Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin defended his appearance in a campaign advertisement for Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party during his team’s media day on Thursday. Addressing reporters, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer stated, “I’m Russian, and I support my country,” while confirming he did not hesitate to participate when asked. In the video, Ovechkin appears alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The advertisement comes ahead of Russia’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for September 18 to 20—the first national vote since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Regarding his future, the 41-year-old athlete noted, “As soon as I’m done playing hockey, I’m probably going to stay there. I’m gonna live there, my kids gonna live there, family.”
Ovechkin has long been linked to the Russian president, having formed a public movement in 2017 to support him. His social media profile features a photograph of himself with Putin. When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ovechkin publicly called for peace, stating at the time that he was an athlete rather than a politician, though he acknowledged Putin as his president.
Following his recent comments, Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it has barred the hockey star from entering the country indefinitely. He was added to a blacklist that also includes International Boxing Association head Umar Kremlev. While the ministry did not specify the exact rationale, the move follows a pattern of restrictions Latvia has placed on numerous Russian nationals since the start of the conflict.
Ovechkin, who recently celebrated his 41st birthday, is entering his 22nd NHL season with 929 goals across 1,573 regular-season games. After the Capitals missed the playoffs last year, he contemplated retirement but ultimately chose to return, citing optimism about the team’s roster adjustments. “The new faces we have give us a chance to fight for a Cup,” he said, noting he led the franchise to a Stanley Cup victory in 2018.
Reflecting on the team’s direction, he emphasized that he would have found it difficult to continue playing if the organization had committed to a full rebuild. Instead, he remains focused on competing for another championship with the current lineup.
Ovechkin concluded his remarks on the global situation by reiterating his stance: “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.”
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