NHL superstar Ovechkin ‘was asked’ to film Putin ad, team says

What the report says

The Washington Capitals say Alex Ovechkin was asked by Russian officials to appear in a campaign video tied to President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, according to Al Jazeera’s report published on 17 September 2026. The team’s statement came after criticism over the NHL star’s appearance in a promotional clip featuring prominent Russians ahead of nationwide elections in Russia this week.

Al Jazeera reported that Ovechkin, who spends his offseasons in Moscow and has long been publicly associated with Putin, is shown alongside other domestic figures in material backing the ruling party. The Capitals emphasized that the video was recorded this summer while he was in Russia and said their focus remains on the upcoming NHL season and his role in Washington, DC.

The report places the episode in the context of Russia’s continuing war in Ukraine and the political importance of the elections, which are widely expected to leave United Russia in control of the State Duma. Ovechkin previously launched a pro-Putin social movement in 2017 and has used pro-Putin imagery online, although he later called for an end to the war and said he was not involved in politics.

The story matters because Ovechkin is one of the NHL’s most prominent players and a well-known public supporter of Putin, making his political visibility a subject of debate among fans and critics. Al Jazeera also noted that he recently signed a one-year contract to return for another season with the Capitals.