Sports

NHL clears Capitals' Kuznetsov over video showing powder

03 of June 2019

AP Photo,FILE - In this April 24, 2019, file photo, Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov (92), of Russia, stands on the ice during the second period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Washington. The Capitals say they are aware of a video on social media that appeared to show Kuznetsov in a hotel room with lines of white powder on the table in front of him and verified it is him in the video. In a statement sent to The Associated Press by spokesman Sergey Kocharov, the team says it is in the process of gathering facts and will have no further comment at this time. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The NHL has closed its review of Washington Capitals star Evgeny Kuznetsov and a now-deleted video on social media that appears to show him in a hotel room with lines of white powder on a table in front of him.

The video carried a message saying it was why Russia lost in the recent world hockey championship. It showed Kuznetsov talking to someone and lines of white powder and American dollar bills can be seen on the table. Kuznetsov does not touch anything on the table in the 22-second video.

Kuznetsov says the video is from 2018 in Las Vegas after the Capitals won the Stanley Cup. He says he went to a friend’s hotel room, saw drugs, called a friend and left.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly says the league found no basis to question his explanation.

___

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports