Former Maple Leafs Forward Brendan Leipsic Expresses Interest in Applying for Russian Citizenship: Report
Leipsic was booted from the NHL in 2020 after a leaked group chat revealed derogatory comments about women and teammates.
Is Brendan Leipsic set to become a Russian citizen?
The head coach and owner of KHL superpower SKA St. Petersburg — Roman Rotenberg — claims that the Winnipeg-born Leipsic has applied and begun the process.
According to Russian state-owned news agency TASS, Rotenberg made the claim on his Telegram social media account.
“It’s quite a common practice in football as just very recently Brazilian footballers Malcom and Claudinho received Russian passports. They are Brazilians and Brazil in football is like Canada in hockey,” Rotenberg said in the report.
“We currently need to make our league stronger, and if a great player like Brendan [Leipsic] becomes a Russian citizen, then it will only cement his desire to play in the KHL.”
Leipsic has spent the last three seasons playing in Kontinental Hockey League and reportedly signed on to play for SKA St. Petersburg for the upcoming season.
SKA is Russian President Vladimir Putin's favourite team and Rotenberg goes on to say that the 29-year-old Leipsic wrote to the Russian head of state in an effort to seek citizenship.
“It’s no secret that in North America he faced prejudice and injustice, and in Russia he received special support from fans, coaches and partners,” Rotenberg said in a Russian translation.
“His favourite player is Alexander Ovechkin, and he grew up watching our best players. Maybe Brendan himself will play for the Russian national team one day.”
Russia is currently not permitted to play internationally due to sanctions put in place by the IIHF related to the ongoing war in Ukraine. So it's unlikely that even if he made the team that Leipsic would be playing internationally anytime soon.
Leipsic has his contract with the Washington Capitals terminated in 2020 following the leak of images involving him in a group chat making hateful comments about women and teammates.
Leipsic spent parts of four seasons in the Maple Leafs organization, primarily playing with the Toronto Marlies. He has a goal and two assists in six games with the Leafs in 2015-16. The player was claimed from the Leafs by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.
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