Alex Ovechkin took part in a political campaign ad before leaving Russia for the United States.
Standing with a host of notable Russians behind foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, Ovechkin lent his support to the United Russia party ahead of Russia’s parliamentary elections on September 18–20.
Kommersant, one of Russia’s leading business and political newspapers, reported that Ovechkin was joined in the commercial by RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, actor Vladimir Mashkov, and singer Tatyana Kurtukova.
Russian newspaper Vedmosti quotes Lavrov as saying, per Google Translate, “Whoever comes to us with a sword, expect no mercy.”
Lavrov’s full comments in the clip are as follows:
It so happens that my entire professional life has been tied to diplomacy. Moscow is true to the centuries-old traditions of our state. It has always been this way, and it will remain so. When we are treated fairly, we will always reach an agreement. When they lie to us or break their word, they have only themselves to blame. And whoever comes to us with a sword—expect no mercy: we will stand together, as we do today.
Ovechkin is not the only Russian sports star to appear in one of the five clips, each led by a different political leader: Lavrov, Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin, war correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny, children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, and head of the Yunarmiya (Youth Army) movement Vladislav Golovin. Former NHL player Vyacheslav Fetisov, chess player Sergey Karjakin, and mixed martial artist Fedor Emelianenko also appear in the campaign.
Lavrov has served as Russia’s foreign minister since 2004 and was previously ambassador to the United Nations. As Russia’s top diplomat and a high-ranking subordinate of President Vladimir Putin, Lavrov has been a central public voice for Russia during the war in Ukraine, drawing sharp criticism from the international community.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Lavrov was personally sanctioned by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada for his role in the conflict, with the US Department of the Treasury naming Lavrov one of the “architects” of the war.
United Russia has been the country’s ruling political party for decades and forms the principal political vehicle supporting Putin. Ovechkin’s appearance in the advertisement adds to his long history of publicly supporting Putin’s regime, most prominently through the PutinTeam movement he launched and promoted ahead of Russia’s 2018 presidential election.
Ovechkin’s history with Putin includes using a photo of them together as his Instagram avatar, receiving a wedding gift from the leader, and hugging him after the 2014 World Championship.
Ovechkin has previously been involved in Russian political messaging as well. In 2014, he posted a photo to Instagram holding a sign reading “#SaveChildrenFromFascism,” a pro-Russian slogan promoted as part of the country’s conflict with Ukraine, as well as a shirt reading “No War.”
Upon the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ovechkin opted not to condemn the country’s actions during a press conference, saying he was just an athlete uninvolved in politics.
“I’m not in politics, I’m an athlete,” Ovechkin said. “How I said, I hope everything is gonna be done soon. It’s sad situation right now for both sides and, like how I said, everything I hope is gonna be end. And I’m not control this situation.”
He added later, “Please, no more war. It doesn’t matter who’s in the war, Russia, Ukraine, different countries. I think we live in a world, we have to live in peace, great world.”
The recent round of commercials began airing on Russian television by September 10, around the same time Ovechkin flew back to the United States ahead of his 22nd NHL season. Ovechkin returned to the ice at the team’s practice facility for the first time on Monday.
Ovechkin’s appearance in the commercial has been widely shared online and has gone viral on Reddit Hockey. Chef, philanthropist, and prominent DC restaurateur José Andrés condemned the ad on social media.
“Russia is killing Americans in the Middle East with drones that help Iran!” Andrés wrote. “@Capitals @NHL @ovi8 and what Russians are doing in Ukraine is wrong…..killing civilians everyday….sad day for my beloved DC team!!😞😞😞”
Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has long been an admirer of Andrés. After Andrés was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, Leonsis said no one deserved the honor more, and two also had a personal and business relationship through Andrés’ restaurants at Capital One Arena.
TSN reporter Rick Westhead was also critical of Ovechkin’s participation on Instagram.
The Washington Capitals did not respond to a request for comment.
Update (9/15): The Capitals have issued the following statement to multiple outlets:
“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement. 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.”
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