Evgeny Kuznetsov issued a statement on Monday to address a video that circulated of him in a room near what appears to be cocaine.
Video circulated Monday that shows Kuznetsov sitting in a room while a woman sleeps on a bed behind him. Kuznetsov is shown holding his phone. On a table in front of him are two lines of a white powder substance that appear to be cocaine. You can see the video here.
The 27-year-old Washington Capitals center issued a statement to sport-express.ru in which he provided context for the video and denied using drugs. Here is the translation of his comment via Russian Machine Never Breaks.
“Yes, I saw the video on the internet. I don’t necessarily have anything to do with what is going on around me. I never used drugs and have no intention to get into it. If there are any questions, I am ready to undergo testing.
“The video is a year old. It happened in summer of 2018, when we won the cup in Vegas. It has nothing to do with the World Championship at all. I just came by the room where some people I knew stayed. When I saw what was going on there – unfamiliar women, unknown substances on the table – I called my friend and left as soon as I could.
“Unfortunately, someone decided to catch some notoriety just now – after the [Russian team] lost. I have nothing to hide, let this be on conscience of whoever posted the video.”
The timing of the video’s release comes after Kuznetsov’s Russia squad beat the Czech Republic in the bronze medal game of the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
Kuznetsov led the Caps with 32 points in 24 playoff games last season, helping the team win its first Stanley Cup ever. He had 72 points in 76 regular season games this season.
“We are aware of the video that surfaced on social media of Evgeny Kuznetsov. We are currently in the process of gathering facts and will have no further comment at this time,” the Caps said in a statement.
