Alexander Ovechkin’s Pro-Putin Campaign Video Sparks Backlash

Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring leader, appears in a video campaign published in the pro-Kremlin newspaper *Vedomosti* that promotes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party ahead of the weekend elections. The clip shows Ovechkin standing behind Kremlin propagandist Margarita Simonyan while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov delivers a speech; a screenshot of the scene was shared on September 14, 2026.

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Ovechkin founded the political movement “PutinTeam” in 2017 and has maintained a publicly documented relationship with Putin, including joint Instagram photos and regular personal communication. He lives in Moscow with his family during the NHL off-season and has business interests in Russia, such as a 2025 deal with streaming platform Kinopoisk to produce a documentary about his career. Although he has spoken against war in general, he has not publicly criticized Putin.

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Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) wrote to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman demanding an investigation and asking the league to clarify its policy on players appearing in foreign political promotions. The NHL declined to comment directly, deferring to the Capitals for a response.

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Thomas Melia, chair of the board of the Free Russia Foundation, argued that Ovechkin’s endorsement “forever stains his athletic legacy.” Sports columnist Barry Svrluga noted the complexity of Ovechkin’s position as a high-profile Russian figure seeking to raise his family in Russia.

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• “With this doubling down on his longstanding embrace of Vladimir Putin, Ovechkin forever stains his athletic legacy,” — Thomas Melia, chair of the board of the Free Russia Foundation, a pro-democracy group

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• “Political leaders often surround themselves with celebrities to borrow some of the celebrities’ support and glamor,” — Peter Loge, professor of communication at George Washington University

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