Alex Ovechkin claims he’s ‘no in politics’. His pro-Putin video says the opposite

When Russia launched its invasion o Ukraine in 2022, reporters speired at Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin for his thochts. It was nae secret, even then, that Ovechkin was close tae Vladimir Putin. Years afore, Ovechkin boostit the Russian president in a social media campaign and featurt Putin in his ain Instagram profile photo. “He is my president,” Ovechkin said o Putin shortly efter the invasion. “But like I said, I’m no in politics, I’m an athlete.” That’s ower. He’s in politics nou.

“The thing about the video: I’m Russian,” Ovechkin tauld reporters on Thirsday. The video in question is ane he taped for United Russia, a group supportin Putin, aheid o parliamentary elections. Ovechkin appears in the video alangside Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief o the state-controlled media outlet RT, and ithers. “I’m for peace and love, and I hope, in the warld, it doesna matter wha you are,” Ovechkin tauld reporters. “I hope everybody unnerstands that everybody wants peace, and everybody hopes everything’s gaun tae be OK in the warld.”

A day afore, the Capitals released a statement that laudit Ovechkin and treatit his video participation in the same mundane, neutral tone. “Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen wha bides in Moscow wi his family during the offseason and will bide there follaein his retirement. This simmer, while in Russia, he was speired by his kintra tae participate in a video campaign,” the team said. “As the langest-tenured athlete in Washington, DC and a pillar o the community, his focus and ours is on the season aheid and the continued impact he maks on the ice and in our city.”

It’s undeniable that Ovechkin has had an impact on DC during his lang NHL career, never playin onywhere else, bringin the Capitals their first and only Stanley Cup and becomin the sport’s greatest goalscorer. But nou that Ovechkin is also into politics – by choice – it’s fair tae start speirin what the impact o thae politics is, anely, even if he doesna want tae talk about it.

In an awkward bit o timing, in an indictment unsealed Tuesday, US federal prosecutors accusit five men o bein part o a network plannin tae assassinate Russian dissidents and ithers on US soil, includin ane wha reportedly bidet in Washington. Just ane concrete example o the Putin government in action – its continued impact, if you like – richt in Ovechkin’s adoptit hame toun. Elsewhaur, on X, umwhile NHL goaltender Dominik Hasek – a Czech icon wha has been an outspoken Putin critic for years – tore into the Capitals’ statement on Ovechkin for turnin a blind eye tae the impact o that politics in Europe. “This statement ignores the hunnerts o thoosands, if no millions, o Ukrainians and Russians kilt or maimed – casualties for whilk Ovechkin bears a significant share o responsibility throu his public stance,” Hasek wrote.

A “significant” share may be stretchin it, but Hasek’s braider point is that there ocht tae be a reckonin here, that the folk involvit shud tak ownership. For Ovechkin, that wad probably mean repeatin the message that he supportit as publicly in the US as he does in Russia, insteid o distancin himsel frae it the moment it becomes uncomfortable and offerin “peace and love”. For the Capitals, takin a moral stand cud mean onything frae makin a donation tae a Ukrainian charity tae strippin Ovechkin o his captaincy, tae barrin him frae playin.

But that wad mean the organisation wad hae tae hae the guts tae address it as mair than an uncomfortable topic tae be endurit just lang enough tae leuk like onybody carit, whilk is also what happent Thirsday in the media scrum. Efter answerin a couple o questions about the United Russia video, Ovechkin pivotit. “A richt,” he said, “let’s do hockey questions.” “Happy birthday,” ane reporter said amaist immediately, usherin back the illusion o normalcy. “Did you get a cake?” Ovechkin repliet he is on a diet. Everybody laucht. Naebody in the scrum made him answer for onything. When an ESPN reporter pressit him later wi questions on the video and the invasion, Ovechkin said he is “no in politics” and “canna say wha’s richt and wha’s wrang” afore abruptly endin the interview.

Fans are nou left tae figure oot an unwindable ethical quandary that was never theirs tae solve. If you keep watchin or keep wearin your Ovechkin jersey, you’re liable tae be accusit o tacitly supportin a repressive regime; if you choose tae boycott, you’re accusit o “politicisin” sports. The fans are left haudin the bag, searchin for accountability, while thae responsible for it walk away behind a mealy-moothed word cloud.

It doesna hae tae be that way. If Ovechkin, the Capitals and, by extension, the NHL, want the fans tae haud them all accountable, sae be it. Fans can keep askin the questions maist o the media room wudna – they mak this all mean somethin. Just because Ovechkin canna muster an opinion (ootwith Russia, onyway), it doesna mean fans canna. We dinna hae tae pretend tae be neutral.