Agreed. Sad not a single reporter has the guts to call out his worship of Putin. A real man in Putin's position would use it to help stop the slaughter of innocent Ukrainians at the hands of his BFF Putin
It is difficult if not impossible to separate politics and ideology from superstars in professional sport. These elite athletes are, and in my opinion, should be held to higher standards.
I enjoy watching sports occasionally, I admire athletic achievement & the effort that goes into it; but I find the way athletes are lionized to be a bit disturbing. Being good at a sport doesn't make one a good person, or a role model in anything.
Certainly not the intricacies of geopolitical or philosophical inquiries surrounding ethics of social governance, or parsing biases engineered by the country's best experts bent on manipulating its athletes especially...
It's pretty narrow-minded to expect so much from athletes, really.
Oh, we probably should stop prosecuting those athlete for rapes.
1) they don’t have women in their teams - how do they even supposed to know how to deal with them?
2)we cannot expect citizen obeying the law if they didn’t attend lawyer school, especially in the terrible educational system of the us
For example, you're struggling to appreciate the effects of propaganda and psychology, yet look how effective it has been and you refuse to admit it despite the evidence because of your bias.
Notice the similarity? I'm not excusing you for misrepresenting things, I'm communicating it with patience.
That's nonsense. Unless they were raised separated from women and taught to rape women their whole lives before ever meeting one, only the would your straw man bear any weight.
You're trying too hard to imply I'm covering for him, I'm not. But he's not a scholar. Matter of fact, that's not his job.
No shit, Sherlock - that’s nonsense indeed.
You don’t have to study law to obey it.
You don’t have to study philosophy to not be a piece of 💩
No one expects athletes leading fight for the rights - it’s enough just not cheering for bloody dictator.
Lots of stuff that I have forgotten or glossed over. Yeah, it’s bad. I still think the education system in Russia is to blame. Don’t think he’s ever been exposed to serious anti-propaganda and has felt comfortable in the privileged class of his country. Sad af.
Gretzky doesn’t have to support Trump and Ovi doesn’t need to stay in Russia and worry about his life or family’s well being. He could become Canadian but he obviously agrees with the slaughter of children in Ukraine. He’s a Putin bootlicker by choice. Stop defending this garbage human being.
And bc you aren't in this situation, think it out: would you risk the lives of your family, money & land, while living the rest of your life in fear over saying something that wouldn't do anything to impact the current war? Maybe few hockey fans? But what can they do? We see who we have in govt now.
The banks are monitored: putin & his men would know immediately you're trying to take out money and could very well deny it. How would you answer them? Because you should know how that conversation would go. Again, that family has been monitored since ovi's mother. Check what happened with Panarin.
The people I know took years to get out - and they were very 'small' in the public scope of popularity. That's all I'm saying. And if you're so against the slaughter of children, why do you not have 🇵🇸 flag? 15,000 children have been killed compared to 600 Ukrainian. It's evil both ways.
What do you think the money and connections are? They have been tied into the Russian government since his mother and father being successful athletes. You think it's as simple as a few money withdrawals and flights. He has the celeb status for connections- but that also means he's a higher target.
"Doesn't need to stay in Russia" given that he's trying to move out his mother from there, or the rest of his family? You all really don't know how deep the control goes. Banks, land, family ties. His mother was an USSR Olympian young - immediately starting the public eye interest of the USSR.
Why hasn't Ovechkin been deported to Russia.
He should have been.
He's buds with Putin.
West should have had sanctions in place for all Russian hockey players. After all their money goes back to Russia.
So because he's russian it's fine for him to support an illegal invasion and a murderous dictator. Ok then. I thought you had something serious to say.
Ovechkin will break Gretzky's career goals record, but he has only 1618 points. Gretzky has 2857 career points, a mark that Ovechkin will never come close to. And in hockey, total points (goals + assists) is more significant than total goals.
But both will always be tied in their love of fascism.
Most goals are made possible by a primary and often a secondary assist. Which is why the same point value is placed on primary and secondary assists as on goals. Which is why total points is a more accurate measure of a player's offensive productivity than total goals.
