NHL deputy commissioner Bill Day shut down reports that the league was never involved in any plans to expel Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin or Russians from the NHL in 2024.
Daly responded to a report from The Wall Street Journal, reposted by a couple of Capitals blogs, that claimed White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who served under Joe Biden's Administration, had considered banning Russians from playing in the league to pressure Russian president Vladimir Putin in a potential prisoner swap.
"We never mentioned such a possibility, and I don't think it was ever seriously considered," Daly said, via MatchTV.
Ovechkin played in his 20th NHL season in 2024-25, where he put up 44 goals in 65 games and overcame a broken leg to overtake Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's all-time goals leader.
Alex Ovechkin To Play In 'Ovi Cup' Gala Match With Other NHL Stars
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is set to return to the ice on Saturday as part of his annual "Ovi Cup" hockey tournament.
Before the final game of the tournament on Saturday, Ovechkin will play in a gala match with several other NHL stars, including Kirill Kaprizov, Mikhail Sergachev, Pavel Datsyuk and more.
This will mark one of numerous festivities the 39-year-old has been part of this offseason back home in Russia; he also played in an NHL vs. KHL All-Star Game called the "Match of the Year," and also grilled 895 steaks to break a cooking world record.
Ovechkin is entering his 21st NHL season and is expected to return to the United States in the coming weeks for informal skates ahead of training camp.
He's coming off a historic season where he overcame a broken leg and scored 44 goals in 65 games to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. His 44 goals were the third-most in the league.
