Story perspectives

Dominik Hasek Slams Ovechkin’s United Russia Campaign Video

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 10:19 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Alexander Ovechkin appeared in a United Russia party video campaign this summer.
The Washington Capitals said he was asked by his country to participate.
The video shows Ovechkin behind Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with Viacheslav Fetisov and Margarita Simonyan.
Dominik Hasek condemned Ovechkin’s appearance, calling it support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ovechkin returned to Washington for training camp and is preparing for his 22nd NHL season.

History

Historical Context

In August 1936 Adolf Hitler turned the Berlin Olympics into a Nazi propaganda showcase, inviting 49 nations while Leni Riefenstahl filmed the event for the influential movie *Olympia*. Decades later, Russia’s United Russia channel featured hockey star Alexander Ovechkin alongside Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and media chief Margarita Simonyan, echoing the same tactic of using celebrated athletes to legitimize state narratives.

1 of 2

Story summary

Alexander Ovechkin appeared in a United Russia party video campaign this summer.
The Washington Capitals said he was asked by his country to participate.
The video shows Ovechkin behind Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with Viacheslav Fetisov and Margarita Simonyan.
Dominik Hasek condemned Ovechkin’s appearance, calling it support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ovechkin returned to Washington for training camp and is preparing for his 22nd NHL season.

1 / 2