"We decided to chat in the room": the NHL removed Ovechkin and three more Russian hockey players for violation of the COVID-19 protocol

Russian players of the Washington Capitals have been temporarily suspended from training and matches of the National Hockey League in connection with the violation of security protocols to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The sanctions hit the team captain Alexander Ovechkin, center forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, defender Dmitry Orlov and goalkeeper Ilya Samsonov.

The dates when they will be able to return to the training and game process are not named.

All four were punished for gathering together in one hotel room during an outing tour, which is prohibited by the regulations.

At the same time, the hockey players were without masks.

In addition to the fact that “Washington” lost four players, the club was also fined $ 100 thousand.

“Our club staff have worked hard to create a safe environment for our players and all team members so that we can finish the season.

We are upset that our players have chosen to socialize in a hotel room, rather than in designated areas.

We make the decision of the NHL and once again draw attention to the fact that the security protocols for the fight against COVID-19 continue to be in place, and all hockey players must still strictly abide by them, ”the club said.

Ovechkin was quick to apologize for violating security protocol and promised to learn his lesson.

“I regret the decision to spend time with my teammates in a hotel room and not in the dressing room area.

I will draw conclusions from what happened, "- said the captain of the" Washington ".

Interestingly, a week ago, Ovechkin spoke to the media about how important it is to comply with safety rules in the current realities.

And Kuznetsov talked about the harsh rules that are set in the NHL to combat coronavirus.

He also said that the club had already been warned in connection with the violation of the regime after the publication of a video from the locker room, where it was seen that the hockey players were not wearing masks.

“In the locker room, all hockey players must wear masks.

These are the league rules to follow.

If something does not suit you, then there was an opportunity to refuse to participate in the tournament.

I don’t like being masked in the locker room, I don’t like other conditions - take a break, no one will say a word to you.

But if you decide to play in the championship, then follow all the rules.

I only take off the mask in the car when I drive home.

But even on a training rink, wearing it is mandatory.

Are you aware that our club has already been strictly warned for breaking the rules?

Someone either said or saw that after the match we were sitting in the locker room without masks.

Well, it flew in from the league instantly ", - quoted the words of Kuznetsov" Sport Express ".

According to The Athletic, the reaction to the behavior of Washington's Russian players is a strong signal from the NHL to other clubs about the need to strictly adhere to all safety protocols, especially in situations controlled by hockey players.

For both the club and the players, what happened will be a great test.

Since the beginning of the season, Washington has managed to play four away matches, in which they won two and suffered two losses.

The team scored six points and is currently second in the Eastern Division.

The Capitals will play six straight home games starting January 22.

It is not yet known whether Russian hockey players will be able to take part in them - they can be excluded from the list of unavailable players at any time.

Ovechkin will be especially offended by missing matches.

Now it will be even more difficult for him to beat Wayne Gretzky's record for goals scored in the NHL.

Now he has 707 goals.

He's just one shortcut to tied Mike Gartner as the seventh best sniper in league history.

This season, Ovechkin managed to score 5 (1 + 4) points and is one of the two top scorers on the team.

The rest of the punished players can also be safely said that they played an important role in Washington.

Kuznetsov scored three points and scored a goal in the last match against the Pittsburgh Penguins, thanks to which the club avoided defeat in regulation time.

Orlov is one of the club's leading defenders and spends on average more than 20 minutes on the ice.

Samsonov played two matches as a goalkeeper and helped the team get one victory.

Due to the coronavirus, NHL clubs have already had to change their plans and incur certain losses.

Thus, the Dallas Stars have not played a single match yet due to cases of illness among the players.

Several teams were forced to cancel training in order to avoid possible risks.

Carolina Harrkains, where Andrei Svechnikov shines, postponed their games until at least Saturday due to five players being on the unavailable list, and its training base is closed.