Alexander Ovechkin and three other Washington Capitals hockey players were placed on a temporary ban list, and the team was fined $100,000, due to violations of the National Hockey League (NHL) COVID-19 rules
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2021) Alexander Ovechkin and three other Washington Capitals hockey players were placed on a temporary ban list, and the team was fined $100,000, due to violations of the National Hockey League (NHL) COVID-19 rules.
Ovechkin and Russian national teammates Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov and top goalie Ilya Samsonov were unavailable to play Wednesday after they had met in a hotel room in Pittsburg. This violated the NHL rules designating areas where players can interact, a statement from the league read.
"Our training staff has worked extremely hard to create a safe environment for our players and staff to be able to compete this season. We are disappointed by our players' choice to interact in their hotel room and outside of team approved areas," the Capitals said in a statement.
Four-time most valuable player Ovechkin also expressed regret over the misdemeanor and said he "will learn from this experience."
This makes the Capitals the first team to be slapped with sanctions over COVID-19 violations in the league.
Elsewhere, the NHL postponed all games involving the Carolina Hurricanes, at least until Saturday, after five of its player were placed in the COVID-19 protocol-related absence list. No further details were shared as to the circumstances of the postponement.
Ovechkin has become a household name since signing a record-breaking deal with the Capitals in 2008, becoming the seventh NHL player to score over 700 goals in his career.
