https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...unprecedented/
This is tremendous. Panarin takes a very public stance against Comrade Putin, and this interview dropped while he was still in Russia. Putin historically enjoys almost unanimous support among elite Russian athletes.
On what he thinks about Putin:
“I think he no longer understands what’s right and what’s wrong. Psychologically, it’s not easy for him soberly judge the situation…
I am not saying this because I see any kind of profit for myself in this. I want the people to live better, for teachers and doctors to have better salaries. I don’t want some ballerinas (Panarin is referring to the ultra-patriotic former dancer Anastasia Volochkova) to say, ‘If you don’t like it here, you can leave!’ This is raving madness! Everyone has left already, all the brains are gone. This shouldn’t be happening."
It takes ENORMOUS brass balls to say what Panarin said in that country. I hope he makes it to NYC in time for camp.