NHL officials say they're straight-up "concerned" for Russian players in their league ... explaining in a statement Monday that "they and their families are being placed in an extremely difficult position."
Amid a Russian invasion into Ukraine, Russian NHL players have faced hate from fans all over the globe ... with some of the league's top talent reportedly even receiving death threats.
In fact, the messages to players have gotten so bad, TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger reported Monday that the NHL has bulked up security across the league for players in wake of it all.