Russian NHL players mostly staying silent about Ukraine war

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Russian players in the National Hockey League have remained mostly quiet about their country's invasion of Ukraine, largely the result of fearing potential fallout back home.

Among the 41 Russia-born players currently in the NHL, only Washington star Alex Ovechkin and Calgary defenseman Nikita Zadorov have weighed in about the war. That list is not expected to grow much, if at all, given the threats that exist in Russia for players and their families.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"It’s difficult for all the Russian players in the league," said Brian MacLellan, general manager of the Capitals, who have three other Russians on their roster in addition to Ovechkin. "There’s a lot of pressure put on them to have a political opinion either way, and they’re trying to balance out how they live their lives and what their political opinions are and the repercussions that could happen back home. It’s a difficult situation for these guys."

Several NHLPA-certified agents who represent Russian players spoke with The Associated Press about the challenges for their clients but would not go on the record out of concern the details could lead to negative consequences. They said players have been told not to share opinions about Ukraine because of the political climate back home, where the Russian parliament is considering making it a crime to spread what the government considers fake news about its military efforts in Ukraine.

Agent Dan Milstein represents more than a dozen Russian and Belarusian players who have appeared in an NHL game this season including defending champion Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy. He said