‘Alexander Ovechkin has the right to be a jerk.’ Hockey, politics and Vladimir Putin, plus other letters to the editor for April 4
: How can the National Hockey League turn a blind eye to Alexander Ovechkin’s support for Vladimir Putin? I think it’s shameful.
I don’t bear a grudge against most Russian athletes as they cannot help being Russian and do not show support for Mr. Putin. Then there is Mr. Ovechkin, displaying a photo with Mr. Putin on his Instagram page, and people seem not to be disturbed by this. It makes me sick to my stomach when Washington Capitals fans chant, “Ovi, Ovi.”
At the very least, the NHL should demand that Mr. Ovechkin take down the photo with Mr. Putin, or be suspended. It’s a small gesture, but important all the same. To the Capitals fans and management who cheer and celebrate his goal-scoring milestones: Watch the newsreels of destruction and Ukrainians dying. Why doesn’t it bother them that their star player supports the person responsible for all this tragedy?Alexander Ovechkin has the right to pose on Instagram with whomever he chooses. Funny thing about free speech: People are free to have opinions that others disagree with.
I find Mr. Ovechkin’s choice of friends and, by extension, his position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine offensive. But he has the right to be a jerk.Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: