Alex Ovechkin appears in video campaign supporting Russia's United Russia party

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin was shown in a television spot alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov, expressing support for President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party. The ad, which emerged this week, has drawn renewed scrutiny of Ovechkin's longstanding political affiliations.

The Capitals confirmed Ovechkin's participation and stated that his off-ice political activities will not impact the upcoming NHL season. > "Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement," team spokesman Sergey Kocharov told NBC News. "This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign. As the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, D.C. and a pillar of the community, his focus and ours is on the season ahead and the continued impact he makes on the ice and in our city."

Ovechkin, 41, has scored 929 goals in 21 NHL seasons, all with the Capitals, and surpassed Wayne Gretzky on the all-time goal list in April 2025. He won the Stanley Cup in 2018 and was named playoff MVP that year. Former goaltender Dominik Hašek, a vocal critic of the Russian government, recently posted criticism of Ovechkin's involvement in the campaign.