LOL, you're an Ovechkin fanboi, just as I thought. And your puppy love for him doesn't change any of the hockey FACTS that I posted. You simply don't understand hockey.
I see people say that frequently about Bossy, and yes his goals per (.76) is highest, but he also only played 10 seasons. Mario (10 seasons): .824. Gretzky: .799. Bossy's average absolutely would have diminished, had he played more. Mario played 17 seasons, .75 avg
Mario was higher than Bossy until he came out of retirement.
After three years off, not skating or training, at 36 years old he returned halfway through the season, in 2000 and had 76 points in 43 games. Jagr won Art Ross with 121 points in 81 games.
Barely. And if Bossy didn’t hurt his back he would’ve kept playing and Ovechkin would maybe be chasing his goal record. Can’t really slice it up that way.
I got to see Mario play the Bruins in Boston the year he came back. What an absolute thrill. Never saw him in Pittsburgh, but twice in Miami too. Those early 90's teams were incredible. If I recall, almost the entire all-star team one year were Penguins ('93?)
As Ovechkin breaks Gretzky’s goal record, his legacy is clouded by more than stats. His long-standing support for Putin, even after the invasion of Ukraine, raises tough questions about the cost of staying silent—and the power of sportswashing. #NHL #Ukraine #Ovechkin #StandWithUkraine🇺🇦
Stop with this nonsense because it’s offensive to the brave Russians who criticize and challenge the regime. Ovechkin is a genuine Putin fan; it’s well established and he’s proud of it
And I'm genuinely curious: how are you doing this only for Ukraine but not Palestine? IDF is copying what the British did to Ireland. 669 killed and 1,854 injured for Ukrainian children as of Feb.24,2025, and for Palestine it's 15,000 children killed. Or do you only care about European children?
If you don't believe me, fine, but he literally publicly said he does not support the war, which is the most said in regards to other athletes. Advised not to change his picture. Why aren't you after Malkin if you truly believe this is doing anything for Ukraine?
I have personal knowledge of what happens when you're in deep bc of roots; his family were Russian athletes (mother the most close relative). Under the USSR, Putin took these same rules to appear perfect by controlling who has spotlight/publicity. His family's money and lives have depended on this.
His mother was an Olympic medalist if you don't know. Don't you know anything of Russian controversy in world sports? I would think someone of your research & academia would know the consequences of being born into a fascist government and being an athlete abroad, the control it has on every aspect
People talk about golf being a rich man's sport, but it has nothing on hockey, which has very high equipment, facilities and membership costs, almost universally toxic parents and coaches and a deeply sick group of team and league owners.
Most other sports at least have a management/labour dichotomy between players and owners, but hockey players are almost always upper-middle class douchebags to start.
I disagree. While I’ve seen toxic parents and coaches they exist in every sport. I do think moneyed people started gravitating to hockey and soccer for many reasons , and it did get quite challenging. But I think gymnastics and soccer and probably lacrosse are even worse
This feels weirdly xenophobic in a way. America has done more evil to this world at large than any other country. Yet we've allowed hockey games to become full of bs nationalism and never had this energy for players who've supported US presidents.
No, it's not. The fact you think it is says everything about you. Putin is terrible. But you can't tell me we've held athletes accountable for their support of American politicians and nationalism that have commited war crimes + genocide and more.
I’m sorry but it’s not equivalent at all. It says to me you don’t know much about Ru at all. I’m disgusted that you want to support Ovechkin who embraces the full genocidal russian attack on Ukraine as we speak.
I literally denounced Putin in my last tweet. Why won't you actually engage honestly? Putin is bad. Ovechkin is bad for supporting him. Biden was bad. Trump was bad. Bush was bad. They all commited war crimes. I'm simply asking why we don't hold the athletes who supported them accountabe?
I’m literally equating Trump and Pu in the tweet even though Pu is still orders of magnitude worse. The priority should be condemning the sympathizers of the worst regimes. The fact that you don’t want to do that signals that you want to whatabout and whitewash Russia.
Well treasonous might be a tad strong…I save that for spies, criminals and other nefarious characters. Disloyal, unCanadian, self absorbed…I can get behind those descriptions.
All old white dudes start looking the same at a certain point and maybe I need reading glasses but who is third guy that isn’t kash or the once great one?
