After appearing in a commercial that supported Russian President Vladimir Putin, Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin has broken his silence.

Speaking to reporters, Ovechkin defended his decision to star in the commercial. He conceded that Russia is his “home,” and that is why he didn't see an issue with being in the commercial.

Alex Ovechkin makes a statement regarding the video for the United Russia party.

“I hope everything’s going to be okay… I’m for peace and love.”

Says he’s Russian and he supports his country. pic.twitter.com/TZixY17zLG

— Sammi Silber 🏒 (@sammisilber) September 17, 2026

“The thing about the video, I'm Russian. As soon as I'm done playing hockey, I'm probably gonna stay there. I'm gonna live there. I'm gonna live there, my kids [are] gonna live there [and] my family,” he explained. “So, I'm focused on love, and I hope everything's gonna be okay. My home's Russia; this is my second home.”

The Vladimir Putin commercial with Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in question

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) skates during the warmup before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
Turchiaro-Imagn Images
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The commercial about Putin aired this week and featured Ovechkin standing among a group that supported Putin's United Russia party. This shouldn't come as a surprise, as  Ovechkin and Putin have a longstanding relationship. The Capitals star launched the “Putin Team” social movement in 2017.

Per NBC News, the Capitals were aware Ovechkin was going to appear in the spot, and they promised his off-the-ice political work wouldn't impact his performance in the upcoming NHL season. He filmed it over the summer while in Russia.

“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement,” Capitals spokesman Sergey Kocharov said in a statement.

Ovechkin is the Capitals' captain and has been with the team since 2005. He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. He has scored the most goals in NHL regular season history, and he's the only player to ever eclipse 900 regular season goals.

The Capitals' 2026 season will begin on Oct. 2. They will play the Carolina Hurricanes on the road before visiting the Tampa Bay Lightning the following night. Their first home game will be on Oct. 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.