which could range from the safety of family to their future in international hockey to potentially breaking Russian law. Rick Westhead of TSN reported on Wednesday that agents are advising their players to be careful because “Russian parliament is considering a new law that could mean up to 15 years in prison for spreading ‘fake news’ about the war.” That is what’s on the table for these players.
Remember when Montreal Canadiens fans booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” in protest of the war? As one member of the New York Islanders, their opponents that night, put it: “I’m sure there are a lot of people against the war, but some things people can’t control.”
That player was Russian-born Alexei Yashin, by the way.
These current Russian players certainly don’t deserve to be threatened for the actions of their country of origin. As Martinook said of Svechnikov: “I just think it’s totally out of his control. When you’re trying to bring politics into hockey, it’s hard for guys to really have a stance on it when it’s out of their control.”
Russian players on all levels are getting swept up in this backlash. Milstein points to the Canadian Hockey League and the United States Hockey League, as rumors are rampant that teams in those junior-level leagues might opt not to select Russian and Belarusian athletes in their import drafts later this year.
“This isn’t the national team. These are 16- and 17-year-old children that you are discriminating against. That you’re denying the opportunity,” he said.
If they were banned from the draft, these players likely would then sign three-year, entry-level contracts in Russia or Belarus.
“This is exactly what the Russians want,” Milstein said. “They never want the kids to play in North America at such a young age. So you’re basically helping them.”
Milstein said that general managers from the USHL and CHL have reached out to him regarding the future of Russian and Belarusian players. He said they indicated it was unfair that public pressure could restrict them from selecting those players in their drafts but that to speak up about it would get them “put up for public execution” in the court of public opinion, given the current climate.
“We pride ourselves here in North America that we have the best league and the best players. But now you’re discriminating, just because they’re born in Russia,” Milstein said.
He believes this will extend to the 2022 NHL draft. Gold Star, Milstein’s firm, has 20 players who are projected to be taken this summer.
“The guys that are supposed to go in the middle rounds, we’re concerned that they won’t be selected,” he said. “The guys that are supposed to go in the first round? I can’t guarantee that they will anymore.”
The undrafted players will then continue their junior careers.
“And at some point in time, when Russians are back in fashion, the very same teams will be chasing those guys as free agents — and promising the golden skies to play with their North American clubs,” Milstein said. “At some point in time, everyone’s going to kiss and make up.”
What’s the real impact looking forward?
When you peel back the layers of this backlash, you can’t help but feel a sense of temporariness:
The IIHF notably didn’t cancel the 2023 men’s world championship in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It has left its options open to do so, but there’s too much money in an event held in a 23,000-seat arena to cancel it outright.
The moment the IIHF lifts its ban is the moment EA Sports flips a switch to put Russia and Belarus back in its games.
The NHL is “pausing” its Russian media site and has pulled its games from Yandex, which introduced a 24/7 channel covering the league this season. But fans can still watch games if they VPN in to another service.
CCM Hockey said it isn’t using Ovechkin “at this point.”
For many brands, there’s a sense of necessary, immediate and proactive distancing from Russian athletes because of the global reaction to the war. How long these sanctions last or when they will be quietly lifted is anyone’s guess. We’ve seen movements like this before from brands and sponsors, whether it’s during a political moment or a national tragedy. We don’t have to go back but two years to remember similar public advocacy during the Black Lives Matter protests. How emphatic that dedication to racial justice and equality was then, while brands and sponsors haven’t been nearly as forthright with their efforts or stances of late.
Also murky: how long this war will be fought. No one knows how far it’ll spread. As a result, no one knows what life could be like for Russian players next season, both in public perception and in ability to play.
Another agent I spoke with wondered if the U.S. government would revoke existing work visas for Russians in the country, which would certainly impact hockey players.
I asked Milstein if he was at all concerned about the status of his players in the NHL next season. Whether he worried they wouldn’t be in the NHL at all.
“Of course, I’m concerned. But most importantly, I’m concerned about their well-being and safety. Because right now, they’re being threatened,” he said. “My clients of Russian heritage are good and kind people. Myself and my clients pay millions of dollars in U.S. and Canadian taxes. We are huge contributors to the North American society.”
