Evgeni Malkin is one of the more outspoken players in the league, so it was odd that we hadn’t heard much from him on his Olympic stance.
We’ve heard other players like Alex Ovechkin say they want to go to the Olympics and will consider attending regardless of whether or not the NHL agrees to send their players. Well, now thanks to Malkin speaking his mind, we understand why Ovechkin might feel a little more obligated to attend.
We’re sure he was saying it somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but there is some definite truth to the statement. Ovechkin clearly has a relationship with the Russian president, as they are frequently seen at events together and even playing hockey together. This summer Putin even sent Ovi a personal wedding gift.
Putin has proven to have an interest in hockey’s popularity in Russia, even playing with KHL executives himself, so it shouldn’t surprise people that he would want Ovechkin to attend.
