Washington Capitals Defend Alex Ovechkin After NHL Star Appears in Vladimir Putin Campaign Video

The Washington Capitals ice hockey team has addressed criticism surrounding star Alex Ovechkin’s participation in a promotional campaign video for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. A spokesperson for the Capitals explained that their National Hockey League (NHL) record-setting goal scorer was simply “asked by his country to participate.”

Ovechkin, a well-known supporter of Vladimir Putin who spends his offseasons in Moscow, joins several other prominent figures in the campaign material for the ruling United Russia party ahead of ongoing nationwide elections. The team's statement emphasized that during his time in Russia this summer, he was approached by his country to take part in the video campaign. The organization noted that their primary focus remains on the upcoming season and his continued contributions both on the ice and in Washington, DC.

While the appearance aligns with his past endorsements of Vladimir Putin, it has attracted renewed scrutiny while Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. United Russia is widely anticipated to maintain its majority in the State Duma following the tightly controlled parliamentary elections. In 2017, Alex Ovechkin established the “PutinTeam” social movement to support the Russian president and continues to use a photograph with Vladimir Putin on his official Instagram page.

Following the invasion of Ukraine, Alex Ovechkin publicly called for “no more war,” stating at the time that while Vladimir Putin is his president, he is not involved in politics. The situation has previously sparked local protests outside Capital One Arena by fans urging him to remove images of Vladimir Putin from his social media profiles. Additionally, Czech former ice hockey star Dominik Hasek criticized the team's response on X, arguing that public figures bear responsibility for their stances amid the conflict.

Alex Ovechkin, who approaches his 41st birthday on Thursday, holds an NHL record with 929 goals across 1,573 games. He recently signed a one-year contract valued at $4.25m to play his 22nd season with the Washington Capitals, though he has not yet confirmed whether it will be his final campaign.