Alex Ovechkin said he agreed to appear in a video in support of Russian president Vladimir Putin's United Russia party because he supported his country, while also insisting he is "full of peace and love" and not pro-war.
Speaking at the Washington Capitals' preseason media day and on his 41st birthday, Ovechkin addressed reporters for the first time since his appearance in the controversial ad.
"The thing about video: I'm Russian," Ovechkin said before taking questions. "As soon as I'm done playing hockey, I'm probably going to stay there. I'm going to live there. My kids are going to be there, family. So I'm full of peace and love, and I hope everything's going to be OK."
Ovechkin, the the NHL's all-time leading goal-scorer with 929, was asked if there would be ramifications had he turned down the government's request, but he implied that he did not consider declining.
"Well, they asked me to do that. I said ‘yes,' so simple as that," Ovechkin said. "I'm Russian and I support my country."
In additional comments in an interview with ESPN, Ovechkin insisted he was "not pro-war," hoping it will "be done soon," and he only supports "what's happening in Russia."
"I want the peace and love for everybody," Ovechkin told ESPN. "It doesn't matter who you are, American, Russian or Ukrainian. I hope everything's gonna be good and everything's gonna be done soon."
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has been shunned on the global stage ever since, inside and outside the sporting world. The United Nations' latest estimates said 16,126 Ukrainian civilians had been killed, along with potentially hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian armed forces.
Ovechkin, a longtime friend of Putin who once launched an online movement called "Putin Team," appears in the series of ads alongside other notable Russians. Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov says in the video that any nation that comes at Russia "with a sword" should "expect no mercy. We will rise together, as we do today."
It's become a hot-button issue back in the United States. U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina, wrote a letter to the NHL asking it to ban Ovechkin for his participation in the campaign.
"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.
Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek, a critic of Putin and Russia, said this week that Ovechkin and the others to participate in the ad had "chosen to officially support Russia's imperialist war in Ukraine."
Capitals general manager Chris Patrick told ESPN that Ovechkin had not run the decision to participate by the team.
"I would say it's a difficult situation, and I understand why people are upset," Patrick told reporters. "And that's probably the most I should say about it as a general manager of a hockey team and not someone well versed in geopolitical issues."
--Field Level Media