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Congressman Presses NHL Over Ovechkin's Role in Putin Party Ad
ReCongressman Presses NHL Over Ovechkin's Role in Putin Party Ad
Rep. Joe Wilson sent a letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman calling Alex Ovechkin's appearance in a United Russia campaign video 'shameful' and asking the league to review its policies on players in foreign political ads.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., has formally asked the NHL to examine how Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin came to appear in a campaign advertisement for United Russia, the political party backing President Vladimir Putin. In a letter sent Tuesday to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Wilson called Ovechkin's participation «shameful» and requested that the league clarify whether it has any rules governing active players who take part in political advertising for foreign parties or regimes. Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was copied on the letter.
The advertisement in question is a United Russia campaign video released ahead of Russia's parliamentary elections, scheduled for Sept. 18-20. Ovechkin does not speak in the video; he is shown standing behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the state-controlled network RT, also appears in the ad. Wilson's letter does not call for Ovechkin to be suspended or fined. Instead, it asks the NHL to explain its policies and to make clear that Ovechkin's participation does not represent the position of either the league or the Capitals.
Wilson was more pointed on social media, writing that it is «incredibly alarming» that the NHL and the Capitals «have allowed Alexander Ovechkin to appear in a campaign advertisement supporting the party of war criminal Putin.» In an interview Wednesday with Fox News' Dan Scully, Wilson said, «For Ovechkin to be campaigning for a person who is indeed the new Hitler of the 21st century, it's just inconceivable.» Asked whether he was seeking discipline for Ovechkin, Wilson did not directly answer. He also said he was unsure whether the league or the team knew about the advertisement in advance.
The Capitals said Ovechkin was approached while spending the offseason in Russia. «This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign,» team spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said in a statement. The team did not say who made the request, nor did it answer questions about whether it knew of or approved Ovechkin's participation beforehand. Kocharov noted that Ovechkin lives with his family in Moscow during the offseason and plans to return there after his NHL career, adding that Ovechkin and the team are focused on the upcoming season.
Ovechkin has publicly supported Putin for years. He founded «PutinTeam» in 2017 to rally support for the Russian president, and his Instagram profile photo remains an image of the two men together. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ovechkin called for peace but declined to criticize Putin, saying at the time, «Well, he is my president. But, like I said, I'm not in politics. I'm an athlete.»
Wilson argues that the Kremlin has a history of using athletes and international sporting achievements to promote the Russian government abroad. In his letter, he wrote that «an NHL superstar appearing in campaign propaganda for Putin's political party cannot simply be dismissed as an activity wholly disconnected from the League.» He also noted that the broader United Russia campaign features Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Lvova-Belova and Putin in 2023 over the alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territory. Neither has been convicted by the court.
When asked how Ovechkin's appearance differs from an American athlete supporting a U.S. politician, Wilson said, «The difference is that the American politician is not a mass murderer.» He added that while there is a right to free speech, «there should also be consequences of being associated in promoting a war criminal,» though he did not specify what those consequences should be. Wilson also said he is working with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, who agrees that Ovechkin's participation «is just not right.» Wilson did not describe what action, if any, the two intend to pursue.
The congressman said he has not received a response from the NHL but is willing to give the league time to answer. The NHL did not respond to questions about Wilson's letter, the advertisement, or its policies governing political activity by players. Ovechkin did not provide a comment through the Capitals prior to publication.
