Russian world champion demands NHL to boycott Olympics without Russia

Former Russian national team forward Evgeny Malkin has demanded that the National Hockey League (NHL) not send players to the 2026 Olympic Games if Russia is suspended. The Pittsburgh Penguins forward repeated the traditional Kremlin propaganda cliché about the politicization of sports.

Malkin, 37, said this in an interview with the authoritative publication The Athletic. The two-time world champion, who participated in the Olympics three times (2006-2014) without ever winning a medal, expressed confidence that foreigners would be happy to play with Russians at the main start of the quadrennial.

"We play in the NHL, but the government has power. I hope the NHL will say that they will not go to the Olympics without Russians and Belarusians. The owners and bosses realize that this will mean more marketing, advertising, and everything else. If you ask players from any country, I think they will say that they would be happy to play with Russia because it is a tough opponent for Canada, the United States, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. This is sport, not politics. Sometimes it's hard to understand the rules because we do nothing but play for the fans," Malkin said.

On Monday, February 12, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced the suspension of Russia and Belarus for the 2024/25 season. This means that the teams of the co-aggressors will not play in two World Cups, and the representatives of the Russian Federation will miss the selection for the 2026 Olympics.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, two-time Olympic champion Vyacheslav Fetisov threw a tantrum and called the IIHF leadership morons because of Russia's new suspension. And the legendary hockey goaltender Dominik Hasek condemned the NHL for the lack of sanctions against Russians.

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