# ‘I’m Russian’: NHL star Ovechkin defends Putin ad appearance

https://mins.news/en/item/63109

- Al Jazeera, 2026-09-17 18:02 UTC
- Sports
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/9/17/im-russian-nhl-star-ovechkin-defends-putin-ad-appearance?traffic_source=rss

> Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin says he agreed to appear in a United Russia campaign video backed by Vladimir Putin because he supports Russia. He says he stands for peace and love and may live there with his family after retiring from hockey.

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