Dominik Hasek launches fiery attack over Alex Ovechkin's sons in pregame ceremony

The Washington Capitals kicked off their home season on Wednesday with a pregame ceremony celebrating Alex Ovechkin’s final NHL campaign. His sons, Sergei and Ilya, introduced their father to the Capital One Arena crowd, a moment the league promoted as heartwarming. The biggest talking point came not from inside the arena, but from a Hall of Fame goaltender watching from afar.

Dominik Hasek unleashed a blistering series of posts on X, accusing the Capitals and the NHL of exploiting Ovechkin’s children as propaganda in service of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“It is not Ovechkin’s children’s fault that their father is a supporter of murderers and the worst Russian criminals, led by Putin, and that many people have been killed and maimed because of his attitudes, public appearances, and his influence,” Hasek wrote.

The legendary Czech netminder, long one of the most outspoken critics of Ovechkin’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, went further than before by directly naming the league’s leadership. He alleged that commissioner Gary Bettman, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, and all 31 other ownership groups were complicit. According to Hasek, the pregame tribute amounted to deliberate exploitation of minors.

“Both boys were knowingly exploited by the Capitals to support Russia’s imperialist war and justify the worst Russian crimes,” he stated.

Hasek also warned that the children would eventually come to understand the context of the moment they were placed in. “Sooner or later, both boys will realize this, and unfortunately, they will have to live with that terrible knowledge for the rest of their lives,” he wrote. “You are responsible for that, too.”

The posts drew sharp reactions online, with some users praising Hasek for speaking out and others questioning whether his rhetoric had gone too far by invoking Ovechkin’s young sons. One commenter speculated the Capitals used the children in the ceremony specifically to discourage any potential booing from the crowd.

The ceremony took place against a charged backdrop. A group of pro-Ukraine demonstrators reportedly gathered outside Capital One Arena before the game, protesting Ovechkin’s recent appearance in a promotional video for United Russia, the political party aligned with Putin.

Ovechkin, now in his 22nd season and the first overall pick in the 2004 draft, has confirmed this will be his final year in the NHL. The Capitals went on to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 in the home opener.

Neither the NHL, the Capitals, nor Ovechkin have publicly responded to Hasek’s accusations, but the controversy shows no signs of fading as the farewell season rolls on.