Ovechkin appears in Putin party campaign video ahead of Russian elections

Alexander Ovechkin, one of hockey's greatest scorers, appeared in a campaign video for Vladimir Putin's United Russia party this week, lending his image to the ruling bloc ahead of Russia's parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18 to 20. The footage shows the 40-year-old Washington Capitals star standing silently in the third row behind Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who heads the party's electoral slate. Ovechkin had returned to the United States on Monday to begin training camp, but before leaving Russia after his summer break, he made time for the endorsement.

The appearance marks another chapter in a pattern of public backing that stretches back more than a decade. In 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, Ovechkin posted an image of himself holding a sign reading "#savechildrenfromfascism," framing the seizure of Ukrainian territory through the lens of historical anti-fascism. Three years later, he went further, announcing the creation of "PutinTeam" on Instagram—a group designed to mobilize support for Putin's 2018 presidential campaign. "I have never hidden my feelings about our president; I have always openly supported him," he wrote at the time, comparing the commitment to pulling on the Russian national team jersey. He has maintained Putin's photograph as his Instagram profile picture.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the question of Ovechkin's continued allegiance became sharper. A reporter asked him directly the day after the assault began whether he still supported Putin. "Well, he's my president," Ovechkin replied. "But how I said, I'm not in politics, I'm an athlete." He offered a generic call for peace—"Please, no more war"—but stopped short of criticizing Moscow's military action or distancing himself from the Kremlin.

The latest video has drawn criticism, including from Vladyslav Heraskevych, a Ukrainian skeleton pilot who was barred from competing in the 2026 Olympic Games after insisting on wearing a helmet decorated with the names of athletes killed in the war. The Capitals, when asked to comment, issued a statement through spokesperson Sergey Kocharov framing the participation as something Ovechkin was "asked by his country" to do. "As the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, D.C., and a pillar of the community, his focus and ours is on the season ahead," the team said, attempting to redirect attention toward the upcoming NHL campaign.

At 40 years old, Ovechkin is focused on what may be his final competitive season. He broke Wayne Gretzky's career goal-scoring record two seasons ago and scored 32 goals last year—a total matched by only two other players in their forties. He had left his return uncertain through much of the offseason but decided this summer, after consulting with his wife, to come back for another year in Washington. He has not ruled out playing beyond that. "I'm still a good player and can still help the team to win," he told reporters after his first practice back. The Capitals are considered one of the league's strongest rosters on paper, though oddsmakers have them ranked 18th out of 32 teams in Stanley Cup contention for 2027. United Russia, by contrast, appears positioned for a comfortable victory in the weekend elections—the first parliamentary vote since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began.