Alexander Ovechkin's standing among Washington, D.C. natives is as high as it gets. He is arguably the greatest professional athlete to call the District of Columbia home. He has been there for 17 years. He is a 12-time all-star. The first title the city won in a long time was by him. The career goals record of Wayne Gretzky is in sight. He is the most notable athlete in D.C. history. He publicly supported the president of his home country who just invaded one. He hasn't made a statement on Putin, and he wasn't available to local reporters before the Rangers game because he was taking some time to address the topic. His silence has not been missed. NHL writers were not the only ones speaking out against the Russian national. Slava Malamud is a former journalist who lives in Baltimore and is from Ukraine.
There are a lot of scenarios that could have hurt his reputation in his hometown, and buddying up with Putin had to be at the top of that list. One would hope he condemns the violence, but speaking out against the Kremlin has resulted in loss of life before, and it's entirely possible he's weighing the risk to himself and his family.
With the exception of former chess champion Garry Kasparov, he is the most visible Russian on American soil, and one would assume he wouldn't like it in Moscow.
He will have to speak about it when the American media inquires as soon as he is available. He can claim that he isn't apolitic, but this isn't an election fraud or poisoning case. His hockey partner is responsible for the loss of lives.
Regardless of the stance he takes, the choice he makes will be a part of his legacy. The defense becomes silent if he stays silent because he feared for his family.
The guy will get the key to the city if he does the right thing and tells Putin to fuck off.
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