“I promise to do everything to restore my reputation”: NHL disqualifies Kuznetsov for three matches

“Lucky that I have the opportunity to fix everything”

The decision of the NHL on Evgeny Kuznetsov, Russian fans were anxiously awaiting. For the use of cocaine, hockey players could be subject to quite serious sanctions. According to the Anti-Doping League Code, an attacker could be disqualified for 20 or 60 matches, or disqualified for life. However, the latter was practically excluded.

September 12, Kuznetsov met with the NHL commissioner Gary Batman and, apparently, managed to convince the functionary of sincere repentance. In any case, after two days the league imposed the most lenient penalty for the hockey player - three disqualification matches. The NHL noted that Eugene will not appeal this decision, and the league will refrain from further comments.

Thus, Kuznetsov over the ocean was actually forgiven, because the three-match disqualification is a move towards the hockey player. The leadership of the league decided that it would be more logical not to severely punish the athlete, but to give him the opportunity to rehabilitate himself on ice.

On the other hand, the NHL can be understood, because Kuznetsov is one of the main stars of the league and the top scorer of the last season, which fans go to watch. To remove such a hockey player for a long time is to lose a lot of money. In Washington, however, such a solution can only be welcomed, because the team now does not have to solve the problem of finding a replacement for its leading striker.

Kuznetsov himself, after the announcement of the NHL decision, noted that he was accepting disqualification and once again apologized to his family and teammates.

“I promise to do everything to restore respect and reputation. I understand that I was lucky, because I have the opportunity to fix it. Thanks to Washington, the NHL and the NHLPA, I have taken many steps in the right direction, and I am sure that I will continue this path. I thank everyone for their support and hope to move forward. I understand that people may have additional questions, but I will no longer comment on this topic, ”the Washington official website quotes the hockey player.

"In America they play by their own rules."

Two-time Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov emphasized that Kuznetsov was given a second chance.

“Kuznetsov is not the only one, there were similar cases, and the person was just given a second chance,” Sport-Express quotes Kozhevnikov.

In turn, the former coach of the Russian national team, Vladimir Plyushchev, noted that Kuznetsov was already severely punished, having suspended him from games at the international level.

“The NHL has its own rules, in my opinion, they immediately stated that they would not copy the IIHF decision. The NHL never lived according to the IIHF rules, they made certain compromises related to hockey, but did not obey these rules. All this has been going on for fifty years, no one said that the NHL is ready to choose a common leader who will be responsible for these two organizations. Even the case with the Olympics: in the NHL they said that their players would not go to the Olympics, it happened, ”Plushenko said in an interview with Sport24.

In turn, another ex-head coach of the national team Vyacheslav Bykov, on the contrary, criticized the NHL and emphasized that only money is important to the league.

“If they had control over doping, as in the whole world, then this would simply not happen. In America, they play by their own rules, it is important for them to show, financial gain. And how, through doping or due to cocaine, is not so important. In the NHL, nobody cares. They have their own business project, their own ethics. They are like bad mushroom pickers, walk through the forest, pick the best mushrooms and are happy. Well, for Eugene it is important that he will play. For him, what happened will be a lesson. I am sure Kuznetsov was worried about what had happened. This has affected all Russian hockey. Zhenya is a smart guy, and he will draw the right conclusions, ”Bykov said.

And Olympic champion Darius Kasparaitis, who currently resides in the United States, on the contrary, called the NHL decision true and logical.

“They must have looked at all the options. We talked with Zhenya, everything was thought out. They saw that Zhenya had no problem, and suspended him for 3 matches. Usually, if a person has serious problems, the NHL tries to help him, then it would not be about three matches, but about three months. The main thing is that Zhenya does not lose heart and continues to work, ”Kasparaitis concluded.