Alexander Ovechkin has put the Washington Capitals - and by extension the NHL - in a difficult and very public spot.
The attention stems from Ovechkin’s appearance in a campaign video for Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. In the clip, he is shown standing just behind Putin’s chief propagandist, Margarita Simonyan, while Foreign Minister Lavrov speaks in defense of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ovechkin also took part in a photo shoot connected to the same campaign, posing with Russian soldiers and people sanctioned for helping the war effort against Ukraine.
That’s where the discomfort sharpens. Ovechkin has been around Putin for years, but this goes beyond the familiar photos and ceremonial appearances. Support for United Russia sends a louder signal, and it has made his political associations much harder for fans - and the league - to ignore.
Ovechkin has usually kept his answers about politics tight. He has said he doesn’t support war and has described the conflict with Ukraine as “not in my hands.” Still, this latest appearance has hit differently, especially because it lands so squarely in the middle of an active war.
For Capitals fans, the question is no longer just about hockey. Can they separate Ovechkin’s off-ice ties from what he does on the ice?
Do they even want to? The team and the league are the ones left trying to navigate the fallout.
According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the Capitals have asked Ovechkin to remove his Instagram post and deactivate his account. Ovechkin, though, says he has little choice but to stay supportive of Putin because he is concerned for his family’s safety.
The NHL, meanwhile, has taken a mostly hands-off approach beyond pulling league ties to competition with Russia. Asked about the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said, “To some extent, we are waiting a little bit to see what happens geopolitically with the Russian state.
I don’t think we’re tied necessarily to where the IIHF is, or the IOC for that matter, but the IOC certainly has softened its stance with respect to Russian participation. That’s become clear.”
The Capitals seemed to recognize the PR problem and leaned into their star player this week anyway. They posted images of Ovechkin back on the ice, including one with the caption, “How we’re all looking at the big man today.” The photo showed Tom Wilson smiling at Ovechkin.
Fans were quick to push back. One response read, “Folks, a genuine piece of advice. Maybe not have a love fest for Ovechkin the same day he drops a propaganda video in support of Putin and his genocidal war against Ukraine.”
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