Ilya Kovalchuk on the reaction of Ovechkin and Malkin to skipping the 2022 Olympics: the guys are upset
Alexander Ovechkin. Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig / Reuters
Olympic champion and manager of the Russian national hockey team Ilya Kovalchuk spoke about the reaction of Alexander Ovechkin and Yevgeny Malkin to the refusal of the National Hockey League (NHL) to let players go to the 2022 Games in Beijing. His words are quoted by Match TV.
“Of course, all the guys are upset, but I hope this is not their last Olympics,” said Kovalchuk. According to him, the Russian team was ready for such a league decision. He clarified that it is now clear which candidates for the national team for the Olympics will be summoned to the training camp in Novogorsk.
On December 22, it became known about the refusal of the NHL to let the hockey players go to the Games. The decision came amid an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the league.
The 2022 Olympic Games will be held from 4 to 20 February. The Russian national team will play in the group stage with the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark.
