OREANDA-NEWS. The National Hockey League (NHL) has banned Russian Washington Capitals players from training and playing for violating coronavirus medical protocols. This was reported on the league's website.

The "black list" included the team captain Alexander Ovechkin, as well as forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, defender Dmitry Orlov and goalkeeper Ilya Samsonov. The timing of the suspension was not specified. The players reportedly communicated with each other in a hotel room without masks, without keeping social distance.

In addition to removing players, the Capitals were fined $ 100,000. Ovechkin has already apologized for his behavior and promised to draw conclusions from what happened. "I regret the decision to spend time with my teammates in a hotel room and not in the dressing room area," Ovechkin said in a statement. "I will draw conclusions from what happened."

“The staff of our club have worked hard to create a safe environment for our players and all team members so that we can end the season,” the Capitals statement clarifies. “We are upset that our players decided to chat in a hotel room instead of in designated areas. We accept the NHL's decision and reiterate that COVID-19 security protocols continue to be in place and must be followed by all hockey players. "

Alexander Ovechkin has played four matches in the regular season this season. The Russian scored one goal and made four assists.