There will be anger. There will be backlash. There will be ill feelings expressed toward Russian athletes and a sense that they should shoulder a larger burden in asking for peace. Some of it is fair, such as in Alex Ovechkin’s case. Much of it is not, as Russian players who share nothing with this war outside of a birthplace are harassed or professionally impacted due to that association.
What Milstein hopes is that this energy is channeled in an entirely different, more constructive place — toward the people Russia is attacking.
“Instead of hating on each other and going to social media, donate whatever you can — food, clothing, money — to support the innocent people of Ukraine,” he said.
VANCOUVER – As the Major League Soccer season ticks down, Vanni Sartini wants his Vancouver Whitecaps to make a declaration — the team is ready to compete.
“The time of hiding ourselves, I think it’s over,” the coach said after the ‘Caps earned a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
“We need to really say that we are here to try to be at the ball until the end and trying to shoot for the highest position. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to make it, but we have the quality to do it.”
With seven games left on their regular-season schedule, the ‘Caps (13-8-6) sit in fifth spot in the congested Western Conference, just two points out of fourth.
Saturday’s loss officially eliminated the last-place Earthquakes (5-21-2) from post-season action.
Vancouver has been on a hot streak since returning from the Leagues Cup break and is unbeaten (3-0-1) in its last four outings across all competitions. The team has not allowed a goal in those matches.
“It’s the fact that we play really well,” Sartini said of the clean sheets. “We have the ball a lot, we finish our attack most of the time in their box. So it’s really hard for the other team to attack us. And then when they attack us, in the rare times that they arrive in the final third, we’re very solid.”
Recent additions have bolstered the team’s ranks, including the club’s newest designated player, Stuart Armstrong. The 32-year-old Scottish midfielder scored his first MLS goal Saturday.
Three minutes after coming on as a substitute for Alessandro Schopf, Armstrong gave Vancouver a two-goal cushion in the 87th minute.
Midfielder Pedro Vite dished a short pass to ‘Caps captain Ryan Gauld, who tapped it toward Armstrong. The former Southampton FC player then blasted a shot into the top of the net for his first strike in a Whitecaps’ jersey.
He was mobbed by teammates in the corner of the field.
“I think everyone was happy. Also for the first goal, but also that it was an important three points,” said Armstrong, who signed with the ‘Caps on Sept. 3.
“It kind of felt a little bit like last week, when we had a lot of chances and we didn’t get the three points. So today, I think everyone was just relieved to have that two-goal cushion.”
Vancouver was the dominant team from the outset Saturday and did not relent, outshooting the visitors 19-5 and controlling 54.1 per cent of possession.
Fafa Picault also found the back of the net for Vancouver, while Gauld contributed a pair of assists.
Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped both shots he faced to collect his seventh clean sheet of the year, while Daniel made nine saves for the Quakes.
Gauld and Picault teamed up in the 22nd minute when Gauld curled a cross in and the Haitian striker headed it down toward the net, only to see Daniel catch a piece of the shot with his forearm and redirect it out of harm’s way.
The duo connected again in the 35th minute on a Vancouver corner. Gauld swung a ball in and Picault jumped up from the pack to send a glancing header in past Daniel for his ninth MLS goal of the season.
San Jose briefly appeared to level the score in the 68th minute when an unmarked Ousseni Bouda collected the ball, froze Takaoka and tapped a shot into the Vancouver net. An official quickly raised the offside flag and waved off the tally.
Daniel kept San Jose’s deficit to a single goal with a pair of solid stops in the 82nd minute.
First, the Brazilian ‘keeper dove sideways on his line to tip away a bomb from Alessandro Schopf. He was tested again on the ensuing corner and jumped up to send a header from Picault over the crossbar.
“I think we created a lot of chances again,” Gauld said.
“We probably should have put the game out of their reach sooner. But we’d be more worried if we weren’t creating the chances. Three clean sheets in a row in the league, I think it’s a big thing for us. And it gives us a good platform to go forward.”
NOTES
Vancouver played without leading scorer Brian White for a third consecutive game as the American striker works his way back from a concussion. … Gauld’s second assist marked his 15th goal contribution (six goals, nine assists) in his last 15 Whitecaps games across all competitions. … An announced crowd of 21,309 took in the game at B.C. Place.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps kick off a two-game road swing Wednesday against the Houston Dynamo. The Earthquakes host the Seattle Sounders the same night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Not good enough. That was Arne Slot’s verdict after his first defeat as Liverpool manager on Saturday.
