Washington Capitals forward and NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin appeared in an ad backing Russian President Vladimir Putin, bringing renewed attention to the player’s controversial, longtime support for the authoritarian ruler.
The TV spot came to light just this week, showing Ovechkin standing in a group that included Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and retired Detroit Red Wings defenseman Viacheslav “Slava” Fetisov, professing their support of Putin’s United Russia party.
The Capitals confirmed that Ovechkin appeared in the spot and said the player’s off-the-ice political work will have no impact on the upcoming NHL season.
“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement,” team spokesman Sergey Kocharov said in a statement to NBC News on Wednesday.
“This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign. 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.”
Ovechkin has had a long, close relationship with Putin. Back in 2017, Ovechkin launched the “Putin Team” social movement.
Russia has been an international pariah since Putin — who has run the country as president or prime minister since 2000 — launched the invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. Over 250,000 Russian soldiers, up to 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers and nearly 14,000 Ukrainian civilians are estimated to have been killed in the war.
Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik ‘The Dominator” Hašek has been particularly outspoken against the Putin regime and its supporters.
Hašek called Russia’s ongoing invasion “an imperialist war in Ukraine” and circled Ovechkin’s face in a picture of campaign supporters in an X posting this week.
“Because of each of them, many Ukrainians and Russians will be killed,” wrote Hašek, a native of Pardubice, Czech Republic, who played 16 seasons in the NHL, 9 with the Buffalo Sabres.
Ovechkin, who turns 41 this week, has tallied 929 goals in 21 NHL seasons, all with the Caps.
The three-time Hart Trophy winner overtook Wayne Gretzky on the all-time goal scoring list when he found the back of the net during an April 6, 2025 game against the New York Islanders.
Ovechkin has hoisted the Stanley Cup once, leading Washington to the title in 2018. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy that year, as playoff MVP.
The Caps open training camp on Thursday, ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. Washington’s regular season opener is set for Oct. 2 against the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
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