Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, defended his public support for Vladimir Putin during the team’s media day this past Thursday. The 41-year-old forward faced questions regarding his appearance in a campaign advertisement for Russia’s United Russia party. The video, which features Ovechkin standing behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, was released ahead of Russia’s parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18–20—the first since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Addressing the controversy, the veteran star stated, “I’m Russian, and I support my country.” When asked about his participation in the campaign, Ovechkin confirmed he was invited to take part and agreed without hesitation. He also clarified his long-term intentions, noting that he plans to settle in Russia once his professional hockey career concludes. “As soon as I’m done playing hockey, I’m probably going to stay there,” he said. “I’m gonna live there, my kids gonna live there, family. I’m for peace and love, and I hope everything’s going to be OK.”
Ovechkin’s political ties have drawn significant scrutiny since the start of the conflict in Ukraine. In 2017, he established a public movement to support the Russian president, and he maintains a photo of himself with Putin as his Instagram profile picture. Following the 2022 invasion, he briefly called for peace, characterizing Putin as his president at the time while insisting that he is strictly an athlete, not a politician.
Entering his 22nd season in the NHL, Ovechkin remains a formidable force with 929 goals over 1,573 regular-season games. The 2018 Stanley Cup champion admitted he contemplated retirement after the Capitals missed the playoffs last season. However, he decided to return after the franchise made off-season acquisitions aimed at restoring their championship contention. “The new faces we have give us a chance to fight for a Cup,” he explained. “If it was truly a rebuild, it would be hard for me.” The report also notes that “I’m for peace and love, and I hope in the world it doesn’t matter who you are; I hope everybody understands, everybody wants peace, and everybody hopes everything is going to be OK in the world.”.
