Ovechkin still backing Putin party in parliamentary vote

When Russia's parliamentary elections are held from September 18 to 20, Alexander Ovechkin won't be there to cast his ballot in person. On Monday he took his first few strides back on the ice in the United States as he starts gearing up for a new National Hockey League (NHL) season with the Washington Capitals – his 22nd in the world's best league.

However, before leaving his homeland, Russia, where he spent his summer break, he did make his contribution to the election campaign, appearing in a video promoting the ruling party United Russia, which steadfastly supports President Vladimir Putin.

In the video, which has been widely shared on social media, Ovechkin doesn't speak but can be clearly seen in the third row of a group of supporters behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is heading the United Russia list for the parliamentary vote.

Ovechkin's appearance has faced criticism, including from Ukrainian skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified from the 2026 Olympic Games for insisting on wearing a helmet depicting athletes killed in Russia's war in Ukraine.

Ovechkin a long-standing Putin supporter

This is certainly not the first time that Ovechkin has expressed his support for President Putin, with whom he shares his profile photo on his Instagram account. 

And at times, his public support has appeared even more active than in the current United Russia video. Back in 2017, Ovechkin used his Instagram account to announce the creation of "PutinTeam" a group to help support Putin in the 2018 presidential campaign.

"I have never hidden my feelings about our president; I have always openly supported him. I am certain there are many of us who support Vladimir Putin! So let's unite and show the world a strong, united Russia!" he wrote.

"Being part of such a team is a source of pride for me; it feels just like pulling on the Russian national team jersey, knowing the whole country is rooting for you."

The creation of PutinTeam came three years after Russia had invaded and seized the Ukrainian territory Crimea in 2014, a move that was met with widespread condemnation in the international community. Later that year, Ovechkin appeared to express support for the operation, posting a photo of himself on Instagram holding up a sign with the message: "#savechildrenfromfascism."

"Our grandfathers and grandmothers witnessed all the horrors of fascism! We will not let it happen in our time," he wrote.

Putin has painted the Ukrainian authorities as "neo-Nazi" or fascist, in particular when justifying Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022. What Putin calls a "special military operation" raised questions in the minds of many about how this might affect Ovechkin's view of the man he had always so publicly supported.

On February 25, 2022, a day after Russia launched the invasion, a reporter covering the Washington Capitals asked Ovechkin if he still supported Putin.

"Well, he's my president," Ovechkin replied. "But how I said, I'm not in politics, I'm an athlete."

He did issue a vague appeal for peace but declined to criticize Moscow's military action.

"Please, no more war. It doesn't matter who's in the war — Russia, Ukraine, different countries," he said.

Back on the ice with the Capitals

Whatever you may think of his political views, Ovechkin is without a doubt one of the best players to ever lace on a pair of skates.

Now, back on the ice in Arlington, Virginia ahead of the Washington Capitals training camp, "Great8" is focused on getting his aging body (he turns 41 on Thursday) ready to compete for what would be a second Stanley Cup for both him and the Caps.

For much of the offseason, Ovechkin had left open whether he would return for another year. After all, he has achieved just about everything you can in the NHL, having broken Wayne Gretzky's career goal-scoring record two seasons ago. Going into the 2025-26 campaign he has 929 goals in 1,573 regular season games. In July though, after a conversation with his wife, he decided to come back for one more year in Washington – and he hasn't ruled out extending his career beyond that.

Over 40 and still going strong

"I'm going to be 41. I've had a lot of pressure on my shoulders over the years," he said. "I'm going to focus on the game and helping my team to win," he told reporters after his first skate. "I'm still a good player and can still help the team to win."

His numbers support that last assertion, having scored 32 goals in 2025-26. Only two other players have ever scored more over the age of 40.

"I can't wait for the season," he said. "On paper, you can see our team is one of the best teams but now we have to work for the Stanley Cup."

However, the bookies disagree, with some putting the Capitals way down at 18 (of 32) on their list of Stanley Cup candidates for 2027.

On the other hand, the prospect of United Russia winning this weekend's parliamentary elections, the first since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, appears a safe bet.