A shock 1-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League ended Slot’s perfect record since succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Anfield at the end of last season.
“We had a lot of ball possession but only managed to create three (or) four quite good chances, so that is by far not enough if you have so much ball possession,” said the Dutchman, who suggested his team should not be losing to the likes of Forest.
“If you lose a home game it’s always a setback, especially if you face a team … we never know, maybe they will go all the way to fight for Champions League tickets, but normally this team is not ending up in the top 10, so if you lose a game against them that’s a big disappointment.”
Slot won his first three games in charge, including a memorable 3-0 victory against Manchester United before the international break.
But that run came to an end after Callum Hudson-Odoi struck in the 72nd with a curling effort from the edge of the box and beyond goalkeeper Alisson.
Liverpool’s defeat leaves Manchester City as the only team with a 100% record in the league after a 2-1 win against Brentford kept the defending champion at the top of the table.
United won at Southampton 3-0 to end its two-game losing streak.
Unstoppable Haaland
Erling Haaland moved to 99 goals for City after scoring twice against Brentford.
The Norwegian’s double came after Yoane Wissa fired Brentford ahead with just 22 seconds on the clock.
Haaland scored his 98th and 99th goals in his 103rd City appearance in all competitions. And he was the width of the post away from his third consecutive hat trick after trebles against Ipswich and West Ham.
“He’s been really, really good. Yeah, I would say he’s the best (he’s been), but it’s only four fixtures (this season),” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
Haaland, who has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or, has nine goals in four league games. He has topped the league scoring charts in each of his two seasons at City since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 for $63 million.
Haaland’s first goal after 19 minutes evened the game following Wissa’s opener, which stunned the Etihad Stadium crowd. Haaland turned and swept a shot past goalkeeper Mark Flekken after a slight deflection off Ethan Pinnock.
He was then too strong for Pinnock when shaking off the defender and running through for his second in the 32nd.
He was inches away in the 81st; the shot came back off the post after beating the keeper.
Rashford snaps run
Marcus Rashford snapped a 12-game barren run in front of goal as United beat Southampton.
Rashford doubled United’s lead at Saint Mary’s after Matthijs de Ligt’s scored his first for the club. Substitute Alejandro Garnacho scored a third in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The win came after back-to-back defeats for United.
Rashford hadn’t scored since March in United’s win over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals. He curled in a shot from the edge of the area to put Erik ten Hag’s team 2-0 up at Southampton in the 41st minute.
Ten Hag said it could be a turning point for the forward.
“For every striker, they want to be on the scoring list. Once the first is in, more is coming. Like a ketchup bottle, once it’s going, it’s coming more,” he said.
De Ligt, who joined United from Bayern Munich in the offseason, headed in from Bruno Fernandes’ cross in the 35th.
It could have been a different story if Cameron Archer converted a penalty for Southampton in the 33rd. Instead, his effort was saved by goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Newly promoted Southampton was reduced to 10 men when Jack Stephens was sent off in the 79th for a high challenge on Garnacho.
Villa comeback
After three straight defeats to start the league, Everton looked set for its first win when leading Aston Villa 2-0.
Goals from Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Sean Dyche’s team in control until Ollie Watkins struck twice to even the game.
Jhon Duran completed Villa’s comeback and sealed a 3-2 win in the 76th to leave Everton rooted to the bottom of the table and the only top flight team without a point.
Late drama
Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a stoppage time penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw for Crystal Palace against Leicester.
Leicester led 2-0 at Selhurst Park after goals from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi.
But Mateta sparked Palace’s response with a goal in the 47th, a minute after Mavididi doubled Leicester’s advantage.
Conor Coady fouled Ismaili Sarr in the box right near fulltime and Mateta was cool enough to convert.
West Ham left it even later to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Danny Ings struck in the fifth minute of added time after Raul Jimenez’s goal looked like earning Fulham the win.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, the manager of the month for August, was frustrated as his team was held to 0-0 at home by Ipswich.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
