Almost two weeks before the NHL season begins, Alexander Ovechkin was confronted by a reporter during an interview about his appearance in a political advertisement for Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. The ad, filmed ahead of recent elections, featured Ovechkin in the background.
The reporter asked whether Ovechkin had informed his team prior to the shoot, and he responded with “No.”
When pressed on the implications of the commercial, Ovechkin stated: “I think it’s just support what’s happening in Russia. I want peace and love for everybody.”
Later, the interviewer questioned if Ovechkin would support Russia regardless of actions, prompting his reply: “Well, I’m gonna live there, yeah.”
When asked whether he would support genocide by a Russian regime responsible for alleged atrocities against Ukrainian children, Ovechkin requested clarification on the term and later said: “Oh. I would say, like, I’m, I hope it’s not gonna, it’s not gonna be like that.”
The reporter also referenced claims that one of the individuals in the ad, Maria Lvova Belova, holds an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for abducting Ukrainian children. Ovechkin stated he did not recognize the person.
Ovechkin additionally revealed plans to move back to Russia upon retirement: “I’m going to stay there. I’m going to live there. My kids are going to live there.”
A University of Maryland scholar named Sarah Oates has asserted that Russia is perpetuating genocide against Ukrainian people.
Capitals general manager Chris Patrick noted that if Ovechkin had informed the team about the ad beforehand, the organization would have taken steps to avoid the situation.
