Ovechkin answered the question about his propaganda role in Russian politics

Captain “Washington Capitals” Alexander Ovechkin negatively answered the question of a reporter of the Canadian television channel CBC, whether the Russian authorities use him as a propaganda tool.

“No one is using me,” Ovechkin said before the match in Ottawa, where representatives of the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress staged a protest against him.

Until 2022, more than 1.2 million people of Ukrainian origin lived in Canada. About 300,000 have moved to Canada since the start of the military operation in Ukraine in 2022.

How Ovechkin was met in the Ukrainian province of Canada

In September, Ovechkin faced a new wave of criticism for filming in the pre-election video of the United Russia party. Together with Ovechkin in the video, in particular, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, actor Vladimir Mashkov starred.

Asked by journalists after the publication of the video, Ovechkin said: “Russia is my home...” And when I'm done playing hockey, I'll probably live there. My children, my family will live there.”.

In November 2017, a few months before the presidential election in Russia, Ovechkin announced the creation of the public movement Putin Team, which included famous athletes. In a post on social media about the creation of the movement, he wrote: "I have never hidden my attitude towards our president, always openly supported him.".

Afterwards, he explained his decision in a conversation with North American media: "That's just my point of view." It's just my feelings. "I'm just supporting my country, you know?" Ovechkin added after the Capitals match against the New York Islanders on November 2, 2017. I am from Russia, my parents live there, all my friends. Like all people from different countries, I support my president.

In an interview with NYT, Ovechkin stressed that the degree of his closeness to Putin should not be overestimated and he does not have the phone number of the President of Russia.

In 2022, after the beginning of the military conflict in Ukraine, the Russian hockey player again had to explain himself for photos with Putin on an avatar in social networks. “He is my president. But like I said, I'm not in politics. I'm an athlete. I hope things get better soon. Now is a difficult situation for both sides, Ovechkin was quoted as saying by ESPN.

The hockey player made a statement about the video during Washington training camp, saying Russia is his home.

In March 2022, a series of protests against Ovechkin took place in Alberta, Canada’s most Ukrainian province, before the Washington games. And in the stands of arenas in Calgary and Edmonton, the Russian was booed.