Hasek calls Ovechkin “chicken sh*t” for comments on war
Legendary NHL goaltender Dominik Hasek called Alex Ovechkin a “chicken shit” and a “liar” as part of a series of tweets following Ovechkin’s comments on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“What!? Not only an alibist, a chicken sh-t, but also a liar! 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,” tweeted Hasek, linking a CNN article with Ovechkin’s comments from a press conference Friday.
What!? Not only an alibist, a chicken shit, but also a liar! 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. The NHL must immediately suspend contracts(contin)https://t.co/BQnQaf76L7
— Dominik Hasek (@hasek_dominik) February 26, 2022
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the neighbouring eastern European country of Ukraine on Thursday. Troops raided the border by land, air, and sea, forcing civilians to evacuate and shelter themselves.
“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,” Ovechkin told media Friday.
“Obviously it’s a hard situation. I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine and it’s hard to see the war. I hope soon it’s going to be over and there’s going to be peace in the whole world.
“Some things I can’t control. It’s not in my hands. I hope it’s going to end soon and it’s going to be peace in both countries. I don’t control this.”
Ovechkin has been a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past. His official Instagram account, with 1.6 million followers, features an avatar of he and Putin together.
Hasek, born in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia in 1965, is in the Hockey Hall of Fame and won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender on six different occasions. He also led the Czech Republic to gold at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, and won the Stanley Cup in 2002 and 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings.
The 57-year-old goalie, who was also a six-time all-star, three-time Czech Sportsperson of the Year, and two-time Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s most valuable player, also called for an immediate suspension of the contracts of all Russian players currently in the NHL.
I also want to write, that I am very sorry for those Russian athletes, who condemn V. Putin and his Russian aggression in Ukraine. However, at the moment I also consider their exclusion a necessity.
— Dominik Hasek (@hasek_dominik) February 26, 2022
“The NHL must immediately suspend contracts for all Russian players!” He said. “Every athlete represents not only himself and his club, but also his country and its values and actions. That is a fact. If the NHL does not do so, it has indirect co-responsibility for the dead in Ukraine.”
He added: “I also want to write, that I am very sorry for those Russian athletes, who condemn V. Putin and his Russian aggression in Ukraine. However, at the moment I also consider their exclusion a necessity.”
The International Ice Hockey Federation will also review two upcoming tournaments that Russia was set to host, and Jokerit, a Finnish-based team playing in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, has dropped out of the KHL playoffs.
Several other athletic governing bodies have halted events in Russia, too.