Agent for Russian-born NHL players says clients dealing with threats, discrimination after invasion of Ukraine

NHL player agent Dan Milstein, who represents a majority of the Russian-born players in the league, told ESPN his clients are experiencing «disturbing levels» of harassment and believes draft-eligible players are already being discriminated against because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

«The discrimination and racism these Russian and Belarusian players are facing right now is remarkable,» Milstein told ESPN in an interview on Tuesday. «We're being set back 30 years. I have players calling me, parents calling me. They're concerned whether they'll be able to play, whether they'll be safe.»

Milstein, who was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, immigrated in the United States in 1991 at age 16 as a political refugee. He is now a U.S. citizen and represents more than 75% of the NHL's Russian- and Belarusian-born players, including Tampa Bay Lightning stars Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy and New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin.

Milstein also represents Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov, one of the few NHL players to speak out publicly against Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The 26-year-old Zadorov, who was born in Moscow, posted a «No War» message to Instagram on Friday. Zadorov is already experiencing repercussions from speaking out, including a flurry of derogatory messages to his account.

«While some of my clients can speak freely in the safety of being in North America, their family could be scrutinized back home and anything could happen,» Milstein said. «I'm a proud American, so I ask let's come together united. My own childhood home is being bombed as I speak to my friends back home. I haven't slept in six days because this is such a difficult time. But people are picking on the wrong crowd. I can speak on behalf