NHL Star Alex Ovechkin Supports Putin-Backed United Russia in New Campaign Ad

The NHL’s all-time leading scorer is placing his support behind Vladimir Putin.

Alex Ovechkin, who plays for the Washington Capitals, appeared in an ad for the United Russia party, which supports the 73-year-old president.

According to a Tuesday, September 15 report by ESPN, the commercial sees Ovechkin, 40, standing behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is the leading parliamentary candidate on United Russia’s list. Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Russian state media outlet RT, is also in the ad, as well as former NHL player Viacheslav “Slava” Fetisov.

The ad has since led to backlash from within and outside the hockey community, with Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek, who is from Czech Republic, accusing the ad of being made in support of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine in a post on X.

After news of the ad broke, the Washington Capitals released a statement, in which they revealed that the hockey pro was asked to participate in the video campaign while back in his home country this summer.

“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement,” team spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said Tuesday in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “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.”

While the ad may come as a surprise to some, Ovechkin, who is preparing for the Capitals’ upcoming season, has never kept his support of Putin a secret. In 2017, he launched the social movement, “Putin Team,” which he told The AP at the time was done in hopes of uniting “people who are proud of their country and want to make Russia stronger.”

“I just support my country,” Ovechkin maintained to The AP following the launch. “It’s not about political stuff.”

Ovechkin has toed the line in his outward support for the country in recent years, however, particularly when it comes to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine – though it’s worth noting that his Instagram avatar features a photo of him posing alongside the Russian leader, who has served as either president or prime minister since 1999.

Back in 2022, ESPN reported that in a statement made in the weeks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ovechkin said he hoped to see an end to the war, despite his support for Putin.

“Obviously, it’s a hard situation. I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine, and it’s hard to see the war,” he said at the time, per the outlet. “I hope soon it’s going to be over and there’s going to be peace in the whole world.”