"He deserves to be treated better" - Alex Ovechkin defended by former NHL coach

Don Cherry came out in favor of Alex Ovechkin, who has been widely criticized by fans for his relationship with Vladimir Putin and the stage being centered on him due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.

Although Ovechkin has been a target for many critics within specific fan bases, the Russian recently became the NHL's second-most goalscorer and is 82 goals shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky's record of 894.

Since then, fans have turned up against Ovechkin. Recently, former Canadian hockey player Don Cherry came out in favor of Alex, calling all critics against him useless. Here's what he had to say about Ovechkin's criticism via the Toronto Sun:

"He’s a hockey player”. “He has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. None of this is his fault. He’s not involved in it.” Cherry said instead of “cancel(ing)’ out Ovechkin, they should look at his game."

He also stated that critics of the Washington Capitals star are driven by the same group that does not want his name to be greatly tarnished. They want him to be pushed out of the league by condemning him for being a Russian, his relationship with Vladimir Putin, and his role in the Russo-Ukrainian War.

“It’s the same crowd that went after me”. “They don’t care about hockey, and it’s not about hockey. Alex is a great player and great person, and he deserves better than to be treated like this.”

Alex Ovechkin is a legend of the game and has said many times in his interviews that politics should never be linked to sports.

What is NHL star Alex Ovechkin's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin?

Alex Ovechkin has been an outright supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2017, when Putin was running for his re-election campaign, Ovechkin initiated a social media movement called Putin Team. He expressed his pride in being a part of the Russian national team and extended his immense support for the Russian leader. Ovechkin's Instagram profile picture is one with the President.

"Being part of this team makes me proud and it's similar to the feeling you get when you put on a Russian national team jersey, knowing that the whole country is rooting for you." he wrote in Russian

Putin and Ovechkin are acquainted enough for Putin to have been involved in Ovechkin's wedding. Alex Ovechkin met Anastasia Shubskaya on social media in 2014 and married her in Russia in 2016. President Putin sent the couple a wedding gift as well as a telegram, which was read aloud at the reception. Ovechkin stated that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a difficult situation, and he wishes for the war to end soon and for the world to be at peace.

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