Ovechkin appears in Putin party campaign video ahead of Russian elections

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has appeared in a campaign video for Russia's ruling United Russia party, reigniting scrutiny over the NHL star's public support for President Vladimir Putin ahead of the country's parliamentary elections. The video, published by the Russian newspaper Vedomosti, features Ovechkin among a group of pro-Putin officials and celebrities, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and RT editor Margarita Simonyan. The clip is one of five released by United Russia, each built around a senior name on the party list. A Capitals spokesperson stated that Ovechkin, a Russian citizen who spends his offseason in Moscow, was asked by his country to participate in the video campaign while in Russia this summer. The spokesperson emphasized that Ovechkin's focus remains on the upcoming hockey season. The appearance comes as Russia's legislative elections are scheduled from September 18 to 20, with all 450 Duma seats at stake. Ovechkin, who surpassed Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer in April 2025, has a long history of publicly supporting Putin.