A video that appears to show Evgeny Kuznetsov, the Capitals' star winger who ended the Penguins' Stanley Cup championship run, next to a table with several lines of what appears to be cocaine surfaced on social media on Monday.
Deleted #Kuznetsov cocaine video. pic.twitter.com/6pykNGkXl0
— Breaking Lucky (@breakinglucky18) May 27, 2019
Kuznetsov, wearing a Capitals playoff shirt, is seen speaking to a man on FaceTime in the video. An unknown woman is sleeping in the background, and it sounds as if another man is the one filming. Two lines of the white powdery substance and a rolled bill sit on the table. The video does not show Kuznetsov touching the drugs on the table.
The video was originally posted on Twitter by user @Thesavspb.
A Capitals spokesperson released the following statement:
Caps spokesman: "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."
Kuznetsov was shown sitting next to two lines of white powder.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) May 27, 2019
Kuznetsov spoke about the video to Russian outlet Express.ru. The following is the translated statement:
"Yes, I saw this video appear on the network. I do not always have something to do with what is happening next to me. I have never used drugs and I am not going to get involved in this. If I have questions, I am ready to undergo a medical examination at any time.
"The video year, it was the summer of 2018 in Vegas, when we won the Stanley Cup. By the past World Cup is all the more irrelevant. I just went to my friends in the room. When I saw what was happening there – unfamiliar women, strange substances on the table – I called a friend and left there as soon as possible.
"It is a pity that someone decided to catch the HYIP just now – at the defeat of the national team. I have nothing to hide, let it remain on the conscience of the one who posted this video."
Kuznetsov and the Russian men's national team won bronze in the World Championship on Sunday, after a disappointing loss to Finland in the semifinal round. Kuznetsov's statement sounds as if he believes the year-old video was released now because of the World Championship loss.