I'm perplexed, what is it about guys who take a beating for a living, with a long history of head injuries, that makes them end up conservatives...I know there's an explanation here somewhere
Also disappointed that my Philadelphia Eagles will be celebrating with the president. Sirriani is reportedly a big fan.
I wonder how the Eagles wives and daughters feel about their husbands and dads celebrating with the rapist/sexual abuser.
@philadelphiaeagles.bsky.social
I really don’t think they care because it offers them buying opportunities at bargain prices. When the economy recovers, they have amassed EVEN MORE WEALTH. It happens every time there is a recession, which happens every time an R is President. Makes one wonder…
This is from the WH visit when they won the cup in 2017 - the whole team was there. & if you check out the YouTube video from it - normally the capt is up front & gives the pres a jersey. They stashed Crosby way in the back corner & all the execs were up front. Why are you forcing that connection?
Maybe you shouldn’t just blindly assume things about people. There are plenty of hockey players that go through the college system. And there are some athletes that actually care about education. Things are awful now, but that doesn’t mean you should be projecting and making assumptions.
No, I can observe and make up my own mind based on what I see and what I know from life experience and a lifetime watching pro sports. A majority of white, male athletes in North America come from affluent backgrounds and are conservative, or straight up don’t care about politics or voting.
Really isnt. Any sport where the majority is made up of white millionaires, it’s going to skew at the very least 60-40 conservative. That’s not going to stop me watching sport though, I can make peace with these pampered, brain damaged morons, I don’t give AF about their opinions, only their game.
But comparing Crosby and the penguins visiting the White House in 2016 after winning the cup to Gretzky being cozy with the Trump administration today is silly. I do agree on being able to enjoy the sport tho. If you dig deep enough, every public figure will disappoint you
The top athletes in most sports are morally-bankrupt POS.
See golf - Tiger Woods, football - Tom Brady, soccer - Christiano Ronaldo.
Terrible human beings.
It's awful to admire a person who loves a murderous fascist dictator who poisons his opponents, but you do you and keep telling yourself that it's just about "politics"
Gretzky was protected by the league as a PR stunt to try to increase viewership and sell more NHL branded merchandise. On his own he would have been injured and retired before his fifth season. And that's probably the most likable fact about him...
Gretz chose to become a traitorous chode, Ovechkin was born into it. They can both meet famous French justice, The Right Honourable Guy O’Tienne for all I care.
Hello, I'm really impressed with your profile🌷and personality.I also admire your good sense of humor here.I don't normally write in the comment section,but I think you deserve this,can we be friends?
Russia stopped being a democracy long ago. Their elections are a sham. Putin ensures that no candidate who could actually threaten him gets on the ballots. And Gretzky is now widely disliked in Canada because of his affinity to Trump.
Yep that’s the lie that Ovechkin’s management team sold to many fans. “He can’t help it that he’s Russian” and people don’t look at any further to see how aggressively he’s backed Putin.
Growing up in Canada, I knew kids who cried themselves to sleep when they heard Gretzky was moving to the US. Now they're furious with him. One of them was invited to receive an award at a big conference across the border, and he's refusing to go.
Too much money makes people shitty. I feel like there's an overlap in a Venn diagram with obsessive drive, apathy and selfishness that sums up most of them.
You people clearly are ignorant to what russian government does to athletes and you should actually spend your time helping Ukraine and Russia's government to a freer country and democracy. Posts like these do literally nothing.
And yes, from people I know - personal experience is where I'm saying this. And it's embarrassing how privileged and ignorant you people are when you think you're doing good
I’m certainly not trying to do anything to change the world with a post. I know that. I’m just sad I can’t enjoy the ride, in regards to this goal record chase.
I get Russian athletes will start falling out windows if they criticize Putin. But Ovechkin doesn’t seem too upset about it.
I just wish these ignorant people knew more about the control Putin has in Russian athletes, especially ones who have deep roots into it (his mother USSR olympian). Him saying he doesn't approve of the war was quite literally dangerous enough, I'm surprised these people think he's at the frontlines.
