Alex Ovechkin faces backlash over pro-Putin political campaign ad

NHL superstar Alex Ovechkin is facing renewed backlash for his support of Vladimir Putin after appearing in a political campaign ad for the United Russia Party that supports the Russian President ahead of the start to the 2026-27 season.

Multiple Russian news outlets have published images and video of the commercial showing Ovechkin standing behind Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, a prominent figure in Putin's Kremlin and the leading parliamentary candidate for the United Russia Party. Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of state-controlled broadcaster RT, as well as former NHL player Viacheslav Fetisov, actor Vladimir Mashkov and singer Tatyana Kurtukova, were also identified among the celebrities with Lavrov in reports.

The Washington Capitals said on Tuesday, Sept. 15, Ovechkin was asked “by his country to participate in a video campaign” while still in Russia this summer.

“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement. This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign,” Capitals spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports. “As the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, D.C. and a pillar of the…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/