Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin has sparked fresh scrutiny over his ties to Vladimir Putin by appearing in a campaign advertisement for the pro-Kremlin United Russia party ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections, drawing sharp rebukes from prominent hockey figures and humanitarian leaders alike.
Alexander Ovechkin Appears in Pro-Putin Campaign Ad Ahead of Russian Vote
Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin, the National Hockey League’s all-time leading goal scorer, appeared in a propaganda ad for the United Russia party supporting the regime of President Vladimir Putin ahead of Russia’s parliamentary elections this weekend. The commercial placed a fresh spotlight on the star winger’s backing of the Russian leader just as he prepared for his 22nd season in Washington.
Russian business newspaper Vedomosti published images of the campaign ad showing the Washington Capitals star standing behind Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, who serves as the leading parliamentary candidate on United Russia’s list. The commercial also featured other pro-Putin figures, including RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, actor Vladimir Mashkov, singer Tatyana Kurtukova, and former NHL player and national team captain Viacheslav Fetisov. The advertisement featured the slogan, When we are united, we are invincible.
Capitals Response and Historical Ties to the Kremlin
Ovechkin’s appearance drew an immediate response from the Washington franchise. A Capitals spokesperson, Sergey Kocharov, issued a statement to the media addressing the timing and context of the video shoot.
Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement. This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign. As the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, D.C. and a pillar of the community, his focus and ours is on the season ahead and the continued impact he makes on the ice and in our city.
Photo: sports.yahoo.com
Sergey Kocharov, Washington Capitals spokesperson
The backlash to the campaign ad follows years of public alignment between the hockey star and the Russian leadership. Ovechkin, who turns 41, has long maintained a public relationship with Putin, famously featuring a photograph of himself alongside the Russian president as his Instagram profile picture. In 2017, he launched the Putin Team social movement ahead of the country’s presidential elections, praising the leader’s fairness and righteousness.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ovechkin expressed a desire for peace while maintaining his personal loyalty to the president. He’s my president, but … I’m not in politics, Ovechkin said in 2022, adding that he hoped the conflict would end quickly.
Harsh Condemnation From Sports Figures and Humanitarian Leaders
The campaign ad provoked immediate condemnation from international sports figures and local Washington figures who have dedicated resources to supporting Ukraine. Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek, a longtime critic of the Kremlin, took to social media to blast the athletes participating in the commercial.
Photo: theguardian.com
Everyone in this photograph has chosen to officially support Russia’s imperialist war in Ukraine. Among them are also hockey player Ovechkin and former hockey player and national team captain Fetisov. Because of each of them, many Ukrainians and Russians will be killed.
Prominent Washington, D.C. restaurateur and Capitals fan Jose Andres also criticized the team captain’s political involvement, writing on social media that it was a sad day for his beloved DC team. Andres’s humanitarian organization, World Central Kitchen, has served more than 300 million meals in Ukraine since the war began, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently honored the chef with the National Legend of Ukraine award.
Contract Status and Upcoming Milestone Season
The renewed controversy arrives as Ovechkin prepares to return to the ice for another campaign. In July, he signed a one-year contract with the Washington franchise that selected him with the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft.
NHL Superstar Ovechkin Appears in Campaign Ad for Ruling United Russia Party
Ovechkin arrived at the Capitals’ Arlington, Virginia, training facility for preseason workouts.
