WASHINGTON, D.C. — Public figures including Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek and restaurateur Jose Andres have commented on Alex Ovechkin's appearance in a United Russia campaign video. Hasek criticized Ovechkin's appearance in the ad on social media platform X, writing that everyone in the photograph had chosen to officially support Russia's imperialist war in Ukraine.

Hasek identified both Ovechkin and former NHL player Viacheslav Fetisov in the image. "Because of each of them, many Ukrainians and Russians will be killed," Hasek wrote. Andres condemned Ovechkin's participation in the ad in a separate social media post.

Kocharov emphasized the organization's focus on the upcoming hockey season. "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," he said.

Why It Matters

The controversy connects to Ovechkin's long-standing public support for Russian leadership, which began when he founded the "PutinTeam" social movement in 2017 to support Vladimir Putin. He continues to use a photo of himself with Putin on his official Instagram page, a practice that prompted a group of Capitals fans to protest outside Capital One Arena in 2023 and call for the photos' removal.

United Russia is the ruling political party of Russia and holds 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma as of 2022. The party is expected to retain its majority in the State Duma following parliamentary elections in September 2026. Ovechkin previously distinguished his personal respect for Putin from political involvement, stating in 2022 that he was not in politics despite saying, "Please, no more war."

Timeline

Alex Ovechkin founded the "PutinTeam" social movement in 2017 to support Putin. In 2022, Ovechkin said, "Please, no more war." Also in 2022, he stated, "He’s my president, but … I’m not in politics." A group of Capitals fans protested outside Capital One Arena in 2023, calling for Ovechkin to remove photos of Putin from his Instagram profile.

Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goal scoring record in April 2025. He signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals in July 2026 with an average annual value of $4.25 million. The United Russia party is expected to retain its majority in the State Duma following parliamentary elections in September 2026. On September 16, 2026, Washington Capitals spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said in a statement that Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement.

What's New

Additional reporting confirmed that former NHL player Viacheslav Fetisov appeared in the United Russia campaign video alongside Alex Ovechkin. RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan also appeared in the video. Visuals show Ovechkin standing behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the campaign footage.

Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek has criticized Ovechkin after the Washington Capitals captain appeared in a promotional video for Russian President Putin. Hasek wrote on X that everyone in the photograph had chosen to officially support Russia's imperialist war in Ukraine, noting that because of each of them, many Ukrainians and Russians will be killed. Restaurateur Jose Andres condemned Ovechkin's participation in the ad in a social media post. Historical context includes Ovechkin's 2022 statement asking for no more war.

How Sources Differ

Regarding details surrounding the Washington Capitals, spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said in a statement that Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement. Separate records from the Washington Capitals contract filing indicate that Ovechkin signed a one-year contract with the team in July 2026 with an average annual value of $4.25 million.

On the matter of the video campaign participation, the Washington Capitals stated that Ovechkin was asked by his country to participate in the video campaign while he was in Russia this summer. The Washington Capitals contract filing notes that Ovechkin signed a one-year contract with the franchise in July 2026 with an average annual value of $4.25 million.