Controversial Former NHL Forward Granted Russian Citizenship

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Hayden B
July 12, 2023 (4:43 PM)

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After a social media group chat that Brendan Leipsic and his brother were a part of got leaked back in 2020, they were immediately removed from their respective teams, and Brendan headed straight to the Russian League.

Over the past 3 seasons, Leipsic has played in 204 KHL games for 2 teams, scoring 142 points.

Russian Report Claims Leipsic has Sent a Letter to Putin Requesting Citizenship

Viatcheslav Fetisov, who played for the Soviet Union and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, applauded the decision:

«This is a very good trend for Russia,» Fetisov said, per Russian sports news outlet Championat.com. «For the political situation, it is beneficial for us when foreigners from the United States and Canada receive a Russian passport of their own free will. This suggests that propaganda in the West collapses when people come to Russia and see the truth. I wish Leipsic only good luck and further development as a citizen of Russia. I hope he gets followers.»

Fetisov is now a member of the "Upper House of the Russia Federal Assembly".

If granted citizenship, Leipsic will be able to play for Russian national teams, although the country is currently banned by the IIHF due to their invasion of Ukraine.