AI-written summary synthesised from 5 independent reports, listed below. No human editor reviewed this. AI can misread or omit facts — read the originals.
ABSTRACT

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said on Thursday that he supports his native Russia, is "not pro-war" and is "for peace and love," after his appearance in a campaign video for United Russia, the party aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a parliamentary election week in Russia. Ovechkin, who turned 41 on Thursday, spoke at the Capitals' media day at the team's training facility. He told ESPN he filmed the advertisement three weeks earlier and did not inform the Capitals of his plan to take part before signing a one-year contract extension in July. In the video, Ovechkin stands behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who, according to ESPN, delivers a monologue warning anyone who comes at Russia "with a sword" to "expect no mercy: we will rise together, as we do today." Deutsche Welle reports Lavrov heads the United Russia list in the parliamentary vote, held from September 18 to 20 according to that outlet.

ESPN

Ovechkin says he supports Russia and is 'not pro-war' after appearing in United Russia campaign video

Sep 17, 2026, 2:13 PM

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said on Thursday that he supports his native Russia, is "not pro-war" and is "for peace and love," after his appearance in a campaign video for United Russia, the party aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a parliamentary election week in Russia. Ovechkin, who turned 41 on Thursday, spoke at the Capitals' media day at the team's training facility. He told ESPN he filmed the advertisement three weeks earlier and did not inform the Capitals of his plan to take part before signing a one-year contract extension in July. In the video, Ovechkin stands behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who, according to ESPN, delivers a monologue warning anyone who comes at Russia "with a sword" to "expect no mercy: we will rise together, as we do today." Deutsche Welle reports Lavrov heads the United Russia list in the parliamentary vote, held from September 18 to 20 according to that outlet.

Context

Ovechkin said he did not hesitate to participate, telling reporters, according to CBC, "They asked me to do that. I say yes... it's as simple as that." The Capitals said in a statement that Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there after retirement; Deutsche Welle attributed the statement to team spokesperson Sergey Kocharov, and Al Jazeera and the New York Post also reported the team's statement without naming the spokesperson. Ovechkin said he intends to remain in Russia after his playing career, describing Russia as his home and Washington, D.C., as his second home.

Ovechkin is the NHL's career goal-scoring leader, with 929 goals in 1,573 regular-season games, according to Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera reported he signed a one-year contract worth $4.25 million in July for a 22nd season in Washington. He has not committed to this being his final season, saying he was focused on training camp.

The video's release was not the first time Ovechkin has publicly associated himself with Putin. CBC and Al Jazeera note he founded the "PutinTeam" social movement in 2017 to support Putin's 2018 presidential campaign, and Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle report his Instagram profile photo shows him with Putin. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ovechkin said, according to CBC, "Please, no more war," and described Putin as "my president" while saying he was not in politics. Deutsche Welle reported that in 2014, after Russia annexed Crimea, Ovechkin posted a photo holding a sign reading "#savechildrenfromfascism."

Criticism came from several quarters. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., wrote to the NHL this week asking the league to consider banning Ovechkin, a letter also addressed to Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, according to the New York Post. ESPN quoted Wilson's letter saying that Ovechkin has the right to hold personal political views but that participating in campaign material for "Putin's oppressive party" while captaining an NHL franchise in the US capital "raises serious questions about the standards expected of players." CBC reported that Latvia's foreign minister announced Ovechkin's inclusion on a list of "personae non gratae," barring his entry to the NATO member state. Deutsche Welle reported criticism from Ukrainian skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified from the 2026 Olympic Games for wearing a helmet depicting athletes killed in the war. Al Jazeera reported that a group of Capitals fans protested outside Capital One Arena in 2023 calling for Ovechkin to remove photos of Putin from his Instagram profile.

The Capitals largely defended Ovechkin while declining further comment. The New York Post reported that the team declined to answer questions about the ad and declined to make Leonsis available, and that coach Spencer Carbery said the ad did not affect him. General manager Chris Patrick told ESPN that had Ovechkin informed the team of his plan, "we would have worked to avoid the situation very hard," and added that he felt sympathy for Ovechkin, saying he is "a wonderful person." CBC quoted Patrick saying, "I would say it's a difficult situation, and I understand why people are upset... That's probably the most I should say about it as a general manager of a hockey team." The NHL did not respond to multiple requests for comment from ESPN, and Deutsche Welle reported the league referred reporters to the Capitals; the league said in 2022, when international sports bodies banned Russian athletes, that Russian players compete on behalf of their NHL clubs and not on behalf of Russia.

ESPN reported that the ad series features more than 30 Putin supporters, including Maria Lvova-Belova, a Russian official for whom the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in 2023. Academic experts quoted by ESPN described the appearances as significant to Russian state messaging: Sarah Oates of the University of Maryland said Ovechkin "supports the Russian regime, and that means he supports genocide," while Vitaly Kazakov of Aarhus University said the ads are part of an effort to place blame on external forces rather than the Russian state. Kazakov also told ESPN that Ovechkin had not previously appeared in United Russia campaign marketing.

Al Jazeera reported that United Russia is widely expected to retain its majority in the State Duma and that the vote is seen by the Kremlin as a barometer of public opinion on the war. CBC reported the parliamentary election features United Russia plus nine other parties that support Putin's policies, and that the only party opposing the war in Ukraine has been barred from the ballot.

