Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin is under fire after appearing in a campaign advertisement backing Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of this weekend's elections. The ad, published in the pro-Kremlin newspaper Vedomosti, features Ovechkin alongside other prominent Russian athletes, celebrities, and politicians under the slogan “when we are united, we are invincible.”
This is not the first time Ovechkin has publicly aligned himself with Putin, who has faced international condemnation for human rights abuses and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The 38-year-old winger, who is entering what is expected to be his final NHL season, has long maintained close ties to the Russian leader, launching the “PutinTeam” movement in 2017 and frequently sharing photos with him on social media.
The Capitals issued a statement to The Athletic distancing the organization from the ad, emphasizing that Ovechkin appeared in it as a private citizen. “Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement,” a team spokesperson said. “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.”
The backlash was swift, with former NHL goaltender Dominik Hašek, a Czech Olympian, taking to X to condemn the ad. “Everyone in this photograph has chosen to officially support Russia's imperialist war in Ukraine,” he wrote, circling Ovechkin's face in a photo of the ad. “Because of each of them, many Ukrainians and Russians will be killed.”
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) sent a letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday, demanding an investigation into Ovechkin's appearance and asking the league to clarify its policies on players participating in foreign political promotions. “It is incredibly alarming that [NHL] and [The Capitals] have allowed Alexander Ovechkin to appear in a campaign advertisement supporting the party of war criminal Putin,” Wilson wrote. “American hockey fans deserve better leadership from their star players.”
Ovechkin has previously dismissed concerns about his relationship with Putin, and while he has spoken against war in general, he has never directly criticized the Russian president. Some observers note that Putin has a history of cracking down on dissidents in sports, arts, and media, which may explain why Ovechkin, who plans to return to Russia after retirement, feels compelled to show support. The case of former NHL star Artemi Panarin, who faced assault allegations in Russian media after speaking out against the Kremlin in 2021, serves as a cautionary tale.
Ovechkin's commercial interests in Russia, including a deal with the streaming platform Kinopoisk to produce a documentary about his life, further tie him to the country. His decision to embrace Putin could tarnish his legacy, according to Thomas Melia, chair of the Free Russia Foundation. “With this doubling down on his longstanding embrace of Vladimir Putin, Ovechkin forever stains his athletic legacy,” Melia said. “This disgraceful choice is reminiscent of the fall from public esteem of Charles Lindberg, whose aviation heroics were forever overshadowed by his later embrace of Hitler and the Nazi party.”
Others view Ovechkin's endorsement as a strategic move for Putin, who often surrounds himself with celebrities to project strength and legitimacy. “Political leaders often surround themselves with celebrities to borrow some of the celebrities' support and glamor,” said Peter Loge, a communications professor at George Washington University. “Athletes like Ovi can help a leader project strength, it's a way of saying 'he is strong and a national hero, therefore I am strong and a national hero.'”
The controversy comes at a sensitive time, as Ovechkin prepares for his final season and the Capitals look to compete. The NHL has not yet commented on the matter, but the league's response to Rep. Wilson's letter will be closely watched. For now, Ovechkin's support for Putin remains a divisive issue, with many fans and observers questioning how it will affect his legacy in the sport.
