House GOPer demands NHL investigate Ovechkin over pro-Putin ad

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) is demanding the NHL investigate Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin over an advertisement he participated in promoting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s party ahead of the country’s elections this weekend.

In a letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday, Wilson called it “incredibly alarming” that Ovechkin appeared in the ad “supporting the party of war criminal Putin.”

“American hockey fans deserve better leadership from their star players,” the Republican wrote.

Ovechkin appeared in the ad along with a number of other famous Russian athletes, celebrities and politicians under the tagline “when we are united, we are invincible.”

The advertisement has sparked widespread backlash given Putin’s long documented history of crimes against humanity and his ongoing war with Ukraine.

The NHL’s all time leading goal scorer has not weighed in publicly on the ad, but, in a statement to The Athletic this week, the Capitals attempted to distance the club from the incident.

“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement,” a team spokesperson told the outlet. “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.”

Wilson is among the most prominent critics of Russia on Capitol Hill and insisted that Bettman clarify the NHL’s policies on its players appearing in political advertisements “on behalf of doctorial political parties and foreign political regimes.”

“The NHL and the Washington Capitals have an extraordinary platform and responsibility,” the South Carolina lawmaker wrote. “I hope the league will treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and I look forward to your response.”