Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin, one of the National Hockey League’s most celebrated players, has drawn sharp criticism after appearing in a campaign video for United Russia, the party of President Vladimir Putin. The video, released ahead of Russia’s parliamentary elections, features Ovechkin endorsing Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who warns Moscow’s adversaries to “expect no mercy.”
Ovechkin’s remarks and the response
At a press conference, Ovechkin said, “I’m Russian. I support my country,” adding that he plans to retire in Russia and raise his children there. He described himself as “for peace and love” and expressed hope that “everything’s going to be okay.”
The statements have sparked condemnation across Europe, the United States and Canada. Latvia announced it will bar Ovechkin from entering the country, and the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also banned Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, who was linked to a donation for Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebration.
Calls for sanctions and political pressure
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, representing roughly 1.3 million Canadians of Ukrainian heritage, urged that Ovechkin be sanctioned and denied entry to Canada, labeling him “a disgusting supporter of Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine.” In Washington, Rep. Joe Wilson (R‑SC) wrote to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, describing Ovechkin’s endorsement as “incredibly alarming” and urging the league to review its policies.
Former NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek posted on X that Ovechkin “bears a significant share of responsibility through his public stance… for the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Ukrainians and Russians killed or maimed.”
Broader context and reactions from sport officials
Olga Saladukha, head of the Ukrainian Athletics Federation, said the video illustrates why sport and politics cannot be separated when it comes to Russia, describing the footage as state propaganda and militarism.
The Capitals’ organization noted that Ovechkin was asked to film the video while he was in Russia for the summer and that he did not inform the team about the shoot. General manager Chris Patrick called the situation “difficult” and said he understands why people are upset.
Ovechkin’s career highlights
Ovechkin remains one of the NHL’s most decorated athletes. He has captained the Capitals for 16 seasons, signed a multi‑million‑dollar contract extension in July, and became the league’s all‑time leading scorer in April 2025. He received a personal congratulatory message from President Putin after breaking the record and scored his 900th goal last November, a month after turning 40.
His friendship with President Putin is well‑known; Ovechkin’s Instagram profile picture shows the two together, and he has previously campaigned for the Russian leader. Since Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ovechkin has adopted a more cautious public tone, once saying he had “lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine” and hoping the war would end soon.
International reactions
The video also features other Russian media figures, including RT editor‑in‑chief Margarita Simonyan and actor Vladimir Mashkov, who has been sanctioned in Europe for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Russia continues to deny allegations of war crimes in Ukraine, despite charges brought before the International Criminal Court.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
