WASHINGTON (AP) — After NHL career goal-scoring leader Alex Ovechkin appeared in an ad for Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party that came to light this week, the Washington Capitals said their long-time captain was asked to participate in the video campaign while back in his home country this summer.

“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement," team spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said Tuesday in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “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.”

Ovechkin is seen in the commercial standing behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Viacheslav “Slava” Fetisov also participated, leading to backlash on social media from fellow Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek, who called it support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The NHL deferred to the Capitals when asked for comment. Ovechkin is expected to be made available to reporters on Thursday when training camp opens ahead of his 22nd NHL season.

Ovechkin, who turns 41 on Thursday, previously voiced support for the Russian president in 2017 when he started a social movement called the “Putin Team.” At the time, he told reporters from the AP and The Washington Post, “I just support my country.”

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ovechkin said, “Please, no more war,” when asked about the situation. Asked then about his relationship with Putin, Ovechkin said: “He’s my president, but I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete.”

Putin has cracked down on dissent in the years since launching what he calls a special military operation in Ukraine, including punishment for referring to it as a war.

Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's goals record in April 2024 with his 895th. He has scored 929 in his career, which began in 2005 after the Capitals took him with the first pick in the 2004 draft.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here