Praying my AA son who plays in a Canadian league and hopefully will be going to Juniors Tier I or II next year and then D1 will someday beat Ovi's record in the NHL.🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 (y'all pray too!)
Btw we met Ovi. Nice guy, but he's definitely a Russian machine.🤷🏾♀️
Both are disappointing, but I think Gretzky has more freedom to openly spurn a leader than Ovechkin does. Especially since Gretzky isn’t even American.
I don't know enough about the real life situation in Russia to know what "freely" means. I've asked many questions of a friend who lived there a decade ago, but his firsthand knowledge is dated. All I know is Putin just conscripted another 160k for the military.
Gretzky on the other hand should know better. He’s been out of the game for years, has been in higher business decisions and had access to a western education. Just my two cents.
I agree, but the only way I calm myself on Ovechkin is he’s probably not well educated as hockey has been his life and passion. While he’s wrong for not using his platform, I don’t think he would know how if he wanted to. Putin’s propaganda machine would destroy his reputation.
He's a athlete not a diplomat... Don't take it too seriously, he was raised in propaganda and spent thousands of hours playing contact sports and training to the point of exhaustion.
Not everyone can know everything. Let's set reasonable expectations with grace to promote critical thinking instead.
It’s lame, but let’s maybe not start scrutinising sporting achievements based on one’s political affiliation? That’s an unwise path and one we mustn’t take.
Ots time that morality and the will of (good) folk outweighs the mania of the sports fan.
Similar shit down here in NZ and Oz where sports stars literally get away with crime and being dickheads, because... sport...
Me too absolutely gutted I'm from Boston. I had heard something unto the other fact that is true isn't it?
And Tom Brady and Bill belichick what the hell
Oh yes, and I’m not naive about this in general. Bobby Orr was a tough one for me personally, though. He was a childhood hero of mine. I truly believed he was a decent guy. So I was shocked to learn he wasn’t.
This Revelation absolutely gutted me. He gave me so much enjoyment as a child and as an adult and to find this out was and is devastating. I had the pleasure, if I can use that word, of meeting him which was the highlight of my year I was 50. Maybe in retrospect it was the lowlight.
Hockey players, baseball players and euro soccer players are all dumb AF. The majority leave school at 16 and spend the next 20 years surrounded by nothing but millionaire high school dropouts.
I was watching the Wings game and a friend of mine said Gretzky been getting a ton of hate since the first of the year. Didn't know why but now I do. How sad !!
Could have worn a Canadian Jersey to the Canadian hockey game instead of giving thumbs up to the other side's bench. He's declared his loyalty to MAGA. Weiner is dead to me now. 10 ply.
To be fair, hockey players aren't known for their smarts.
Disappointing but to be expected I'm afraid. Expect Ovechkin to play the 'my relatives are under threat card' If asked about this.
Gretzky sold out to the biggest gambling app in the country to poison the minds of the kids that he inspired
Hockey is definitely the most conservative sport. The players are automatons who can think and talk about nothing else, and are addicted to “tough guy” macho nonsense.
No I’ve known a few serious football players, including NFL. The league is very Republican but the players and coaches aren’t. And they are far more thoughtful and curious than hockey players. I only knew the latter in college, but they were all genuine idiots who cared about nothing else.
OBE hk in has been a Putin supporter from way back … and vice versa. If I remember correctly, didn’t he skate with Putin for a photoshoot after Putin’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014?
Top professional athletes are quickly thrust into the extremely wealthy class, most often with little knowledge or understanding of financial management or economics
Sure. But in Ovechkin’s case you don’t need any sophisticated understanding of anything just the most basic human decency to realize that supporting Russia’s illegal invasion and Pu who has gotten many oppo and journalists killed is 💯 wrong
No he doesn’t. Putin has a grip on everyone in Russia because he will kill them otherwise, but they know Putin is screwing them. Trump can’t indiscriminately kill American citizens, yet, and MAGA is too stupid to realize Trump is screwing them.
I believe Putin still does have cult like supporters in Russia who believe everything he says and agree with everything he does. I do agree that Putin does not tolerate any dissent.
Thanks for your post. I totally agree. That is the answer to why all the hockey fans are men, and only think hockey, I don't follow it at all. Better things to do with my time. They idolize the million dollar contracts of people who don't give a darn about them. Fools.
