Czech leaders condemn Russian threats against NHL great Dominik Hasek

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 10:16 AM EDT | Last Updated: 14 minutes ago

Czech leaders person condemned threats made by a erstwhile Russian president and premier curate against NHL large Dominik Hasek for his captious stance of the Russian penetration of Ukraine.

Dmitry Medvedev, who is presently lawman caput of Russia's Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said done his adjunct Hasek suffered from "Russophobia," should beryllium cautious portion crossing roads and should not portion brew successful unverified places.

The remarks, which included proposal for the Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender to spot a psychiatrist, were published by the TASS quality bureau connected Tuesday.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said connected X specified threats are "absolutely unacceptable." He added they were not astonishing but cannot beryllium ignored due to the fact that Medvedev is not a backstage person.

"Medvedev is erstwhile again behaving arsenic a primitive," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said connected Wednesday. "This clip attacking NHL fable Dominik Hasek simply for speaking the information — the information astir Russia's warfare and the misuse of sports successful promoting it. Such intimidation whitethorn beryllium mean successful Putin's Russia, not successful the civilized world!"

Hasek has been a vocal professional of the warfare and the information of Russian athletes astatine planetary competitions and leagues, including the NHL, saying that lone promotes the warfare against Ukraine and enables quality suffering.

He besides criticized the NHL for allowing Alex Ovechkin to interruption Wayne Gretzky's grounds of 894 goals.

In his comments connected the record, Medvedev said Hasek's termination tin beryllium expected.

Hasek sent a enactment to the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation to pass them that "former Russian President Medvedev threatened to termination me."

Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said Hasek volition person the indispensable extortion if needed.