Alex Ovechkin said in a recent interview that the plans were cancelled due to the pandemic.
One of the NHL's annual international games was reportedly going to take place in Russia, with native Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals set to take on then-Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko and St. Louis.
Ovechkin told Match TV that Washington was going to be one of the team's playing in the league's Global Series and were set to face off against the Blues in two games taking place in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but things fell through due to COVID-19, which paused NHL operations in March 2020 and interfered with the Stanley Cup Playoffs and subsequent 2020-21 season.
"It was supposed to happen," Ovechkin said per a DeepL translation. "Washington was supposed to play in Moscow with St. Louis. But then the virus came into the world [and] a pandemic [happened] and the topic went on pause."
The 37-year-old added that the plan was pretty much set in stone for the Capitals before the pandemic.
"All that was left was to sign the papers," he added.
While the pandemic has calmed from its previous state, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 appears to have interfered with NHL and IIHF operations in the country.
While Russian players are still allowed to play in the NHL, the IIHF is not allowing Russia or Belarus to participate in international tournaments. The NHL also postponed the World Cup of Hockey due to the ongoing situation.
"I can confirm that we have seriously considered bringing these teams to Russia. There was a desire to give the stars of our league, including Alex Ovechkin, the opportunity to play hockey in front of fans in their home country... our concept has not changed [but] the pandemic and current events would make its implementation impossible in the short term," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told MatchTV.
Washington has yet to play in a Global Series game. The series is returning for 2023, with the Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings facing off in Melbourne, Australia on Sept. 23 and 24 in the preseason. Then, the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs will each play two regular-season games against one another in Stockholm, Sweden, from Nov. 16-17.