- Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is facing calls for an NHL ban after appearing in a campaign advertisement for Vladimir Putin ’s United Russia party.
- Pictured alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, Ovechkin drew sharp criticism from public figures and fans.
- Critics are urging the Capitals to release Ovechkin and calling on the US and Canada to issue visa bans against the Moscow native.
- Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goalscorer, has a long history of supporting Putin, including founding the Putin Team movement in 2017.
- The Washington Capitals also faced backlash for posting supportive social media content featuring Ovechkin amid the growing controversy.
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