More fallout from Alex Ovechkin’s appearance in a United Russia campaign video emerged late Thursday, with Latvia banning the Washington Capitals captain from entering the country indefinitely.
Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba BraĹľe, made the announcement on X, adding Ovechkin and Umar Kremlev to the list of “personae non gratae.” Kremlev is a wealthy Russian businessman, boxing administrator, and close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, according to ProPublica reporting, paid for large parts of Donald Trump Jr.’s recent wedding.
The announcement can also be read on the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Latvia, a Baltic state that borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the southeast, Lithuania to the south, and Estonia to the north, has repeatedly used its persona-non-grata list to bar prominent Russians whom the government says have supported or justified Russia’s war against Ukraine, including well-known Russian entertainers, musicians, actors, and other public figures.
Latvia spent decades under Soviet occupation before restoring its independence in 1991. The country joined both NATO and the European Union in 2004 and, particularly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has taken a firm stance against the Kremlin and Russian influence. That position is shaped in part by Latvia’s own history under Soviet rule and its present-day border with Russia.
Piecing together Latvian releases since Russia started the full-scale invasion in February 2022, hundreds of Russians have been added to the list over the last four and a half years, including 14 unspecified Russian athletes before the January 2026 Luge World Cup in the Latvian city of Sigulda.
“Regardless of their field of work, persons who threaten our security are persona non grata in Latvia,” BraĹľe said in a speech then. “Let me reiterate: Russian and Belarusian athletes are not welcome in Latvia. I call on the Saeima to issue a statement supporting our athletes by prohibiting athletes from aggressor countries from entering Latvia. The same applies to artists and others who support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They have no place in Latvia.”
Other well known Russians banned from the country include Valery Gergiev (composer), Nikita Mikhalkov (Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker), SHAMAN (pop singer), and Sergei Polunin (ballet dancer).
Ovechkin both played hockey and vacationed in Latvia earlier in his career. After his rookie season with the Capitals, Ovechkin notably represented Russia in the 2006 IIHF World Championship held in Riga from May 5–21. Ovechkin scored a hat trick in the team’s first game against Kazakhstan on May 6, 2006, and ended the tournament leading Russia with 6 goals and 3 assists and earning a spot on the tournament all-star team.
Ovechkin visited Latvia in late June/early July in 2010 to become godfather of KHL teammate Ilya Nikulin’s six-month-old son Ignat. Latvian outlet Jauns reported that Ovechkin spent five days total in the country, visiting Riga and JĹ«rmala, stopping by restaurants, experiencing Riga nightlife, and swimming in the Baltic Sea.
Ovechkin also landed there years later while playing for KHL Dynamo Moscow during the NHL lockout. In late November 2012, Ovechkin registered an assist in Dynamo Moscow’s 3-1 win over Dinamo Riga. The assist was Ovechkin 100th career point for his hometown team.
Ovechkin’s ban is highly unusual and appears to have little to no precedent in NHL history. While NHL players have previously faced border restrictions because of criminal convictions, immigration rules, or public-health requirements, RMNB could not find, at least on the current and public internet, another active NHL superstar who had been individually declared persona non grata and indefinitely barred from a country for political reasons.
The closest example is retired NHL defenseman Viacheslav “Slava” Fetisov — a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Detroit Red Wings (1997-98) and a member of The Russian Five with Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Konstantinov, and Vyacheslav Kozlov. Fetisov now serves in Russia’s State Duma representing the United Russia faction. He was barred from entering Latvia on February 23, 2022, but Latvia did not individually put him on its persona-non-grata list the way it did with Ovechkin.
The European Union sanctioned Fetisov on February 23, 2022, one day before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, along with 335 other members of Russia’s State Duma. The sanctions forbade Fetsisov from entering or transiting through any EU member state, including Latvia.
Fetisov also appeared in the same United Russia campaign as Ovechkin, but in a different ad.
Ovechkin has also been under Ukrainian sanctions since October 19, 2022. Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council announced penalties for Ovechkin and 2,507 other individuals and 1,374 legal entities, roughly eight months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Those restrictions include economic measures such as freezing any assets he has in Ukraine (if any), restricting financial and commercial activity, and preventing him from acquiring land in the country. Other prominent sports figures sanctioned include former Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin, Olympic figure skating champions Evgeni Plushenko and Tatiana Navka, boxer Alexander Povetkin, MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, chess grandmaster Sergey Karjakin, and Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva.
Ovechkin’s sanctions from Ukraine are currently scheduled to remain in effect through October 19, 2027.
Thursday, Ovechkin was asked why he appeared in the United Russia campaign by reporters attending the first day of Capitals training camp.
“Well, I would say I’m Russian and I support my country,” Ovechkin said. “So, how I said, I hope for peace and love and I hope in the world it doesn’t matter who you are. I hope everybody understands that everybody wants peace and I hope everything is going to be okay in the world.”
When pressed about Russia’s war with Urkaine by ESPN’s Robert Klemko, Ovechkin said, “Well, I’m not in politics. I can’t say who’s right and who’s wrong.”
