ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin said Thursday that he is all “for peace and love" after the Russian hockey star appeared in an ad for a party aligned with Vladimir Putin during the offseason.
The video for the United Russia party came to light this week, days before Ovechkin's Washington Capitals held their annual media day. The NHL's career goal-scoring leader is back with the Capitals for a 22nd season.
Ovechkin is seen in the commercial standing behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Longtime Soviet hockey star Viacheslav Fetisov also participated.
“I’m Russian, and I support my country," Ovechkin said Thursday. "I’m for peace and love, and I hope in the world it doesn’t matter who you are, I hope everybody understands everybody wants peace, and everybody hope everything’s going to be OK in the world.”
Ovechkin said he did not hesitate to participate in the ad.
“They asked me to do that. I say yes," he said. "So it’s as simple as that.”
Capitals general manager Chris Patrick addressed the issue, but only briefly.
“I would say it's a difficult situation, and I understand why people are upset,” Patrick said. “That's probably the most I should say about it as a general manager of a hockey team, and not someone well versed in geopolitical issues.”
Ovechkin previously voiced support for the Russian president in 2017 when he started a social movement called the “Putin Team.” At the time, he told reporters from the AP and The Washington Post, “I just support my country."
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ovechkin said, “Please, no more war,” when asked about the situation. Asked then about his relationship with Putin, Ovechkin said: “He’s my president, but I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete.”
That type of response has never satisfied some of Ovechkin's most vocal critics, such as Dominik Hasek, the Hall of Fame Czech goalie who has called for the NHL to suspend the contracts of Russian players. After Ovechkin and Fetisov participated in the commercial, Hasek called it support for the war.
On Thursday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Latvia announced Ovechkin's inclusion on a list of “personae non gratae” and prohibited his entry into that republic, a NATO member bordering Russia.
Russia’s parliamentary election this week features United Russia, plus nine other parties that all support Putin’s policies. The only party that opposed the war in Ukraine has been barred from the ballot.
Ovechkin's defenders have wondered how safe it would be for him to show dissent toward Putin and the Russian government. Both the Capitals and the star forward certainly tried to emphasize the fact that he intends to live in Russia in the future.
“I’m going to stay there. I’m going to live there, my kids are going to live there, family. So I’m for peace and love, and I hope everything’s going to be OK,” said Ovechkin, who turned 41 on Thursday. “My home is Russia. D.C. is my second home. I have lots of friends. I grew up here as a person and I love D.C. This is my second home. So I hope everything’s going to be OK, and how I said — peace and love for everybody.”
There was speculation last season would be Ovechkin's last, but he chose to stay with the Capitals for at least another year — and he remains noncommittal about what the future might hold after 2026-27.
“I'm focusing right now on training camp,” Ovechkin said. “I have to make the team.”
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