Hašek, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of the modern era, has emerged as a strong supporter of Ukraine and publicly criticizes both the leadership of the National Hockey League (NHL), which is not going to impose any restrictions on Russian players, and other sports organizations that favor the participation of athletes from aggressor countries in international competition.
He floats the idea of athletes from Russia and Belarus who are opposed to the war in Ukraine being given the opportunity to receive refugee status in the West and compete in a refugee team, instead of using a convenient "neutral" flag that only masks state backing, which is one of the preferred options of the International Olympic Committee.
"We need to be prepared for a long war and Ukraine needs our help and we need to supply help to them... Ukraine is not fighting only for themselves. They are fighting for themselves, but they are also fighting for our country, for your country," says Hašek.