All Perspectives
Alex Ovechkin: Said he is Russian and supports his country, describing himself as "for peace and love" for Americans, Russians and Ukrainians alike, and saying he hoped the war would "be done soon." Said he is "not pro-war" and supports "what's happening in Russia," and that on Putin's invasion of Ukraine he is "not in politics" and cannot say who is right or wrong. Said he accepted the request without hesitation, that he did not inform the Capitals beforehand, that he will live in Russia after retiring, and that no backlash had reached him.
Washington Capitals (team statement): Said Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family in the offseason and will live there after retirement, that he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign this summer, and that as the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, D.C., and a pillar of the community, his and the team's focus is on the coming season and his impact on the ice and in the city. The team declined to answer questions about the ad and declined to make owner Ted Leonsis available.
Chris Patrick, Capitals general manager: Told ESPN that if Ovechkin had informed the team of his plan to film the ad, "we would have worked to avoid the situation very hard," and said he doubted the team would be in its current position had Ovechkin run it by them. Expressed sympathy, saying there are factors hard to understand unless you are in Ovechkin's shoes, that the team can only try to support him, and that while Ovechkin is being portrayed as a villain in some quarters he is a big-hearted person. Told CBC he understood why people are upset and that it was a difficult situation.
Spencer Carbery, Capitals coach: Said the ad did not affect him and he did not expect it to be an issue for the coaching staff or roster, that he knows Ovechkin and his family well, and that Ovechkin has done an amazing job as captain.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C.: In a letter to the NHL this week, also addressed to Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, asked the league to consider banning Ovechkin. Wrote that while Ovechkin has every right to hold personal political views, actively participating in campaign material for Putin's party while captaining an NHL franchise in the US capital raises serious questions about the standards expected of players.
Dominik Hasek, former Czech goaltender: Has called for the NHL to suspend the contracts of Russian players and, according to CBC, called Ovechkin's and Viacheslav Fetisov's participation in the commercial support for the war. Per Al Jazeera, he commented on X that the response 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."
Latvian foreign ministry: Per CBC, the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced Ovechkin's inclusion on a list of "personae non gratae" and prohibited his entry into Latvia, a NATO member bordering Russia.
Vladyslav Heraskevych, Ukrainian skeleton pilot: Per Deutsche Welle, criticised Ovechkin's appearance in the video; he was disqualified from the 2026 Olympic Games for insisting on wearing a helmet depicting athletes killed in Russia's war in Ukraine.
NHL: Did not respond to multiple requests for comment from ESPN and, per Deutsche Welle, referred reporters to the Washington Capitals. The league previously said, in 2022 when international sports bodies banned Russian athletes, that Russian players compete on behalf of their NHL clubs and not on behalf of Russia, and that they had been placed in an extremely difficult position.
Sarah Oates, University of Maryland: Told ESPN that Russia is perpetuating a genocide on Ukrainian people, that Putin has said Ukraine and Ukrainians have no right to exist and that this is a key reason for the invasion, and that Ovechkin supports Putin and the Russian regime, which she said means he supports genocide.
Vitaly Kazakov, Aarhus University: Told ESPN the ads amplify state messaging that absolves the Kremlin of moral responsibility in Ukraine and are part of an effort to put blame not on the Russian state but on external forces. Said Ovechkin has not appeared in United Russia campaign marketing in the past.
Position not represented in the source reporting: Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin; United Russia party; Ted Leonsis, Washington Capitals owner.

Where sources differ

  • Casualty figures differ by outlet: ESPN describes a Russian offensive that began in 2014 and expanded to a full-scale invasion in 2022 resulting in "more than 1 million military and civilian casualties," and separately cites Ukrainian authorities accusing the Russian military of murdering more than 17,000 Ukrainian civilians including more than 700 children. Al Jazeera states the war has killed "hundreds of thousands of people."
  • On backlash: the New York Post reports Ovechkin said he had not received backlash over his participation, while ESPN reports he was surprised by the backlash.
  • Dominik Hasek's criticism is characterised differently: CBC reports the Czech Hall of Fame goalie called the ad support for the war and has called for the NHL to suspend the contracts of Russian players, while Al Jazeera quotes a post on X in which Hasek said a statement on the matter "ignores" Ukrainians and Russians killed or maimed, for which he said Ovechkin bears a significant share of responsibility.
  • Election timing is specified differently: Deutsche Welle gives the vote dates as September 18 to 20, while CBC, ESPN and Al Jazeera refer to the election only as taking place "this week."
  • Attribution of the Capitals' statement varies: Deutsche Welle attributes it to team spokesperson Sergey Kocharov, while Al Jazeera attributes it to "a spokesperson" and the New York Post to the Capitals as a team.
Gaps & Unknowns
  • No comment from Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin or the United Russia party appears in any source.
  • Capitals owner Ted Leonsis did not comment; the team declined to make him available, so his position is not established.
  • Whether the NHL will act on the request to consider banning Ovechkin, or impose any discipline, is not established; the league gave no substantive comment.
  • Ovechkin's response to Latvia's decision to bar his entry is not recorded in any source.
  • Whether Ovechkin has voted or will vote in the parliamentary election, which he said he would not attend in person, is not established.
  • The precise broadcast dates and reach of the advertisement beyond descriptions that it aired earlier this month and was filmed about three weeks before September 17 are not established.
  • Whether Ovechkin's failure to inform the Capitals has any contractual or organisational consequence is not established beyond Patrick's statement about what would have happened had he been told.
  • No statement from the Ukrainian government appears; Ukrainian authorities are cited only for casualty figures via ESPN.
  • The full text or length of Rep. Wilson's letter, and whether it received a formal reply, is not established.
Sources & Further Reading
  1. New York Post — original — by Jenna Lemoncelli
  2. CBC News — by Noah Trister
  3. ESPN — by Robert Klemko
  4. Deutsche Welle — by Chuck Penfold
  5. Al Jazeera English

Read the original at New York Post

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