Report: Tretiak drops bomb on NHL regarding Ovechkin and Olympic participation

Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin has been clear on his intent to play for Russian in the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics all along. He’s going, whether the NHL goes or not. 

The 31-year-old Russian megastar has said all along that he’ll be in Pyeongchang to represent his country and deal with the consequences after. But now a report from the head of the Russian Hockey Federation, legendary Soviet netminder Vladislav Tretiak, may put an end to Ovechkin’s Olympic plans.

Check out this line from Tretiak’s interview with Russian language publication R-Sport:

“What is there for Ovechkin to do now? Nothing. Play for Washington. He has to accept that.”

How is that for a turn of face? Tretiak and the Russian Federation have taken the side of Ovechkin and other Russian NHLers so far during the squabble between the NHL and the IOC, but now seem to have come down on the side of the NHL.

What do you think? Will Ovechkin find a way to South Korea, or will he accept his fate?