Comments
It's pretty narrow-minded to expect so much from athletes, really.
1) they don’t have women in their teams - how do they even supposed to know how to deal with them?
2)we cannot expect citizen obeying the law if they didn’t attend lawyer school, especially in the terrible educational system of the us
Notice the similarity? I'm not excusing you for misrepresenting things, I'm communicating it with patience.
You're trying too hard to imply I'm covering for him, I'm not. But he's not a scholar. Matter of fact, that's not his job.
You don’t have to study law to obey it.
You don’t have to study philosophy to not be a piece of 💩
No one expects athletes leading fight for the rights - it’s enough just not cheering for bloody dictator.
He's not Aristotle.
There's a lot of cognitive dissonance embedded in that man's brain for reasons beyond his control, reinforced by success and acclaim.
Hes not Dostoyevsky.
Mario a very close second.
Mike and Mario don’t support dictators.
I’d leave with family and never return. No regrets.
But Ovi isn’t me.
I plan on being a Bad American and joining the Revolution. No surrender.
The slaughter of innocents anywhere is evil including Gaza. Read my posts. I call it genocide. I’m no fan of Bibi who is a war criminal.
https://www.rferl.org/a/enemies-kremlin-deaths-prigozhin-list/32562583.html
He should have been.
He's buds with Putin.
West should have had sanctions in place for all Russian hockey players. After all their money goes back to Russia.
Cmon now
He's not craven or bankrupt. He's. Russian man, and a famous one at that
You can play purity games as you see fit. Most people have shades to it, but you don't and that's yours to enjoy.
Do ty to be less disdainful in your interactions
✌️
But both will always be tied in their love of fascism.
You need to learn some puck.
Lemieux > Gretzky
Crosby > Ovechkin
It’s time everybody switch the being a Penguins fan if you haven’t already.
Added bonus you get Malkin and Jagr. This team has its own hockey Mount Rushmore.
After three years off, not skating or training, at 36 years old he returned halfway through the season, in 2000 and had 76 points in 43 games. Jagr won Art Ross with 121 points in 81 games.
Lemieux’s pace for 81 games was 66G 77A 143P.
GoKingsGo!
🙄
You're right, I should have used "you're."
2 min for me in the Bluesky penalty box.
I'm sorry. (Notice the "I'm" part).
Zero!
It's a fucking cesspit.
I was thinking it might be the environmentalism-adjacency, but your point's a good one, too.
Putin is evil but so is this American government.
I wonder how the Eagles wives and daughters feel about their husbands and dads celebrating with the rapist/sexual abuser.
@philadelphiaeagles.bsky.social
They’re all conservative. 80% of NHL players eligible to vote in the US election would have voted for Trump.
See golf - Tiger Woods, football - Tom Brady, soccer - Christiano Ronaldo.
Terrible human beings.
Records are made to be broken, after all. 🤞🤞
Hockey is really the best sport to see live.
Signed,
Anaheim Ducks fan
https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2020/11/06/alex-ovechkin-on-president-donald-trump-he-loves-russia/
Slava Ukraine! 🇺🇦
He's a piece of work.
And yet the sports donkeys are still heyhawing it up, like these two are great role models or some crap.
I get Russian athletes will start falling out windows if they criticize Putin. But Ovechkin doesn’t seem too upset about it.
My bigger concern, on a selfish personal level, is the once Great One siding with Trump.
I wish for better in the US & Russia.
Btw we met Ovi. Nice guy, but he's definitely a Russian machine.🤷🏾♀️
Not everyone can know everything. Let's set reasonable expectations with grace to promote critical thinking instead.
Gretzky is a disappointment.
Similar shit down here in NZ and Oz where sports stars literally get away with crime and being dickheads, because... sport...
And Tom Brady and Bill belichick what the hell
2. Gretzky
3. Orr
Good to know.
Disappointing but to be expected I'm afraid. Expect Ovechkin to play the 'my relatives are under threat card' If asked about this.
Gretzky sold out to the biggest gambling app in the country to poison the minds of the kids that he inspired
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PutinTeam
😭