Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin has surfaced in a promotional video for United Russia, the political party closely tied to President Vladimir Putin, just as the NHL star returns to the ice for the upcoming season.
The 40-year-old hockey legend is visible in the background of the clip, which also features Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, and uniformed Russian military personnel. The video is part of the party's push ahead of Russia's parliamentary elections.
In the ad, Lavrov issues a stark warning: “Those who come at us with a sword, they should expect no mercy,” adding that “when others deal with us honestly, we will always reach an agreement.”
The Capitals' spokesperson, Sergey Kocharov, confirmed Ovechkin's participation, telling The Hill that Ovechkin, as a Russian citizen, was asked by his country to take part while at home in Moscow this summer. Kocharov emphasized that Ovechkin's focus remains on the season ahead and his contributions to the D.C. community.
This is not the first time Ovechkin has aligned himself with Putin. In 2017, he launched the “Putin Team” to support the president's reelection, writing that he was “ready to be a member of that team” and had never hidden his support. More recently, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ovechkin called for an end to the war, saying, “Please, no more war. It doesn't matter who is in the war — Russia, Ukraine, different countries — we have to live in peace.” When pressed on his stance toward Putin, he replied, “Well, he's my president,” while insisting he is “not in politics.”
Putin has returned the favor, praising Ovechkin last year when he became the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, calling the achievement “a real celebration for fans in Russia and abroad.”
The video comes as the war in Ukraine grinds on. Ukrainian forces recently struck a Russian naval base and an oil-loading terminal, while a Russian drone attack near a mall in northern Ukraine killed at least two people and wounded 14 others.
The Capitals announced that Ovechkin has returned to Washington for training camp ahead of the 2026-2027 season. His political ties, however, are likely to remain a topic of scrutiny as he continues his Hall of Fame career.
