Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., has a problem with Alex Ovechkin appearing in a campaign advertisement for the Vladimir Putin-backed United Russia party, and he wants NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to address it.
Wilson sent Bettman a letter Tuesday calling the Washington Capitals captain’s participation “shameful” and asking the league to review the matter. Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was copied on the letter.
Ovechkin does not speak in the ad. He stands behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a United Russia campaign video ahead of Russia’s Sept. 18-20 parliamentary elections. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Russian state-controlled network RT, also appears in the ad.
“While Mr. Ovechkin has every right to hold personal political views, actively participating in campaign material for Putin’s oppressive party while serving as the captain of an NHL franchise in our nation’s capital raises serious questions about the standards expected of players who represent the League and their communities,” Wilson wrote.
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The letter does not ask Bettman to suspend or fine Ovechkin. Wilson wants the NHL to explain whether it has any policies governing active players who appear in political advertisements for foreign parties or regimes.
He also wants the league and Capitals to make clear that Ovechkin’s participation does not represent either organization’s position.
Wilson was more direct on social media.
“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,” he wrote. “American hockey fans deserve better leadership from their star players!”
Wilson elaborated on the letter Wednesday during an interview with Fox News’ Dan Scully.
Asked what he wanted Bettman to do and whether he was seeking discipline for Ovechkin, Wilson did not directly answer.
“For Ovechkin to be campaigning for a person who is indeed the new Hitler of the 21st century, it’s just inconceivable,” Wilson said.
Scully also asked whether Wilson had information that the NHL or Capitals knew about the advertisement beforehand.
“Ahead of time, I’m not sure,” Wilson said.
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,” Capitals spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said in a statement to Reuters.
But who asked him?
The Capitals did not say. The team also did not answer questions from Fox News Digital/OutKick about whether it knew of Ovechkin’s participation beforehand or whether anyone within the organization approved or facilitated it.
Kocharov noted that Ovechkin lives with his family in Moscow during the offseason and plans to return there after his NHL career. He said Ovechkin and the Capitals are focused on the upcoming season and his continued impact in Washington.
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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 standing together.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ovechkin called for peace but declined to criticize Putin.
“Well, he is my president,” Ovechkin said at the time. “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.
“An NHL superstar appearing in campaign propaganda for Putin’s political party cannot simply be dismissed as an activity wholly disconnected from the League,” Wilson wrote.
Wilson also writes 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.
Scully asked Wilson how Ovechkin’s appearance differs from an American athlete supporting a U.S. politician.
“The difference is that the American politician is not a mass murderer,” Wilson said.
“Now, we can all disagree,” he continued. “There is a right to free speech, of course, but there should also be consequences of being associated in promoting a war criminal.”
Wilson did not say what those consequences should be. When Scully later asked directly whether he wanted the NHL to suspend Ovechkin, Wilson again did not answer.
Wilson also said he is working with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and that Risch agrees Ovechkin’s participation “is just not right.” Wilson did not describe what action, if any, he and Risch intend to pursue.
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The congressman said he has not received a response from the NHL but is willing to give the league time to answer.
Throughout the interview, Wilson repeatedly referred to Putin as a “convicted war criminal,” echoing the handwritten message beneath his signature.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova in 2023, but neither has been convicted by the court.
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.
We will update this story if we receive a response from Ovechkin, the NHL or the Capitals.
