Pens' star defender speaks out in defense of Russian players
With the Russia-Ukraine war continuing, some people, including prominent hockey figures, are starting to speak out in defence of Russian-born hockey players. The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24th; since then, the world has come down hard on the Russian government and the civilians of Russia, or, those of Russian descent.
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports and the NHL Network reported that Pittsburgh Penguins star defender Kris Letang recently spoke out defending Russian-born players from "unjust criticism."
People who attack these guys, you are doing something completely useless. There are Russian players I know who have friends in Ukraine and friends in Russia. It is extremely difficult for them to experience these moments.
Letang would also go on to say that if anyone chose to attack the only Russian player on the Pens, then everyone would come to his defense in their locker room,
If someone attacks Evgeni Malkin, for sure, the other 23 players in our team will defend him, and they will be by his side. Evgeni Malkin is a human and a very good one. Opinion: I've said this before, and I'll repeat it: It's wrong to blame Russian citizens because of the sins of their government. They did not choose this war; their government did. I understand the sanctions on things like the Russian National Team across international competitions, but condemning Russian-born players immoral. They can't control where they were born.
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