FBI chief praises pro-Putin Russian hockey player Ovechkin

He wrote about it on his page on the social platform X.

Patel shared several photos with Ovechkin, who is known for supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

In his post, the FBI Director praised Ovechkin’s achievement.

“Congratulations to Alexander Ovechkin — new all-time regular season record holder for goals scored. Wayne Gretzky — Legends of the game, total class acts. Thank you gents and the NHL for giving us the greatest game on earth. What a time to be alive... Pure magic,” Patel wrote.

Notably, one of the photos shared by Patel includes not just the FBI Director and the Russian athlete, but also Wayne Gretzky, who has Ukrainian heritage.

As reported by Tribuna.com, Gretzky’s grandparents were from the village of Ogdemer in the Brest region.

Gretzky revealed that he spoke Ukrainian with his grandmother, who was a housewife and didn’t know English. His grandfather, Tony (Terentii), traveled often and had learned English.

• In February, the International Ice Hockey Federation upheld Russia’s suspension from the World Championships.