Washington Capitals Defends Alex Ovechkin’s Role in United Russia Campaign Video

Russian sports icon joins prominent domestic figures promoting the ruling United Russia party ahead of this week’s parliamentary elections.

The Washington Capitals have responded to criticism over star Alex Ovechkin’s appearance in a campaign video for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, saying he was “asked by his country to participate.”

Ovechkin, a long‑time supporter of Mr Putin who spends his off‑seasons in Moscow, is featured among several high‑profile Russians in the United Russia campaign video ahead of this week’s tightly controlled parliamentary elections.

A Capitals 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 endorsement has drawn criticism as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fifth year. Mr Putin’s United Russia party is widely expected to retain its majority in the State Duma, but the vote is seen by the Kremlin as a barometer of public sentiment on the conflict, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

Ovechkin founded the “PutinTeam” social movement in 2017 to back the Russian president’s re‑election bid and regularly posts a photograph of himself with Mr Putin on his official Instagram page.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ovechkin issued a plea for “no more war,” adding: “He’s my president, but … I’m not in politics.”

In 2023, a group of Capitals fans protested outside Capital One Arena, demanding that Ovechkin remove the Putin photos from his social‑media profiles.

Czech former goaltender Dominik Hašek, a vocal Putin critic, commented on X that the team’s statement “ignores the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Ukrainians and Russians killed or maimed – casualties for which Ovechkin bears a significant share of responsibility through his public stance.”

Ovechkin, who turned 41 on Thursday, holds the NHL record for most regular‑season goals with 929 in 1,573 games.

He signed a one‑year, $4.25 million contract in July to return for a 22nd season with the Capitals and has not ruled out continuing beyond this term.

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