Вашингтон Кэпиталз багийн ахлагч NHL-ийн 22 дахь улирлаа эхлүүлэхийн өмнөх хэвлэлийн бага хурлын үеэр улс төрийн сурталчилгаанд оролцсон талаарх шүүмжлэлд хариулт өглөө.
NHL-ийн түүхэн дэх хамгийн олон гоол оруулсан тоглогч Алекс Овечкин Оросын Нэгдсэн Орос нам болон тус улсын гадаад хэргийн сайд Сергей Лавров нарыг дэмжсэн дүрс бичлэгт оролцсон нь олон нийтийн шүүмжлэлийг дагуулсан юм. Тэрээр 41 насныхаа төрсөн өдрөөр хийсэн хэвлэлийн бага хурлын үеэр “Намайг санал болгоход би зөвшөөрсөн, би Орос хүн бөгөөд эх орноо дэмждэг” хэмээн байр сууриа илэрхийлжээ. Түүнчлэн тэрээр спортын тамирчны хувьд улс төрийн асуудалд оролцох сонирхолгүй байгаагаа мэдэгдэж, ирээдүйд гэр бүлийн хамт ОХУ-д амьдрах төлөвлөгөөтэй байгаагаа онцоллоо.
Энэхүү үйл явдалтай холбогдуулан NHL-ийн алдартай хаалгач Доминик Гашек болон АНУ-ын Конгрессын гишүүн Жо Уилсон нар шүүмжлэлтэй хандаж, лигийн удирдлагуудаас тодруулга хүссэн байна. Вашингтон Кэпиталз багийн зүгээс Алекс Овечкин нь Оросын иргэн бөгөөд улирлын бус хугацаанд Москва хотод амьдардаг болохыг дурдаад, түүнийг багийн чухал тоглогч гэдгийг онцлон энэ асуудал улирлын тоглолтод нөлөөлөхгүй гэж мэдэгдлээ.
Алекс Овечкин 2025 онд Уэйн Гретцкигийн гоолын дээд амжилтыг эвдсэн бөгөөд одоогийн байдлаар регуляр улиралд 929, плей-оффын шатанд 77 гоол оруулсан амжилттай байна. Тэрээр энэ улиралд Уэйн Гретцкигийн нэгдсэн үзүүлэлтээс 10 гоолоор дутуу байгаа бөгөөд багийн түүхэн дэх оновчтой дамжуулалтын дээд амжилтыг эзэмшигч Никлас Бэкстрөмийг гүйцэхийн тулд 5 оновчтой дамжуулалт дутуу байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is entering his 22nd season in the NHL and has a chance to set another goal-scoring record.
But the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer’s opening news conference for the 2026-27 season also dealt with his appearance in a political ad for the United Russia Party, which supports president Vladimir Putin.
MultipleRussian news outlets have published images and video of the commercial showing Ovechkin, a Moscow native, standing behind Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, a prominent figure in Putin’s Kremlin and the leading parliamentary candidate for the United Russia Party.Other Russian celebrities appeared in the ad.
“They asked me to do this, and I said yes,” he said at the opening of his news conference, which occurred on his 41st birthday.
He said there was no hesitiation on his part.
“I’m Russian and I support my country,” he said.
He’s planning to live with his family is Russia after he retires.
“I’m for peace and love and I hope everything is going to be OK,” he said.
Backlash to Alex Ovechkin’s appearance
Ovechkin said he heard no backlash over the ad, but there has been.
Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek, a Czechia native and frequent critic of Russia’s war against Ukraine, said, “Everyone in this photograph has chosen to officially support Russia’s imperialist war in Ukraine. Among them are also hockey player Ovechkin and former hockey player and national team captain (Slava) Fetisov. Because of each of them, many Ukrainians and Russians will be killed.”
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C. sent a letter to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman asking him to “clarify what policies, if any, govern the participation of active players in political advertisements or propaganda on behalf of dictatorial political parties and foreign political regimes. I further request that the League and the Capitals organization clarify any endorsement of Putin’s party is not a official position of the NHL or the Washington Capitals.”
Ovechkin later told ESPN: “Well, everybody have their own opinion, right? I’m not a politician, I’m an athlete, and, how I said, I’m gonna live there when I’m done playing. I support my country. Like, I’m Russian.”
Alex Ovechkin’s ties to Vladimir Putin
Ovechkin has been tied to Putin before the political ad.
He hadstarted a social movement supporting Putin ahead of the 2017 Russian presidential election, and a picture of the two of them is the profile picture of the winger’s Instagram account.
The Capitals had called a news conference in February 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in which Ovechkin answered questions about the war.
“It’s a hard situation. I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine, and it’s hard to see the war,” he told reporters. “I hope soon it’s going to be over and there’s going to be peace in the whole world.”
Ovechkin was asked at the time whether he supported Putin amid the invasion.
“He’s my president but … I’m not in politics,” he said. “I’m an athlete and how I said, I hope everything is going to be done soon. It’s a hard situation right now for both sides. … I’m not in control of the situation.”
What the Washington Capitals said
Capitals spokesperson Sergey Kocharov provided the following statement to USA TODAY Sports:
“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement. This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign. As the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, D.C. and a pillar of the community, his focus and ours is on the season ahead and the continued impact he makes on the ice and in our city.”
Coach Spencer Carbery said the video won’t affect his relationship with the team captain.
“I haven’t seen the video of whatever, but I know this,” he said. “O has done an amazing job in my time here. I love him, I love his family and he’s a big part of our team.”
Said general manager Chris Patrick: “It’s a difficult situation and I understand why people are upset. That’s probably the most I should say about it as a general manager of a hockey team and not someone not well-versed in geopolitical issues.”
Alex Ovechkin’s 2026-27 season
Ovechkin signed a bonus-laden deal for this season. He broke Wayne Gretzky’s goal record in 2025 and has a chance for another this season.
Ovechkin trails Gretzky by 10 goals when it comes to combined regular season and playoff goals (1,116). Ovechkin has scored 929 goals in the regular season and 77 in the playoffs.
He also needs five assists to pass franchise leader Nicklas Backstrom (762) in that category.
Contributing: Mark Giannotto
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alex Ovechkin on Russian political ad appearance: ‘I support my country’
