Russia’s attack on Ukraine has ripple effect on NHL

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National Hockey League players of Russian descent are feeling the heat of events in Europe.

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While most have denounced their country’s invasion of Ukraine, expressed concern for innocent citizens or just tried to lay low and carry on with their work, some have endured “real threats” in person and on social media says agent Dan Milstein, who represents several Russian NHLers, including Toronto’s Ilya Mikheyev.

As part of earlier comments to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Milstein confirmed in a text to the Sun he has asked for “extra security” for his clients and is “working with teams to address the issue.” Milstein, who was born in Kyiv before emigrating to the U.S. as a young boy, would not speak directly to which of his players or their teams have been targeted.

Much of the focus among North American sports at the start of the unprovoked attack was on Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, whose team faced the Leafs on Monday night. In previous years, Ovie had not hidden his admiration for Russian president Vladimir Putin. After initially withholding comment when the tanks rolled across the border last week, Ovechkin tried to stickhandle down the middle.

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“It’s tough to see the war. I hope soon it’s going to be over and there’s going to be peace in the whole world.”

He did refer to Putin as “my president” in the media scrum.

In announcing its in-house sanctions against Russia on Monday afternoon, an NHL statement said “we also remain concerned about the well-being of the players from Russia, who play on behalf of their NHL clubs and not on behalf of Russia. We understand they and their families are being placed in an extremely difficult position.”

Becoming part of the global story, willing or not, contrasts Ovechkin’s massive popularity as a player, on pace to pass Wayne Gretzky’s scoring records in a couple of years. Ovie, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov and goalie Ilya Samsonov are among the most popular Capitals. Eastern NHL teams have a flock of star Russians who are fan favourites, such as two-time Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay (Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy), Florida (Sergei Bobrovsky), Pittsburgh (Evgeni Malkin), Carolina (Andrei Svechnikov) and the New York Rangers (Artemi Panarin).

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PUTIN PUT IN SIN BIN

Monday’s NHL sanctions led off with a declaration that it “condemns Russia’s invasion … and urges a peaceful resolution as soon as possible.”

Effective immediately, the league suspended business relations with their partners in that country and halted traffic on its Russian language social and digital media sites.

The idea of staging future exhibition games in Russia, after all such European events were grounded by COVID-19 the past couple of years, is also off the table.

“We are discontinuing any consideration of Russia as a location for any future competitions involving the NHL,” the league statement read.

Cold war hockey relations could also affect discussions to bring former Soviet players from the ‘72 Summit Series to Canada for a planned 50th-year reunion this summer.

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SOUP STAYS CHILL

Jack Campbell had not lost his sunny outlook after a stormy Saturday.

Allowing three goals in the opening minutes of the third period in Detroit and five on 25 shots overall, he gave coach Sheldon Keefe no choice but to hook him in favour of Petr Mrazek. Campbell expressed gratitude Mrazek and his teammates emerged with a 10-7 win, but it was obvious he’d be planted on the end of the Toronto bench Monday.

“I don’t sugarcoat anything for you guys,” Campbell told reporters in D.C. after the morning skate. “There has been a little stretch lately where it just hasn’t been up to my standard. And thankfully, I have amazing teammates, coaches and people in my life to help me just chill out a little bit.”

MATTHEWS SHINES AGAIN

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Give Auston Matthews yet another star.

His nine points in three games ending Saturday, following his rare shutout in a loss to Montreal, earned him NHL first star of the week honours. His feats included a dramatic takeaway for the winning goal versus Minnesota, factoring in all three goals in a loss in Columbus and a four-pointer in Detroit, his 10th career night with that many.

Matthews, the league’s first star for the month of December, went into Washington with the NHL lead in goals with 37. J.T. Miller of Vancouver and Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos were the second and third stars of the week.

LOOSE LEAFS

Monday was the 16th anniversary of a home game between the Leafs and Caps where a rookie Ovechkin scored in a 5-3 Washington win. That season, five of his 52 goals — which helped beat out Sidney Crosby for the Calder Trophy — came against the Leafs. He went into Monday with 41 at the expense of Toronto going back to the Ed Belfour era … Todd Crocker, play-by-play voice of the Marlies, noted during Sunday’s loud exit by Rich Clune, a boarding major, fight and misconduct against Rochester, the captain passed Kris Newbury’s team record of 475 penalty minutes. Clune now has 479 in 229 games with Toronto … Ex-Leaf Nick Ritchie had a goal and assist in his Arizona Coyotes’ debut Sunday.

lhornby@postmedia.com