MOSCOW, Jan 23 Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and general manager of the team Brian McLellan about participating in the Beijing Olympics, said general manager of the Russian national team Ilya Kovalchuk. Earlier, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that league players would not take part in the Olympics. The decision was made due to the large number of postponed matches of the NHL regular season, caused by complications of the epidemiological situation. «We constantly communicate with Ovechkin and (Evgeny) Malkin, the guys are very upset that they are not going to Beijing. I spoke with Ovechkin until the last days, when it was already it became clear that they would not be released. He made every attempt to negotiate with the owner and general manager of Washington. If life presents such circumstances, then they will both have to play until Milan 2026. I am sure that Ovechkin and Malkin will have enough strength, health, skill in order to be in the same athletic shape as now in four years,» Kovalchuk told reporters. The Beijing Olympics will be held from February 4 to 20. The Russian national team, the current Olympic champion, will play in a group with the Czechs, Swiss and Danes.
