Capitals star Alex Ovechkin appeared Monday in a campaign ad for the United Russia party in support of its leader, President Vladimir Putin, ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections that are set to run Friday to Sunday.
The 40-year-old team captain was in images published by Vedomosti, a Russian newspaper, alongside other pro-Putin figures including Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov. He also appeared in a video alongside Lavrov and other Russian celebrities such as actor Vladimir Mashkov.
Ovechkin and Putin have a longstanding relationship. In 2017, The Washington Post reported that Ovechkin had a personal phone number for Putin and received a gift from him at his wedding the same year. A year later, Ovechkin started PutinTeam, a social movement to support Putin ahead of the 2018 Russian presidential election.
“I’m not a politic,” Ovechkin told the Post in 2017. “I don’t know what’s happening out there. I know it’s a hard situation, but it is what it is. You know, I play here, and this is my second home. I don’t want to fight between two countries, because it’s going to be a mess.”
Trending
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Ovechkin altered his tone and wished for peace without condemning Putin.
“Obviously, it’s a hard situation,” Ovechkin said shortly after the invasion. “I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine, and it’s hard to see the war. I hope soon it’s going to be over and there’s going to be peace in the whole world.”
In response to seeing Ovechkin appear in a pro-Putin ad, celebrity chef and Capitals fan José Andrés reposted on X and said, “Russia is killing Americans in the Middle East with drones that help Iran! @Capitals @NHL @ovi8 and what Russians are doing in Ukraine is wrong…..killing civilians everyday….sad day for my beloved DC team!!”
In a statement to The Associated Press, the Capitals said that Ovechkin was asked to appear in the campaign video while home in Russia during the summer.
“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement,” Capitals spokesman Sergey Kocharov said Tuesday. “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.”
The NHL did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Ovechkin, who is entering what could be his final season, has been with the organization since 2004, when he was the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft. He led the Capitals to the 2018 Stanley Cup and broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL scoring record in 2025. He signed a one-year contract extension with the Capitals in July.
This story has been updated with comment from the Capitals.
Author
