Nikita Zadorov has made a new home in Vancouver with the Canucks, but following his statements on the war in Ukraine, the Russian defenseman revealed he cannot return to his old one while Vladimir Putin is in power.
Nikita Zadorov has made a huge presence in his first season with the Vancouver Canucks. Already a daunting figure at 6'6" and nearly 250 pounds, Big Z also put up 20 points in 75 games during the regular season, and 8 in 13 playoff games this year as a defenseman.
Zadorov is undoubtedly a brave and upstanding person for speaking against his home country and the invasion of Ukraine. However, it has come with a clear price. The Canuks defenseman revealed that not only has he not returned since the start of the war, but he has no plans of returning while Putin is still in power.
Though the player will continue living between Vancouver and Miami for the foreseeable future, his courage to speak out is remarkable. Hopefully other Russian-born players can come use their voice and Zadorov will be able to go home at some point down the line.
