NHL legend Dominik Hasek accused former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev of sending him death threats. The 60-year-old Czech icon revealed the disturbing update on Wednesday on the social media platform X, indicating that he has officially informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) of the threats. Dominik Hasek has been among the most vocal critics of Russian domination of world hockey since the beginning of the Ukraine invasion in 2022.
Dominik Hasek condemns IOC and IIHF following death threat from Dmitry Medvedev
Dominik Hasek's social media update outlined his official communication with leading global sporting organizations, where he emphasized threats issued by Dmitry Medvedev, the current deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia. “I inform them that former Russian President Medvedev threatened to kill me,” he said in the post. “Furthermore, among other things, I point out how important their decisions will be in the coming months and again offer assistance in creating rules so that sports competitions are not an advertisement for the Russian war and people do not die because of them.”
Hasek has been calling on the NHL to do as the IIHF, which has suspended Russian and Belarusian competitors from international play until 2026. The NHL, though, has made no move, and the Russian players are still playing in league games.
The threat was in reaction to Dominik Hasek's long-standing criticism of Russian players competing abroad while their nation fights a war in Ukraine. Dmitry Medvedev, following his recent congratulation of Alexander Ovechkin's recent goal-scoring achievement on Telegram, reportedly added: “We are waiting for the suicide of the crazy Czech Hasek.”
International community responds as sport and politics clash
Russian officials and media have tried to discredit Hasek. Medvedev spokesman Oleg Osipov ruled out the claim and branded Hasek as mentally ill.
Even after facing mockery, Hasek stood by his principle, vowing to share with the public all his dealings with the IOC and IIHF.
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“Attacked for simply speaking the truth”: Czech officials defend former NHL legend Dominik Hasek While the hockey world still struggles with the moral aspects of Russian involvement, now the global attention shifts to the choices major sporting bodies will have to make—choices which will define the future of international sport and its intersection with geopolitics.
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