EA Sports is following the real-life lead of the IIHF and will be removing the Russian and Belarusian national teams from NHL 22 due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
EA Sports announced the move on Wednesday in a release.
The Russian Hockey Federation announced the first three members of the Olympic team on Friday. Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is one of them.
Joining Ovi in Beijing is a pair of Lightning teammates who have won a lot of silverware lately. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (2019 Vezina, 2021 Conn Smythe Trophy) and forward Nikita Kucherov (2019 Hart/Lindsey/Art Ross Trophies) were also named to the team. The Russian teammates have won back-to-back Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay.
By Chris Cerullo 2 years ago
The hockey season is not over yet for Dmitry Orlov and Ilya Samsonov. The two Capitals, whose NHL season ended last night after being eliminated by the Boston Bruins, will join Team Russia for the 2021 World Championship being held in Minsk, Belarus, and Riga, Latvia, until June 6.
Alex Ovechkin, who missed seven games down the stretch of the regular season, will not participate “due to injury.”
Alex Ovechkin, along with his Russian Caps teammates, won bronze at the 2019 IIHF World Championship on Sunday.
Before flying home, Team Russia celebrated its third-place finish at a reception. Nastya Ovechkina took her followers inside the party on her Instagram Story.
And you guys, there was a lot of seated dancing and fantastic off-pitch singing.
Five Washington Capitals players went toe-to-toe in the bronze medal game of 2019 IIHF World Championship: Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Dmitry Orlov for Team Russia and Jakub Vrana and Dmitrij Jaskin for the Czech Republic.
The Russians would be victorious in the shootout.
By Ian Oland 4 years ago
Nikita Kucherov is a virtual lock to be the NHL MVP this season while Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin are likely Hall of Fame players when their hockey careers are over. Yet Team Russia, with all that individual firepower, can struggle to play together on the big stage against teams considered to be lesser opponents – at least on paper. And on Saturday, the Russian national team was upset by Finland 1-0 in the semifinals of the IIHF World Championship. Since 2009, Team Russia is 5-6 in the semis, and that frustration has started to boil over among fans and reporters.
But Nastya Ovechkina was not having any of it. Nastya took to Instagram after the game to encourage Team Russia fans to get a grip. It appears she used Caps fans as a positive example.
Team Russia has a roster of full of NHL All-Stars, MVPs, and future Hall of Famers. But on Saturday, the Red Machine, in a tightly checked game, fell to Finland 1-0 in the semifinals of the World Championship. Finland will go on to compete for gold while Russia will play for bronze on Sunday.
Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov was named one of the top three players for Russia on the day, though he was on the ice for Finland’s only goal of the game by Marko Anttila.
Team Russia played Team Sweden on Tuesday, and Alex Ovechkin scored his second goal of the 2019 IIHF World Championship during the second period.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ center Evgeni Malkin tallied the primary assist.
By Brennin Weiswerda 4 years ago
Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov has points in three-straight World Championship games after a great individual effort against Team Switzerland on Sunday.
Orlov now has five points in six World Championship games.
You Orlov to see it.
Dmitry Orlov authored his first SCOARLOV of the 2019 IIHF World Championship in Russia’s 3-1 win over Latvia on Saturday.
